Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cody Poock picked off backup quarterback Chris Streveler by jumping an inside slant route. The speedy Poock went untouched as he ran over 30 yards to the endzone.
If you weren’t able to make it to Saturday’s scrimmage at Concordia University in St. Paul (hopefully you were located in an air-conditioned building), here are some highlights and observations:
-Arguably the most impressive play of the day came when redshirt sophomore quarterback Conor Rhoda found freshman receiver Rashad Still on a 45-yard fly route. Still demonstrated his vertical, hauled in the football despite solid secondary coverage, and dragged one foot in the back of the endzone for a touchdown.
-Quarterback Mitch Leidner played fairly well today. In four scrimmage drives, he went 6 for 8 passing and added a touchdown run on a five-yard, read-option keeper. Leidner’s most impressive play surely came when he connected with redshirt freshman receiver Melvin Holland Jr. on a mid-range pass. Holland then escaped an oncoming defender and ran for a large gain.
-Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cody Poock picked off backup quarterback Chris Streveler by jumping an inside slant route. The speedy Poock went untouched as he ran over 30 yards to the endzone.
-Freshman quarterback Demry Croft continued to show flashes of athletic brilliance, as well as his youth. In two scrimmage drives, he threw numerous accurate short-range balls and added a touchdown on a five-yard touchdown run. Although very few people doubt his athleticism, he did mishandle one high snap and one handoff. There is no doubt he is a raw athlete, and his future on this football team looks bright.
-There was a very respectable turnout for the scrimmage. As it began around 10:30 a.m., roughly two-thirds of the Sea Foam Stadium bleachers were filled with Gopher fans. According to the Concordia website, Sea Foam’s capacity is 3,500+ people. At the very least, it was nice to see Gopher fans of all ages enjoy the action despite very high temperatures outside.
To summarize, there was just about everything you would expect in a typical collegiate football game: a few highlight-reel plays, the occasional big hit, some interceptions, offside penalties and much more. The scrimmage served as primer for young players and coaches alike. While the Gophers certainly need to polish up some things prior to their game versus TCU on September 3rd, there was plenty of talent showcased on Saturday.