Nashville workout pleases Norvell
NASHVILLE — On a clear, cool Saturday afternoon, the scoreboard at Father Ryan High School read “Memphis 20, Tigers 17.”
The score was meaningless, of course. In the University of Memphis football team’s second spring scrimmage, coach Mike Norvell simply wanted to see energy and growth at every position. He wanted to drop his players into an unfamiliar road environment and see how they responded. He wanted to give fans and recruits in the Nashville area an opportunity to watch the team practice live, broadening interest in the program across the state.
And in each of those categories, Norvell was pleased with what he saw.
“There’s a lot of good film to watch,” he said. “I was pleased with the guys’ energy level. Any time you
go on the road, you can’t predict what the circumstances are going to be. You can’t predict what the weather’s going to be. You can’t predict what the crowd’s going to be wherever you go. You have to be in control of your own intensity, and that’s something I think our guys did a good job with today.”
There were a handful of offensive highlights in the scrimmage, which, at 113 plays, was the equivalent of a little more than a half of action.
Riley Ferguson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Phil Mayhue on the opening drive. Brady Davis later found Roderick Proctor, who made a tough, leaping catch for an 18-yard score. And Doroland Dorceus had two scores, plus a zigzagging, 33-yard run midway through the session.
“It was a good experience. A different environment,” said Dorceus, the team’s leading rusher a year ago. “It felt good coming out here with a little adversity, and I think we did pretty good with it.”
There was plenty of pushback from the defense too, though. After the offense scored on its first drive, the defense kept its counterpart out of the end zone on the next nine. Each of the Tigers’ three quarterbacks, who rotated snaps with the first and second units, was “sacked” — or touched in the backfield, because of their red no-contact jerseys — multiple times. Linebacker Genard Avery and defensive lineman Ernest Suttles were among those most frequently in the backfield.
Norvell said he’s excited about the performance — and depth — of the defensive line. Suttles credited defensive coordinator Chris Ball and defensive line coach Paul Randolph for helping players adjust to Memphis’ new scheme.
“This system is more relying on the pressure up front, and that’s showing in spring practices,” Suttles said. “Coach Ball, Coach Randolph are doing a good job teaching us how to blitz, how to pressure, and it’s showing on the field.”
As much as anything, though, Saturday’s scrimmage was an event for fans and alumni, both those in central Tennessee and those who drove three hours from Memphis. They gathered in a grassy area near the field house at Father Ryan more than an hour before the scrimmage, and they were greeted by Norvell before it began.
“We pulled up on the bus and you see a tunnel of blue. That was fun,” Norvell said. “I really appreciate everyone here in Nashville — and then there were a lot of fans that drove over from Memphis just to see their Tigers. Like I said, we’re honored to be able to represent such a fine university and a great community. I think our guys definitely have a wonderful appreciation for everyone that was in the stands today.”