Winners and Losers of Saturday's College Football Spring Games
Were you in need of a football fix? Saturday's slate of spring games was here to help. For another few weeks, these weekends will provide the last bit of anything resembling college football until August and September.
So, you know, cherish them.
Among the big-name programs to hold their spring scrimmages on April 11 were Nebraska, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma and Florida State. Naturally, there's a lot of intrigue about who will replace Jameis Winston and which first-year coaches are off to great starts.
The points may not matter, and the stats may be misleading, but there are still fun and interesting things to take away from spring games. From quarterback competitions to freshman standouts and everything in between, here's a list of winners and losers from Saturday's batch of spring games.
Winner: Florida State Freshmen
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Quarterback Sean Maguire could have stolen the show at Florida State's spring game. Instead, a handful of early enrollee freshmen gave fans a lot to be excited about in the post-Jameis Winston era.
It's no secret that head coach Jimbo Fisher has been recruiting at a top-notch level over the past few years, but that talent was really on display Saturday. Running back Jacques Patrick, wide receiver George Campbell, safety Derwin James and quarterback De'Andre Johnson all had huge moments.
Patrick had a long touchdown run early that was called back for a penalty. Campbell had a 65-yard touchdown reception that involved broken tackles and great individual effort. Johnson threw two touchdown passes and showed off some beautiful accuracy. James took a Maguire interception 41 yards the other way for a touchdown.
Unless something changes with the quarterback situation, Johnson may not see a lot of playing time next season—if any. That's the nature of the position. Besides, he should still be granted the time to learn the offense. But there's no doubt the kid can play.
However, Patrick, Campbell and James could all see playing time this season. This will be a new-look Florida State team and definitely a young one in some areas. But the future is undeniably bright.
Winner: Darius Rucker
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Here's the good thing about spring practice: Everyone can get involved.
And we mean everyone.
Darius Rucker, better known as the front man of Hootie and the Blowfish, caught a touchdown pass during South Carolina's spring game. Rucker, a Gamecocks fan, was wide open in the back corner of the end zone.
While the lack of coverage was concerning*, good on Hootie for showing his potential. Now, can he replicate it in the fall?
(*Not really.)
You can see Rucker's touchdown here, via South Carolina's Twitter feed.
Loser: Anyone Seeking Answers in Florida's Quarterback Competition
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Anyone who was seeking an answer in Florida's quarterback competition will have to wait a little longer. Yes, redshirt freshman Will Grier is the early leader, but he will continue to compete with Treon Harris into preseason camp.
First-year head coach Jim McElwain said the quarterbacks were just "OK" on Saturday. Specifically, Harris started slow and had some issues in the red zone. Grier, on the other hand, was flustered by dropped passes.
In other words, there's still a ways to go before someone nails down the starting job.
"There's a lot of the playbook that still needs to be opened, a lot of things that we can do that we didn't. We're not necessarily extremely sharp right now," Grier said, via Chris Harry of GatorZone.com.
Ultimately, Grier is a better fit for McElwain's offense, but Harris has shown he does have potential if he can improve as a passer.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Winner: Nebraska Fans
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Not every fanbase turns out en masse for a spring game. Then again, not every fanbase is like Nebraska's.
According to Tom Dienhart of the Big Ten Network, the official attendance of the Huskers' spring game was 76,881. That's remarkable by itself, but even more incredible considering tickets were $10 and $15 for adults, while kids got in free.
Plenty of spring games are free of charge. That's dedication.
Here's a photo of the stadium, via Paul Myerberg of USA Today.
Even if the numbers were off, this is an impressive showing for head coach Mike Riley's first spring. Well done, Huskers fans. There's a long offseason between now and September. Get some football in while you can.
Winner: Clemson's Big Plays
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Clemson has become well-known for its up-tempo, big-play offense.
