Defense beats Offense in PSU Spring Game

Rather than playing a traditional split-squad Spring Game, Pittsburg State pitted its offense against its defense with a scoring formula used to determine a winner.

Offensively, a touchdown earned six points, a field goal three points and first downs, 20-plus yard plays and successful PAT conversions one point each. Defensively, 12 points for a touchdown, five points for a fumble recovery, two points for a quarterback sack, failed 2-point conversion or a fourth-down stop inside its own 50-yard line, and one point apiece for forcing a punt, forcing a field goal inside its own 50, a tackle-for-loss and a pass deflection.

The Defense beat the Offense 44-40 in the Spring Game at Carnie Smith Stadium, as 10 sacks and seven pass breakups totaled 27 points for the Defense and overcame a 31-yard field goal by Jake Craig, a 20-yard TD run by Briceton Wilson and a 41-yard TD pass from true freshman quarterback Darrack Harger to redshirt freshman wide receiver Herman Ming on the game’s final play.

Now, back to that formula.

"We've used that formula before," Pitt State head coach Tim Beck said. "I think we actually got it from the University of Missouri at one time. We really don't like to use it. We'd rather just break up the teams but it's another way to keep it competitive. I felt like it was competitive but it's a way to allow the defense to be able to score some points."

Defensive coordinator Dave Wiemers and offensive coordinator Steve Rampy both admitted to not understanding every nuance of the scoring formula.

"My preference would be the drawouts and teams," Wiemers said. "You've got to figure something out and I don't understand the scoring system. I would like to know who's keeping track of all this because I sure couldn't."

Beck tried giving the players some friendly advice on the scoring format before the game.

"It's definitely different and we tried telling them not to pay attention to the scoreboard but that's easier said than done," Beck said.

In a game featuring no Nate Dreiling, no John Brown, no Gus Toca, no Solomon Watkins, no Chas Smith and no Joe Uzzel, younger players gained an opportunity for a spotlight in front of approximately 1,000 fans.

Sophomore quarterback Anthony Abenoja made waves in the previous Spring Game when he passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns. On Saturday, he passed for 167 yards on 9 of 18 and showed a few of the qualities that made his teammates choose him as one of seven team captains.

Dennis Tanner, a sophomore, and true freshman Harger both saw time and Harger completed 8 of 15 passes for 127 yards and the only passing TD.

“Anthony did a good job,” Beck said. “There’s no question he’s our starter, he’s our guy and I think we still have some competition for our No. 2 spot but we’ll take that as it goes and see if our guys have a good summer or not into the fall.”

“Tony is our guy and he’s looked good all spring,” Rampy said. “We feel good about him and one of our goals is to come in and identify a backup guy. Both of those guys have made strides toward that and they’re going have to come in the fall and continue to work hard and improve. Again, we’re not going to base everything on today. It’s a total process and still a work-in-progress.”

Senior running back Jason Spradling led all ball carriers with 60 yards on nine carries, fellow senior Wilson culminated a long scoring drive with his 20-yard TD and redshirt freshman Brian Poston gained 41 yards on nine carries.

“Both (seniors) did a good job,” Beck said. “Spradling was running a little bit tentatively at times and Briceton didn’t get to carry it very much but when he did he was effective.”

Ming caught two passes for 86 yards and one TD and senior Andrew Castaneda snagged three passes for 44 yards.
“We didn’t come out as excited and enthusiastic as I wanted us to be the last day,” Rampy said. “But we did some good things and got going a little bit. We made some mistakes, took some sacks, can’t do that, got to take good care of the football. We feel good about the spring overall. We’re not going to base it on one day.”

Meanwhile, on defense, sophomore defensive ends Avery Adair and Dallas Shalz wreaked havoc, Adair five tackles and 3.5 sacks, Shalz six tackles with 2.0 sacks and two pass breakups.

“The defense did a good job,” Beck said. “Holding Gus out and holding Nate out, we were able to see some other guys and I think several of them stepped it up and did a good job.”

“OK,” Wiemers said for his evaluation of the overall defensive performance. “We have played a lot of people this spring. We looked at all of our young guys at the risk of not necessarily playing our so-called No. 1s and gaining chemistry and unity. That’s kind of what we gave up to see all of our young players. It was good in that we got to find out whether some guys are ready or not to be helpers in seconds and thirds.”

Rampy and Wiemers talked about what they’re looking for in a Spring Game.

“For some of our young guys to come out here and compete in front of a crowd and some game-like atmosphere,” Rampy said. “We want to be physical. We want to run the ball. At times, we did that and at times, we didn’t. Just play with enthusiasm. That’s what we challenged them to do. Go play with game-like enthusiasm, speed and intensity. We’re still a fairly young football team and we’ve got to understand that it’s not something that you turn on or off. It’s what you do and who we are.”

“They’ve seen us and we’ve seen them and we’ve seen each other way too much,” Wiemers said. “It’s a weird evaluation. We’re really good on offense and if we can get them slowed down occasionally, we’re playing really well. It’s good for all of us and we’re excited.”

On a few occasions Saturday, referees made players sit out the next play after losing their helmet, part of a new rule in college football.

“It’s not 100 percent that way,” Beck said. “They went ahead and enforced it today but it hasn’t been passed yet for sure. It’s a tough rule. It will definitely change some things. It’s for the better. It’s for the safety of the player.”
Texas head coach Mack Brown, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy may not agree on much in this world but none of them are fans of the new helmet rule, especially for some of the inconsistencies of the rule.

For example, pass rushers may continue their path of destruction without a helmet if they’re engaged with an offensive lineman but must stop their pursuit if the passer escapes from the pocket or steps up to run. If the defender fails to stop, he will be whistled for a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.

According to a story in the USA Today Oct. 26, over 1,000 helmets (1,152) came off through seven weeks of the 2011 season in Division I and II.

At halftime of the Spring Game, the senior members of the National Championship team unveiled the face of the August Rua Press Box with the 2011 added to 1957, 1961 and 1991.

Pitt State opens its 2012 season Aug. 30 at Northeastern State (Okla.) and plays its first home game Sep. 8 against Central Oklahoma.