Sean White scanned the line of scrimmage, held his hands up and called out his cadence. The ball reached his hands and he began his dropback.
One, two, three, four steps.
That fifth step didn’t happen, because Carl Lawson was already on top of him. If the quarterbacks hadn’t been wearing orange non-contact jerseys, Lawson would’ve left an emphatic mark on his first-ever A-Day.
The defenses forced a combined 1-for-22 on 3rd down from the Blue and White team offenses, as Lawson, Montravius Adams and company constantly flummoxed the quarterbacks into hurried passes and, for the most part, corralled the rushing attack.
“I thought the defense was outstanding,” coach Gus Malzahn said. “I think one thing that really stands out this year is the depth. We’ve got more depth this year, which is great.”
With the changeover of three defensive assistants in the offseason, the defense is expected to understandably go through growing pains.
But with Lawson, Rudy Ford and SEC All-Freshman cornerback Carlton Davis returning, those pains might not be as excruciating as they could’ve been.
The group recovered a fumble, dropped an interception and by all accounts should’ve reeled in another on, as a pair of defenders misplayed an errant John Franklin III throw to Marcus Davis.
But despite the missteps, the defense was by far the dominant unit at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, capitalizing on a sluggish quarterback race that is yet to yield a clear winner.
“The defense showed out,” said running back Jovon Robinson. “It was energetic coming out. I feel like the defense is putting it together, putting it together really well. They was able to stop us for the first part of the scrimmage.”
Depth was a major issue in 2015, with a handful of starters or rotation players succumbing to injury, primarily in the secondary. This year, however, that won’t be the case.
“I feel like if we keep putting in the work, then we will be an overall better defense this upcoming season,” said defensive tackle Montravius Adams. “When the starters go out, then we have backups that could be starting. They go in and make the same plays. It’s just good for us that we don’t have a dropoff.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
