Austin Peay State University Football’s offense makes strides in second scrimmage

Saturday, April 13, 2013

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Football

Clarksville, TN – The offense hasn’t caught up to the defense but it did make significant strides Saturday morning as Austin Peay State University football team held its second scrimmage.

APSU Football held their second scrimmage Saturday, April 13th, 2013.

The offensive improvement occurred despite the fact redshirt sophomore quarterback Jacob Sexton suffered an upper leg injury, leaving all the signal-calling duties to walk-on freshman Timarious Mitchell, from Whitehaven High School in Memphis.

Mitchell led the Governors to a pair of scores, including an impressive nine-play 55-yard drive. He was 5-of-7 passing on the drive for 47 yards and then ran in for the scrimmage’s second score.

It was quite a turnaround for an offense that struggled converting first downs the previous week.

“Offensively, it started to turn on Tuesday,” new APSU coach Kirby Cannon said. “They started understanding the little things you had to do to play well offensively to move the football. Friday it was the same thing. I think they are getting there as far as the urgency of play and the urgency of effort needed.”

Earlier this week redshirt freshman quarterback Gage Scurlock elected to leave the program, leaving just Sexton and Mitchell. When Sexton went down, Saturday, it left Mitchell, who after some early yips settled down to complete 10 of 22 passes for 82 yards.

“I think he did a great job,” Cannon said. “There is that stunning effect where you realize ‘I am the only quarterback out here, I have to take every rep.’

“It hurts the football team to when you are down to one. But he did a good job, especially in the two-minute (drive). That first pass he threw to the sideline (to Jamar Embry) was the best pass we have thrown all spring.”

Mitchell’s 21-yard pass to Justin Adams-Turner to the one-yard line set up the Mitchell’s score. Walk-on Johnny Bennett had the Governors other score, a 10-yard run around left end during situational play.

Defensively, the Governors continued to be led by a pair of seniors, linebacker Craig Salley, who had a big play in the offensive backfield, and end Iosua Siliva, who manhandled blockers much of the day while constantly gaining significant penetration.

The Govs final scrimmage will take place 11:00am, next Saturday, when the annual Red-White contest is held in Governors Stadium.