Zips football: Scrimmage observations

The Zips held their first intrasquad scrimmage Saturday morning at the Stile Athletic Field House.

Whether they’ve made progress depends on which side of the ball anyone was looking.

Here’s a rundown:

Quarterback:  It was one of those days when Dalton Williams struggled some before finding traction.  Most of the problem stemmed from under throwing the ball on several passes that held the potential to be successful plays.  He eventually worked his way out of the funk to lead a couple of short scoring plays, but long drives against the No. 1 defense did not come.

It’s easy to see why coach Terry Bowden likes both Williams and Kyle Pohl.  Pohl led several successful scoring drives and showed the ability to keep plays alive with his feet, scrambling for long gains on a couple of occasions and just buying time to complete passes on others.

Offense:  The first-team offense didn’t have a lot of success sustaining drives.   Logically, that very well may have been a function of the defense’s play.  The first team defense made it tough be it in the passing game or the running game, not allowing any aspect of the offense to gain any traction. 

Defense:  Defensive back Avis Commack, a transfer from Florida State University, set the tone for the morning on the scrimmage’s first play by intercepting a tipped ball and returning it for a score.  The first team offense never got past the 50 yard line on the first team D. Overall, the defense forced what would have amounted to six sacks and four turnovers.

Making an impression:

On offense:  He didn’t get in until later in the scrimmage, but freshman Andrew Pratt of Green, showed what his 6-foot-5 frame could do. He caught two TD passes on the afternoon.

The first looked like a sure interception as Commack – all 6-foot-3 of him – looked to have an interception.  Pratt out jumped him and wrestled the ball free.  Later on he took advantage of his height again for the score.

On defense:  Junior Malachi Freeman continues to ramp things up as camp goes on.  Not only did he keep his offensive teammates frustrated during much of the scrimmage because of his blanket coverage, he recorded a sack and interception in the scrimmage.