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Tigers close spring practice with Blue-Gray game
By Adam Douglas-->Sports Reporter
Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 02:04
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U of M quarterback Andy Summerlin finished with 269 yards and three scores with one interception on 16-of-27 passing. Summerlin is expected to be the starter for the Tigers in their opener against Mississippi State on Sept. 1.
The University of Memphis football team closed its spring practice sessions with the annual Blue-Gray spring game that was held Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers finished last year with a 1-11 record, but coach Larry Porter expects this year to be much different given the strong recruiting class.
"On the offensive side of the ball we started slowly, but picked it up towards the back end of the scrimmage and started scoring and executing well. I have mixed emotions right now," Porter said. "Overall, I thought the spirit of the day was good, the attitude was good, and I'm now looking forward to carrying this momentum on into the summer."
The defense was expected to improve from last season, and they didn't disappoint, Porter said. The defense racked up 11 sacks on Tigers redshirt sophomore quarterbacks Andy Summerlin and Will Gilchrist and also recorded 17 tackles for loss.
"Defensively, we started strong but when we got to certain situations like on third down and in the redzone, we stumbled a bit," Porter said.
Junior defensive lineman Dontari Poe, one of the leaders on the front line, recorded two tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Poe was also named one of the game's two MVP's.
"It really feels great to know that I won the MVP," Poe said. "My fellow defensive lineman Frank Trotter won it last year and it became a goal of mine coming into the spring to win the award this year."
The game's other MVP was sophomore running back Jerrell Rhodes. The Hargrove Military Academy product rushed 20 times for 101 yards and three scores.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Hayes, Rhodes' back-up, also had a productive day. He gained 131 yards on nine attempts with one score.
Dual threat WR/RB Billy Foster split time in the backfield as well as at receiver. Foster caught five balls for 42 yards, but looked a bit shaky in the running game with only nine yards on eight carries.
Summerlin and Gilchrist, who both are vying for the No.1 spot, split duties during the game.
Summerlin was 16-of-27 passing for 269 yards and three scores with one interception, while Gilchrist went 10-of-17 for 93 yards. Summerlin also connected on three touchdown strikes during the red zone portion of the scrimmage. He found redshirt freshman Reggie Travis on two of the scores from six and 25 yards out, and then hit Marcus Rucker on a 25-yard touchdown.
"I still got a long ways to go and I'm going to just keep pushing," Summerlin said. "I'm still a little rusty, so I'm just looking forward to getting into the film room and learning the offense so I can know it like the back of my hand like all the great quarterbacks do."
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Daily Helmsman - Tigers close spring practice with Blue-Gray game
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