Smith finished the mini-scrimmage with five tackles — including a pair of sacks — the pick-off and another pass broken up. Andre Lewis posted seven stops, Dennis Mitchell recorded an interception and Brandon Mason forced a fumble that he returned 36 yards for a score as the defense allowed two touchdowns on seven red zone drives.
“We got some turnovers in critical situations, which was good to see for the defense,” said Topper head coach David Elson. “But they also were sloppy tackling at times, which allowed the offense to convert on third downs.”
The mini-scrimmage also focused on third-down and 1st-and-goal situations, with the second-team offense adding touchdowns on a pair of runs — from 1 and 2 yards out — by Craig Lanham and a 56-yard pass from Jack Rafferty to David Miller.
“We wanted to get a lot of reps in those situations, which we accomplished,” said Elson. “But, you always like to look at the film to see how the team did officially.”
Lanham finished with 18 carries for 56 yards, while Lerron Moore collected 27 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts.
Rafferty was 3-of-4 passing for 74 yards, with Justin Haddix adding four completions for 70 yards. Brandon C. Smith finished 3-of-5 through the air for 51 yards, while Blake Ladson’s only completion was good for 49 yards to Rannen Roberson. Chris Jackson, Jamison Link and Jessie Quinn pulled down two receptions each.
“We saw some guys step up and make plays today, like Jamison, Chris and Rannen,” Elson said. “We are seeing some playmaking abilities at wide receiver.”
Chris James was 2-of-2 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 42 and 39 yards, with Tanner Siewart hitting his only field-goal try from 40 yards out.
The Hilltoppers are tentatively scheduled to practice at 9:10 a.m. (CDT) and 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, with the next mini-scrimmage slated to close out Thursday’s 3:10 p.m. workout. The first full scrimmage of the fall is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
