JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman College football held its final full-contact scrimmage Tuesday night with the annual Orange and Blue game at Burke-Tarr Stadium. In game full of big plays by the offense and defense, the Orange team took the victory, winning 19-13.
The spring game was moved up a day to Tuesday due to the encroaching weather, but the rain still caught the Eagles by kick off.
"It was good to get this one in," C-N head coach Ken Sparks said. "We got done what we needed to get done. A lot of kids made plays tonight."
The Eagles will hold their final practice today, in just shorts and helmets before continuing through the offseason. For a team coming off a 7-4 lackluster season where it not only missed the playoffs, but never contended for the South Atlantic Conference title, August cannot come soon enough.
"I'm excited that these guys have determined together that they're going to play with a lot more heart," Sparks said. "That's what we've been known for and I like the heart of this team. We've still got some growing to do, but I'm impressed with their desire to do that."
That desire was on display from the opening snap. Freshman quarterback Johnny Foster (Roebuck, S.C.) took a quarterback keeper 50 yards for a Blue team score.
"He (Foster) is getting a little more finesse with the offense and getting more comfortable with it," Sparks said. "He's coming along."
Sophomore cornerback Oliver Davis (Acworth, Ga.) didn't let the Blue team get too far ahead, scooping up a blocked extra point and racing all the way down the sideline for a safety.
Davis had a terrific all-around day, especially in the kick return game where he was a step away from breaking free any time he touched the ball.
"He (Davis) is dangerous," Sparks said. "He's a threat and believes he can. That's the most important thing."
Getting the start in the Blue team backfield along with break-out freshman Tyron Douglas (Clover, S.C.), who rushed for 453 yards over the final few games last season, was Nic Williams. Williams looks to be the prototypical C-N back with a quick burst of speed and no fear of contact.
Nate Inman (Fitzgerald, Ga.), coming off a 1,071 yard, 10 touchdown season, put in the performance expected of him, rushing hard and scoring on a punishing 27-yard run for the Orange team.
"Nate looked like a bull running through there," Sparks said.
The spring game followed just a day after another full-contact practice Monday evening.
"We had a full contact practice yesterday and I was interested in how they would respond today," Sparks said. "I was real impressed with our kids, their attitude and the way they were flying around."
The big plays weren't just on offense. Freshman cornerback Charles Hayes (Thomasville, Ga.) picked up a fumble in the second quarter and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown.
Defensive tackle Sam Palmer (Atlanta, Ga.) and defensive end Zeke Andrews (Eastman, Ga.) harassed quarterbacks all night.
Sparks held 15 players out of the spring game, including quarterback Philip Juhlin (Maryville, Tenn.), wide receivers Patrick Miller (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Christian McFall (Jefferson City, Tenn.) as well as starting cornerback Tarvin Jones (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
