Troy Spring Practice Notebook: Week Four

Week four of spring practice and scrimmage number two is in the books. The team is heading down the final stretch and, along with the heat, the intensity is starting to pick up.

We’ll start with a health update before getting into the high-energy scrimmage that occurred on Saturday.

Health Update

• Linebacker AJ Smiley has a boot on his right foot and is likely done for the spring.
• Offensive lineman Austin Stidham is in a yellow jersey and did not participate in the scrimmage.
• Offensive lineman Kirk Kelley is also in a yellow jersey and was held out of the scrimmage.
• Offensive lineman Tristan Crowder is in the same spot as Stidham and Kelley, being held out of the scrimmage.
• That pushes the inactive list up to at least 10 names with one more week to go. Rasool Clemons, Jarvis Hayes, Sam Letton, Trey Coryell, Travis Sailo and Kyler Knudsen are the other names.

With the offensive line thin, Jake Andrews and Gerald Bell have been inserted into the starting five.

Scrimmage

The sun was out and the temperature climbed throughout the two hour practice. With the heat rising, the intensity and energy followed suit.

Quarterback Sawyer Smith took the first snap and threw a deep ball to receiver Reggie Todd on the left side. It fell incomplete, but flags came in from the dazzle of referees calling pass interference.

A couple of plays later DK Billingsley took an off tackle hand-off about 45 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

On the ensuing possession, BJ Smith, Josh Mays and Trevon Woolfolk put on a show. Smith showed off his elusiveness in the trenches, dodging multiple would-be tacklers on back-to-back plays.

Mays then entered the game, took a hand-off and broke it outside. Mays met safety TJ Harris at the third level, dropped the shoulder and laid Harris out with a hit that had the offensive sideline and crowd in a roar.

Shortly after, Woolfolk ran up the opposite sideline and dropped a defender with the shoulder on his way out of bounds.

Early on, it looked like the offense was going to have a field day.

“Honestly, early on (the offense) went right down the field on us and was able to get into some tempo,” defensive coordinator Brandon Hall said on Saturday. “There for a minute I thought we were about to get boat-raced.”

The tide shifted with one play and one hit. Smith dumped a pass down to fullback Zacc Weldon, who was then on the receiving end of a hit delivered by spear Tyler Murray.

The hit popped the ball loose and it was scooped up by linebacker Carlton Martial. The play was the shot in the arm the defense needed and it took advantage.

“After seeing how the offense was going, it kind of hyped us up,” Murray said after the scrimmage. “So we had to battle it out.”

The offense did not score for the remainder of the first half and turned the ball over twice more before going to a break.

Quarterback Jacob Free had a pass tipped up into the air by bandit Pat Richardson and watched it fall into Richardson’s hands. Richardson got a nice return out of it, as well.

On the next play, Smith nearly threw an interception to corner Jawon McDowell, who jumped in front of a Todd quick slant. However, one drive later, Smith threw a pick directly to safety Kyle Nixon over the middle.

“We had a touchdown drive, a couple of good drives and I think the defense responded well,” Chip Lindsey said following the scrimmage. “Brandon (Hall) has those guys flying around. Offensively, we got to respond next week.”

The first half of the scrimmage ended with some fireworks. Todd and McDowell got into a scuffle after a play, prompting both teams to head to the sidelines for a break.

“You don’t want that to happen, for sure,” Lindsey said. “Guys are competing. Sometimes they get just a little carried away and we got to keep our composure.”

The offense bounced back in the second half with a long touchdown drive led by Smith.

Aided by a couple of defensive penalties, the offense moved into the redzone where Billingsley caught a pass on a wheel route and stepped out of bounds at the one yard line.

Two plays later, Billingsley plowed into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.

“It felt awesome to get the opportunity to make plays,” Billingsley said. “Coach Lindsey gave the ball to the running backs and gave us the opportunity.”

The defense would finish strong, though. Spear Shon Spralling intercepted a Gunnar Watson pass and took it to the house for a pick six.

Martial and Richardson both picked up “sacks” down the stretch, too.

There’s only one week remaining in spring ball with the annual T-Day scrimmage now on the horizon. If Saturday’s scrimmage is any indication, the spring game could be one hell of a show.