The Ohio coaching staff was hitting all the right buzzwords Friday when the Bobcats’ defense squared off against its offense in the team’s first spring scrimmage.
There was not a second lost when one of the positional coaches was ragging players about tempo, speed and position.
But one message rang loud and clear: Play like it’s a game.
Positional shifts, personnel changes and inconsistencies riddled the scrimmage, as the Bobcats ran over live situations for the first time of the young season.
But the cracks of colliding helmets, the screaming from the sidelines and the anticipation of the snaps were about as real as they could get despite the time of year.
“It felt good because we’ve just been doing the touch or tag-up deal,” said redshirt junior running back Beau Blankenship. “It felt good to get out here and do some live stuff. A lot of it is timing. In practice we get a lot of repetition, but when you get out here live you get a lot of nerves going, and you’re trying to go faster.”
Quarterbacks Tyler Tettleton and Derrius Vick were the only Bobcats to avoid the team’s first contact since leaving Idaho with a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl victory last December.
Both the junior starter and green sophomore had good moments with Tettleton’s only blemishes being a pair of interceptions.
Blankenship led the running back corps with a touchdown run of longer than 70 yards, while freshman Kyle Hammonds had a run longer than 50 yards as well.
For the elder Bobcats, live action is an avenue to press their younger counterparts with experience.
“Every day I feel like we are getting better, especially those younger guys that we lost with those two tackles and those two receivers,” Tettleton said. “I feel like they’re doing a good job of that and you can tell that each and every day, but we still need to get better.”
Tettleton and Vick have had the opportunity to work extensively through spring ball, and the elder quarterback has taken fondly to the leadership role.
“It’s always good for him to get more reps and get used to the offense and stuff and feel comfortable,” Tettleton said. “I’m glad that he’s getting more reps, and he’s looking really good out there.”
Vick looked rushed under pressure, but he was placing his passes well during live action. Though the repetitions will likely not carry over to the regular season, he is reaping the benefits of seeing more time under center.
“We still have a lot of things to work on, just being consistent and doing the little things,” Vick said. “Every day we work on the timing. If you’re on the same page, it’s going to go a lot smoother with the no-huddle. Some days when it’s off, you can really tell.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
