Offense Vs. Defense In Spring Game
4/7/2016 11:00:00 AM | Football
Spring football camp for the 2016 Bearkats comes to a close Friday with the annual Orange-White scrimmage. The action begins at 7:30 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
More than a hundred student-athletes have participated in the four weeks of spring ball. Overall, the Sam Houston coaching staff has been pleased with the progress.
“We've been really happy with the work this spring,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “We've been a little inconsistent at times, but I think that is because we have a lot of young guys who haven't played for us in the past. We've been competing. We will be anxious to see us put the whole thing together a little bit more Friday night.”
Friday night's activities will begin with a youth clinic on the field from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. The scrimmage will kick off at 7:30 p.m. with the defense wearing the white jerseys and the offense in orange.
The winner of the scrimmage will be decided by the point system as follows:
|
OFFENSE |
Points |
DEFENSE |
Points |
|
Touchdown |
6 |
Touchdown |
12 |
|
Field Goal |
3 |
Blocked Field Goal |
6 |
|
Kick PAT |
1 |
Blocked Kick PAT |
6 |
|
Run/Pass PAT |
2 |
Change of Possession |
4 |
|
First Down |
2 |
Turnover |
6 |
For field goals and extra points, if there are multiple kicks on a play, only the first kick attempt will be scored for points.
The scrimmage calls for various situational drills including drives starting on the offensive 35-yard line, the 50-yard line, in the red zone, goal line work and two-minute drill.
With 16 starters and 38 other lettermen returning from last year's 11-4 team that reached the NCAA Division I Championships semifinals for the second consecutive season, the squad brought plenty of experience to the practice field. However, 32 red-shirt freshmen, 11 returning squad members and a handful of transfers also have been competing for spots in the depth chart.
“The thing we have looked for this spring is continued improvement,” Keeler said. “We can only bring 95 players to preseason camp in August and that includes the scholarship players that will be coming in as freshmen. In spring ball, there's competition not just for starting roles but also young men looking to assure they are in the locker room next August.”
For the coaching staff, the 2016 spring training camp has been about leading how much depth have at each position.
“The spring is a chance for the young guys to get evaluated,” Keeler said. “It's exciting for those guys. We've been pleased with the tempo and the work ethic.”
After finishing No. 3 in last year's final national rankings, Sam Houston will be drawing lots of attention in the preseason polls next summer.
The Bearkats are one of only three programs in the nation to have participated in the FCS playoffs each of the past five seasons. During that time span, Sam Houston has played in two national championship games and reached the playoff semifinals four times.
The Kats return six starters on offense, nine on defense and have two starting specialists returning. Nineteen other offensive lettermen are back. Fifteen defensive letter winners and three other specialists all return as well.
Sam Houston opens the 2016 schedule at home in Huntsville hosting Oklahoma Panhandle State on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Kats will play four other home games and take on Stephen F. Austin in the 91st “Battle of the Piney Woods” presented by H-E-B at NRG Stadium in Houston Saturday, Oct. 1.
