JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — It was the final scrimmage of fall camp for the No. 9-ranked Carson-Newman College football team, but the first for wide receiver Marcus Huie (Knoxville, Tenn.). Huie caught a 54-yard strike from quarterback Doug Belk (Valdosta, Ga.) on the first drive Saturday morning at Burke-Tarr Stadium.
"I'm not going to brag too much on Huie because he's not practiced enough," C-N head coach Ken Sparks said. "He ought to have fresh legs because he's not been out here practicing."
Belk capped the drive with a 3-yard dive into the end zone. Belk was quick with his feet and passes the next time the first-team offense had the ball, as he hit wideout Patrick Miller (Sevierville, Tenn.) for a nine-yard gain on third down to move the sticks. Miller also laid a big block on a running play that got some attention.
"A wideout has got to be a complete football player in our offense," Sparks said. "He's got to be a good blocker and a pass threat. He's got to be a tough guy."
Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.) did most of the work on the drive, piling up 34 yards and scoring on a six-yard run.
"We've got some guys that are coming off the injured list that are getting some reps," Sparks said. "We've got a lot of work to do in a week. We're going to be in a team in progress all year because we're so young."
With starting kicker Carlos Lopez (Seymour, Tenn.) down with a sore back, two new kickers have impressed in camp. Redshirt freshman Matthew Gossett (White House, Tenn.) and true freshman Curt Duncan (Morristown, Tenn.) have been consistent on field goals, extra points and kickoffs.
"We've got two guys that have never kicked in a college football game," Sparks said. "They're both doing a good job, but we've got to see how they handle it when the lights are on. It's a different ballgame then."
The new kick return teams put on a show. With the NCAA outlawing the wedge kick return, the Eagles had to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new strategy in their return game. New wide receivers coach Aaron Hutsell pulled out his notebook and drew up a new return formation that resulted in back-to-back kick returns for touchdowns Saturday.
Sophomore cornerback Oliver Davis (Acworth, Ga.) found a gap and sprinted 90 yards for a touchdown. Not to be outdone, on the ensuing kickoff, true freshman Jason Brown (Plant City, Fla.) went 95 yards for his own score.
"We had to change it up so coach Hutsell came up with this return," Sparks said. "So far it looks pretty good."
The first team defense had a solid day, disrupting the third team offense all morning. Fifth-year senior Anthony McAlister (Knoxville, Tenn.) was held out of the scrimmage again with a nagging injury. Carson-Newman will find out how long junior outside linebacker Ryan Helton (New Tazewell, Tenn.) will miss with a fractured arm Monday.
Friday might have been a night off for the Eagles, but they still got some lifting done. The team helped their fellow Carson-Newman students move into their dorms, carrying boxes, suitcases and furniture.
The Eagles open their 2010 season next Saturday at home against Winona State. Kickoff if set for 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The game will be regionally televised on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS).
