Aerial attack shines in C-N football spring game

Posted: Mar 01, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's passing game earned top marks during the Eagles' annual spring game at Burke-Tarr Stadium Thursday afternoon.

Carson-Newman quarterbacks completed seven touchdown passes throughout the situational scrimmage against the Eagles' first, second and third team defenses.

The offensive weirdness was amplified by the fact that Carson-Newman's veer-option attack didn't rush for one touchdown on the day.

Instead it was mid-year transfer TJ Smith (Marietta, Ga.), tight end Trevor Makarov (Ann Arbor, Mich.), converted safety Braxton Dockery (Knoxville, Tenn.) and running back Demetri Saulsberry (St. Mary's, Ga.) doing the damage through the air.

Smith grabbed three touchdown passes, Makarov found the end zone twice and Saulsberry and Dockery both grabbed one TD each.

"I was so happy for TJ," head coach Mike Turner said. "Last Saturday was his first collegiate scrimmage. Today he came out there to compete. He's still not where he wants to be. I think you saw today though, that when that ball goes up, he can make some plays. It's not just TJ. Kids that have been here, like Quinton, Ted and Mycah, have been here, and they've made plays. We've got to have playmakers on the edge to keep pressure off the option."

The Eagles' defense also had its moments in the sun on a blustery day at Burke-Tarr. The Eagles' unit, which returns 10 starters, didn't let the offense score in four situations where the ball was placed at either the 25 or 10-yard line going in.

"Our defense is explosive, and we are going to be exciting there," Turner said. "They were impressive this spring. They played hard, with great technique, then ran to the football and made great plays when they got there."

Carson-Newman's offense had to battle scheduled injury throughout the spring practice period with four starting linemen out recovering from surgeries and two running backs also sidelined due to injuries incurred in the middle of the season.

That paved the way for others to step up.

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"Tavon Murray has done some things that he really wants to play and that he can play," Turner said of the Eagles' center who got a boatload of reps thanks to an injury to normal starter Jordan Seal. "He's been the man all spring and he's responded well. I like to brag on him because he's gone every, and several others like him, because they've gone every day in a compact spring practice and has been ready to go each day. There have been no letdowns, and that's been a growing sign for a football team.

"Those kids believed in the theory of next man up," Turner said. "It hasn't been perfect, but their effort and willingness to compete has been awesome. We wanted them to get better at technique and being fundamental. We're ready now, offense and defense, to come back from spring break, hit that weight room hard and get ourselves pointed in the right direction for this fall."