The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Football Team Holds First Spring Scrimmage
4/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 2, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB football team held its first scrimmage of the spring here Saturday and left head coach Neil Callaway with mixed feelings about his team's performance.
"I think we got in a lot of good work on both sides of the ball, but it wasn't by any means perfect or where we want to be," Callaway said. "But we got a lot of good work out of it."
Callaway, however, didn't hesitate in singling out what he considered the highlight of the two-hour scrimmage at the Blazer practice field.
"Without a doubt, the highlight to me was the play of D.J. Vinson," Callaway said. "He made a lot of good plays catching the ball, I saw him make a couple good blocks. In my mind he was the highlight of the scrimmage."
Vinson, a redshirt freshman wide receiver who played at nearby Clay-Chalkville High School, recorded a team-best eight receptions for 78 yards with one touchdown catch.
The Blazers had 13 different players catch passes in Saturday's scrimmage. Nick Adams, who missed the 2010 season due to injury, had four catches for 54 yards with a touchdown. Jay Davis, Jamarcus Nelson and Jackie Williams were among the receivers with three receptions.
Starting quarterback Bryan Ellis connected on 13-of-18 passes for 132 yards with a pair of TD passes. Jonathan Perry hit 11-of-18 for 128 yards while Joe Bento was 10-of-17 for 59 yards.
"Obviously, the offense kind of had the upperhand, but it's the first scrimmage and we have to make sure our guys defensively know what they're supposed to do and are flying around the ball. At times, I saw them do some good things, but not on a consistent basis."
While the Blazers had some success moving the ball through the air, the inconsistencies of the running game left Callaway concerned after the scrimmage.
"The biggest thing offensively, I'm worried about us running the football and concerned about turning the ball over," he said. "I think we put the ball on the ground three or four times today and had an interception. We have to be more physical on both sides of the ball, particularly up front."
Dontavious Jackson and Pat Shed led the ground game for the Blazers. Jackson, a transfer from Georgia, finished with 66 rushing yards on 12 carries and one touchdown. Shed had 56 yards on 11 attempts with a TD. Perry was the leading rusher among quarterbacks with five carries for 50 yards, including a 51-yard scamper.
On the defensive side, Callaway said linebacker D.A. Autry caught his eye with solid play as did cornerbacks Cornelius Richards and Caleb Lester. Redshirt freshman linebacker Desmond Warren recorded the only interception in the scrimmage.
"We have to make sure everybody is humming on all cylinders when we come to the field, particularly when we scrimmage," he said.
The Blazers will return to the practice field Monday morning for their eighth session of the spring.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Rushing: Jackson 12-66, 1 TD; Shed 11-56, 1 TD; Perry 5-50; Franklin 7-25, 1 TD; Mostella 3-13; Ellis 1-7.
Passing: Ellis 13-18, 132 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT; Perry 11-18, 128 yds., 0 TD, 1 INT; Bento 10-17, 59 yds., 0 TD, 0 INT.
Receiving: Vinson 8-78, 1 TD; Adams 4-54, 1 TD; Nelson 3-68; J. Davis 3-25; J. Williams 3-19; Mostella 3-10; N. Smith 2-22; Pruitt 2-16.