That offense was nowhere to be found at times last year, namely struggling with quarterback Cole Stoudt. With future full-time starter Deshaun Watson sidelined while recovering from his ACL injury, the Tigers seem to have found their explosive offense once again, as recapped by Aaron Brenner of the The Post and Courier:
"Mike Williams caught five balls for 107 yards and two TDs, while [C.J.] Davidson gobbled up 76 yards on just four carries, showing his raw speed on a 54-yard score.
On the first play of the day, Orange struck early when [quarterback Nick] Schuessler lofted a long ball to Williams, who picked up a 40-yard gain. Two plays later, Williams scored the first of his two touchdowns on the afternoon.
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Take all spring stats with a grain of salt, but it's good to see Clemson getting back to a big-play offense without Watson in the lineup. Otherwise, there would be real cause for concern.
Schuessler is the firm No. 2 behind Watson, so Clemson at least feels like it has two quarterbacks it can put on the field.
Loser: Northwestern's Excessive Celebration Penalty
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Yep, this happened apparently.
According to Kevin McGuire of College Football Talk, Northwestern players were flagged for excessive celebration during the Wildcats' spring game.
How much more can you really add? Let's just hope someone broke out a really awesome dance or something.
I'm not sure who's actually at fault—the players for getting the penalty or the ref for actually throwing the flag. Probably the latter.
It's spring. Come on, man.
Winner: Ole Miss Quarterback Chad Kelly
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It's been a long road for Ole Miss transfer quarterback Chad Kelly. The former Clemson signal-caller was dismissed from the Tigers program last August for conduct detrimental to the team. Then, he was hit with a non-criminal charge of disorderly conduct following a fight outside a Buffalo nightclub in December.
However, Kelly has been keeping a low profile lately and impressed in the Rebels' spring game. In a three-way battle for the starting job with Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade, Kelly looked to be the most impressive. (For what it's worth, his official stats were 9-of-19 for 104 yards, one touchdown and one pick.)
The quarterback competition should continue into preseason practice. For now, though, it's just good to see Kelly competing while keeping his nose clean.
"Quarterback play today was good, but then you miss a couple touchdowns on double moves," said head coach Hugh Freeze via The Associated Press. "Those are plays we've got to hit, and those guys know that. I saw some positives from all three that we can build upon going into the offseason."
Winner: Georgia's Quarterback Options
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It's getting repetitive at this point, but there are so many quarterback battles in the SEC. Not all battles are created equally, though.
The vibe from Georgia's spring game is that any one of three quarterbacks—Faton Bauta, Brice Ramsey and Jacob Park—could have a bright future as the Bulldogs' starter. Considering the offense will run (so to speak) primarily through running back Nick Chubb, this is a good thing.
Georgia doesn't need a quarterback to go out and win games every weekend. From the sounds of it, those three players can fit the mold the coaches have created.
"I think it's still a race," head coach Mark Richt said after the game via Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee. "There's no question it'll go through summer and fall before we settle on one. Has any [QB] mastered their craft yet? No, but that's not expected."
As long as the quarterback play is decent, Georgia's offense should be fine, and the Bulldogs will be an SEC East favorite.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.
Loser: Baker Mayfield's Spring Arrival
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Technically, this isn't quarterback Baker Mayfield's first spring with Oklahoma. The Texas Tech transfer played in last year's spring game for the Sooners. However, transfer rules mandated that he had to sit out a year, and thus he wasn't eligible to compete for the starting job.
That's changed in 2015, and with Trevor Knight's struggles, it was anticipated—if not outright assumed—that Mayfield would make a run at the starting job. If his spring-game performance was any indication, though, he still has work to do to nail it down.
Mayfield threw a couple of interceptions, and the quarterback competition will carry on into preseason camp, according to head coach Bob Stoops, via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com.
Mayfield can play. This is the former Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year we're talking about. He plays fearless, and coaches like that.
“Baker's had a good spring. Been real sharp. He’s not afraid to take chances," Sooners offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley told Trotter. "I love the aggressiveness."
However, it can also lead to days like Saturday. Mayfield could still win the job, but this competition is far from over.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
