MSU and UIW Spring Football Game Recaps

Courtesy MSU Sports

2012 SPRING GAME: Carper-led Gold beats Maroon, 13-6 - MSU Football

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Thomas Carper caught four passes for 137 yards and accounted for the only two touchdowns of the 24th Annual Maroon/Gold Spring Game to lead Gold to a 13-7 victory Saturday at the MSU Practice Field.

Carper broke free on a square-in to snag a 60-yard toss from Jake Glover in the minute of the first half to give Gold a 6-3 edge going into the break.

The Maroon had used the legs of All-America running back Keidrick Jackson to take the lead midway through the second quarter. The Arlington native accounted for rushes of 14 and 19 yards during a 14-play, 80-yard drive which resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Greg Saladino.

Harlon Hill finalist Brandon Kelsey led a quick 8-play, 60-yard drive to open the second half for the Maroon squad highlighted by a 30-yard sprint on a choice option run while redshirt freshman running back Roderick Woodard burst for consecutive runs of 15 and 8 yards to setup Maroon in the Red Zone.  But a holding call forced Maroon to settle for a 22-yard field by Brendan Grimley to tie the game at 6-6.

Former Rider High School standout Shavodrick Beaver led Gold's winning drive late in the fourth quarter. The transfer quarterback from Tulsa connected with Carper on a 38-yard hookup before the two connected on a double move for a 19-yard score three plays later to provide the difference in the game.

Gold running back Peter Smith paced all rushers with 91 yards on 18 carries, while Jackson led the Maroon team with 85 yards on 17 totes.  Glover connected on 10-of-18 passes for 116 yards and touchdown for Gold while Beaver finished 6-of-8 for 84 yards and a TD.

For Maroon, Kelsey connected on 3-of-15 passes for 28 yards while redshirt freshman Brett Wilhelm was 6-for-8 with 55 yards.  Jared Freeman caught six passes for 32 yards for Gold while Joe Sanders led the Maroon squad with seven receptions for 70 yards.

Defensively, Isaiah Long made six tackles including two for losses for the Maroon team while Gold was led by Davyon Henry's six-tackle effort.

Midwestern State opens its 2012 campaign against Tarleton State in Stephenville on Sep. 8.

Gold 13, Maroon 6

Score by Quarters	1	2	3	4	Total
Maroon	0	3	3	0	6
Gold	0	6	0	7	13

Scoring Summary
2nd - MAROON -- Greg Saladino 33 yard field goal
2nd - GOLD -- Thomas Carper 60 pass from Jake Glover (PAT failed)
3rd - MAROON -- Brendan Grimley 22 yard field goal
4th - GOLD -- Carper 19 pass from Shavodrick Beaver (Saladino kick)

Individual Statistics
Rushing -- (Maroon) Keidrick Jackson 17-85, Brandon Kelsey 8-40, Roderick Woodard 7-26, Brett Wilhelm 3 -(-29). (Gold) Peter Smith 18-91, Brandon Gordon 3-5, Shavodrick Beaver 3-(-7), Jake Glover 4-(-11).

Passing -- (Maroon) Brandon Kelsey 3-15-0, 28 yards; Brett Wilhelm 6-8-0, 55 yards. (Gold) Jake Glover 10-18-1, 116 yards; Shavodrick Beaver 6-8-0, 84 yards.

Receiving -- (Maroon) Joe Sanders 7-70, Terrence Smith 1-12, Roderick Woodard 1-1. (Gold) Jared Freeman 6-32, Brandon Gordon 5-25, Thomas Carper 4-137, Greg Allen 1-6. 

Interception decides UIW spring game - Jerry Briggs, San Antonio Express-News

  

JONES RETURN IS SPRING GAME CAPPER - UIW Football

A fine time was had by all Saturday night as Incarnate Word’s football Cardinals concluded their first spring schedule directed by new Coach Larry Kennan.

The weather was good, a nice crowd filed into Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium including soldiers from Fort Sam Houston, and there was a junior football game to warm up the audience before the Cardinals took the field.

And all the fun culminated in a dog pile in the end zone. 

With his Black team holding a narrow lead of 7-3 with approximately one and one-half minutes remaining in the contest, defensive safety Jamarris Jones picked off a White team pass and raced, actually sped, 98 yards to the end zone where he was mobbed by his teammates.  In real time the Cardinals would have gotten an excessive celebration penalty, but, really, this is the spring and Jones ended up on the bottom of the pile.

The PAT was completed and the final result was 14-3, Black.

“This was a nice day for football,” Kennan said afterwards.  “To see the guys out there with the fans after the game (there was a photo op and autograph session with the players), this is really a family deal.  We just want them to have fun.”

About his observations Kennan said “I saw a lot of enthusiasm.  I wasn’t too concerned about guys making great plays.  What I really saw was guys having fun and wanting to play football.  The goal this spring was to learn the passing game and now we need to make the passing game better.”

Statistically speaking the White team pretty much dominated the numbers but its only score was a 44-yard field goal by Saul Meza.

The rushing totals were 71 to 63 for the White led by Alex Torres with 48 on eight carries.  The White had a severe advantage in passing yardage—104 to 44.  Shane Knight was the leader with 7-15 for 78 yards but he was victimized on the last minute interception.  Under heavy pressure from the Black’s Alan Ford, Knight could only give chase to Jones down the sideline.  Andrew Mocio was top White receiver with six for 39 yards.

Claudio Ramirez led the Black team with his 47 yards on nine totes.  Eric Massoni passed 5-8 for 37 yards and the other touchdown, a catch by Stan Sullivan in the second quarter.  Sullivan caught three for 25 yards total.

This game concluded the spring program for the Cardinals.  Their next on-field action will come in August as they begin preparations for the 2012 season, UIW’s fourth year of football.