STARKVILLE — All things considered, Dan Mullen was impressed with the run game.
Mississippi State’s football coach said as much after Saturday’s Maroon & White Game while looking down at the final box score. In reviewing it as he spoke, he noted the Maroon team’s two running backs, Aeris Williams and Nick Gibson, each ran for at least six yards per carry.
Color Williams as something other than surprised.
“There’s going to be a lot of days like that, I promise you that,” he said.
Gibson was one of many breakout performers in the intrasquad scrimmage, the last of three such scrimmages in MSU’s spring football schedule, rushing 17 times for 108 yards.
“He has some ability running the football. Now we have to see the other things, and that’s kind of always been the case for him,” Mullen said. “Route running, pass protection, blocking, things like that and the consistency in performance.”
Gibson is confident he made strides in those areas, but admitted he, “bust probably two protections,” in the scrimmage. Williams sees it as a product of running backs coach Greg Knox.
“Just being around Coach Knox, you’re going to get smarter anyway,” he said.
Limited numbers
Mullen acknowledged after the game MSU scrimmaged without multiple players that had practiced throughout the spring.
In addition to offensive linemen Deion Calhoun and Elgton Jenkins, who had not practiced all spring, the Maroon team was also without defensive backs Tolando Cleveland and Maurice Smitherman, wide receiver Malik Dear and tight end Farrod Green.
The White team played without linebackers Leo Lewis and Dez Harris, wide receiver Donald Gray, defensive back Brandon Bryant, tight end Justin Johnson.
“We limited the number of weapons that were out there on the field, but we still got some good things done offensively today,” Mullen said.
Mullen said he would update the media on injuries after spring concludes, which occurs after Tuesday’s final practice.
Gray’s absence proved to be a big opportunity for the White team receivers, as he was one of just two at the position with more than year of on-campus experience. Reggie Todd emerged from the pack, catching four passes for 51 yards; Jesse Jackson added two catches and Jordan Thomas caught one for 27 yards.
Although those receivers were catching passes from backup Keytaon Thompson, MSU starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald saw the spring as a very productive time for the younger sect of the receiving corps.
“I think we all just go so many reps together we really built timing and how we’re going to run certain routes and certain looks,” he said. “We can go into the summer, try to duplicate that and try to get better at it.”
Williams the receiver
On a yards per touch basis, Williams was almost as effective as a runner as he was as a receiver from the running back position. Williams ran nine times for 56 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, in addition to two catches for 13 yards.
The Maroon team’s first offensive play was a designed swing pass to Williams, run to the side of the formation with three wide receivers grouped together to block for Williams.
“I’ve been a receiver since high school,” Williams said. “I’m pretty good with my hands and that’s a big thing with me.”
Scare at the end
The final five minutes of the scrimmage went by without a snap as medical staff attended to running back Bennie Braswell III after a hit from defensive back Jonathan Abram, which was flagged for targeting.
The second half was played with a running clock, so as play stopped and Braswell was attended to, all but the last 30 seconds ticked off the clock, and Mullen elected to not play the last 30 seconds.
MSU said after the game Braswell was, “OK,” after all precautions were taken.
One last practice
Mullen said he has a couple of things he wants to accomplish with the team’s final spring practice on Tuesday.
Most schools end their spring practice schedules with their public intrasquad scrimmage, but some, Mullen included, have scheduled their 15th and final practice for after the scrimmage to tune up things they see upon reviewing the scrimmage.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter, @Brett_Hudson
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