ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will go through their final scrimmage of spring training Saturday morning at Shotwell Stadium with head coach Chris Thomsen saying that a lot of questions he had entering the three weeks of drills have been answered.
The 60-play scrimmage is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will feature each of the three offensive units getting about 20 plays apiece. The Wildcats will also work on the kicking game and special teams play.
Entering the three weeks of spring training, the Wildcats had big question marks at wide receiver, backup quarterback, two offensive line spots and at linebacker. Thomsen, however, said he has been pleased with the players who have been performing in those roles.
At the receiver spot, Thomsen singled out
Darian Hogg,
Darrell Cantu-Harkless and transfer
Jamaine Sherman. Hogg saw some playing time last year, while Cantu-Harkless is transitioning to the slot position after playing running back last season. Sherman, meanwhile, is in his first semester with the Wildcats after transferring from Scottsdale Community College.
"We've had some guys step up and really perform well at the receiver position, including Hogg, Harkless and Sherman," Thomsen said. "I'm really seeing some guys show a lot of improvement. Darian has had a really good spring, and Harkless is doing a good job with a pretty tough transition. "
Along the offensive line, the Wildcats return three starters in left tackle
Neal Tivis, guard
Josh Perez and center
Matt Webber. However, they're looking for replacements in a pair of three-year starters in guard
Royland Tubbs and right tackle
Trevis Turner.
Thomsen said Abilene Cooper grad and redshirt sophomore
Blake Spears has performed well in filling Turner's spot, while redshirt freshman
Logan Hoppenrath "is showing signs of being able to move in and play for Tubbs."
One of Thomsen's main areas of concern going into spring was the backup quarterback position. However, Thomsen said redshirt
John David Baker has solidified himself into that position with good work in spring drills.
The Wildcats have no such worries about the starting quarterback position. Miitchell Gale enters the 2011 season as the undisputed leader of the team and a pre-season favorite to win the Harlon Hill Award as the top player in NCAA Division II football after throwing for a school-record 38 touchdown passes in 2010.
Defensively, the Wildcats have to replace all four linebackers from last year, but Thomsen said he has been pleased with the play of inside linebacker
Thor Woerner and
Derek Odelusi as well as outside linebacker Nate Baggs.
One of the other positions on the field where the Wildcats need to find a replacement is at punter where
Mark Sprague held down the job each of the last two years. Thomsen said returning placekickers
Morgan Lineberry,
Ryan Owens or
Spencer Covey could be the punter. Meanwhile, it appears Lineberry has the upper hand in the battle for the job as the team's placekicker.
Thomsen said the biggest thing he wanted to see out of spring training was a cohesive until begin to form, and he likes what he's seen in that regard.
"I wanted to see our team come together and understand what we want in terms of chemistry and hard work and what it takes to win," he said. "The group we lost really understood that, and I think these guys are starting to figure it out. You want to see guys who want to be good, and I've seen that from this group."
