OFFENSE 55, DEFENSE 47
JONESBORO -- The offense won the final scrimmage, but Arkansas State's defense might have gotten more done through the course of a second spring practice under Coach Blake Anderson.
Missing a few marquee names and with two guest coaches, ASU's offense rebounded from a slow start to edge out the defense for a 55-47 victory Friday night in ASU's final spring scrimmage at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro.
Without quarterback Fredi Knighten, wide receiver J.D. McKissic and center Devin Mondie for a variety of injuries, Michael Gordon and Logan Moragne both broke long touchdown runs for the offense in the first half and Tres Houston caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Birse on the second drive.
Spring practice finishes with a final practice Monday, but Anderson's thoughts were clear: The defense made the desired progress while it's hard to gauge an offense that played much of spring without a few key pieces.
"We moved in the right direction," Anderson said. "I still think there's a lot of work left to do and I'm glad we're not playing today.
"I do think we took some strides, defensively, especially, with some guys that will help us play better next season."
Despite injuries and changes, Anderson said he considered Friday night a success.
For the second consecutive season, ASU put the chance to coach the spring game up for auction online, and winning bidder Angiel Gallaher's $8,700 pledge allowed her to coach the winning offensive team.
Gallaher, an ASU season ticket holder who lives in Jonesboro, picked Meredith Poland, a former ASU student athletic trainer who lives in Little Rock, to coach the defense. Galleher said she considered it money well spent, considering her team won.
"If you asked me in the first quarter, I might have said no," Gallaher joked afterward. "But now that it's over and I won, oh, definitely."
Gallaher's team started slow while being run by backup quarterbacks Cameron Birse and James Tabary. Tabary's first three passes were incomplete and after Birse threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Houston on his second drive, he threw an interception to Rocky Hayes that was returned 40 yards for a touchdown.
"Stupid pass," Birse said of the throw.
Hayes' interception return helped the defense, which scored points for safeties, stops, turnovers and touchdowns, take a 44-42 lead at halftime. Then DeKeathan Williams' 22-yard run and Katon Hills' 19-yard run in the second half gave the offense a victory in a final scrimmage.
Birse finished 11 of 21 for 199 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Tabary's first three passes were incomplete before completing 12 of his last 14 of the first half. He finished 15 of 21 for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. Neither quarterback completely pleased Anderson, who said the competition for the No. 2 spot behind Knighten could last into the season.
"It was not one of their better days today compared to what I think they've had up to this point," Anderson said. "I think both have had better days."
Anderson was certainly pleased with the retooled defensive line, one of ASU's biggest concerns heading into the spring. The last memory of Anderson's first season as ASU coach was Toledo rushing for 365 yards in a 63-44 victory over the Red Wolves in the Go-Daddy Bowl.
Anderson said not much can be taken from one scrimmage, but other than Gordon's 62-yard touchdown run and Moragne's 60-yard touchdown run, ASU gained 122 yards rushing on 50 carries. The defensive line also combined for five sacks, one from defensive tackle Robert Mondie, who transferred from Alabama-Birmingham and teamed with junior-college transfer Waylon Roberson as the top defensive tackles.
Anderson said the new front is "a foundation for what's possible."
"The offense can attest to it, the defensive line is like 10 times better," defensive end Chris Stone said. "Having those guys come in and take coaching and actually want to learn the system and want to be out there and get some playing time, that makes all the difference."
The one question lingering after spring is an offensive line that never got settled considering Mondie's concussion.
Anderson said Knighten, who missed the last week of spring with a hamstring injury could have played Friday, but it wasn't necessary. The returns of receiver J.D. McKissic (ankle) and Mondie are more questionable, absences that made the progress of the offense hard to gauge this spring.
"It's hard, the continuity is not the same," Anderson said. "The good thing is, we've got a lot of experience coming back. When we get everybody healthy and get them all out there, I'd like to think we'll get back into rhythm."
Sports on 04/18/2015