Marshall University Athletics
Offense Shines On First Day In Pads
8/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Offense Shines On First Day In Pads
8/10/2003
Junior College receiver Clarence Stanfield is settling in for the Herd. (Photo by Brandon Parro) |
A hot, Sunday afternoon sun welcomed the Marshall University football team to its first day of practice in full pads. The extra regalia did not seem to be a nuisance to the offense, which thrived under the direction of junior quarterback Stan Hill during the team?s hour-long scrimmage.
?Stan showed a lot of poise and handled the offense well,? head coach Bob Pruett said. ?But, I wasn?t real happy with our short-yardage offense because we?ve worked hard on it and didn?t handle that too well today.?
Hill ripped through the defense on a long naked bootleg run after fooling the defense with an exceptional play action fake. Franklin ?Butchie? Wallace reached pay dirt on a lengthy run after bursting through the line of scrimmage with a full head of steam.
Although the offense seemed to have a respectable scrimmage session, Pruett was more concerned about the defensive lapses that he witnessed.
?We didn?t do a very good job of tackling,? Pruett said. ?They (the defense) showed up a little late today and they got their hat handed to them a little bit. But, we?ll look at it on film and get better.?
One Marshall newcomer who is attempting to get better while still adjusting to life at the Division I level, as well as life away from the west coast, is wide receiver Clarence Stanfield. The 6-1, 190-pound transfer from Sacramento (Calif.) City College says that adjusting to the new brand of football is the trouble-free part, but being away from family and friends is more difficult.
?Football is the easy part,? Stanfield said. ?Football is football no matter where you?re at. The players out here are a little harder than they are at Sac City, but so far not seeing my family and friends, as well as the turf, has been one of the hardest things to adjust to.?
Stanfield played on natural grass at his junior college?s home venue, and hopes to see some members of his family at his new home stadium, James F. Edwards Field, at the season-opening game versus Hofstra on August 30 in Huntington.
The North Highlands, Calif., native has two years of eligibility remaining and hopes to make an immediate impact for the Thundering Herd and crack the starting lineup at some point.
?I just need to stay focused and get in that playbook and work real hard on every play,? Stanfield said.
Stanfield and the rest of the squad will get a good chance to work hard when Marshall holds its first two-a-day practice session on Monday, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The ticket booth at Gate A of Marshall Stadium will be open during the afternoon, from noon until 6 p.m., with both season and single-game tickets available.
-- by Brandon Parro (Marshall Sports Information)
