Justin Haddix completed 9-of-13 attempts for 87 yards, and Brandon C. Smith was 8-of-10 passing for another 100 and a score as each led a touchdown drive when WKU finished the event working on red zone situations.
Haddix found Curtis Hamilton down the left sideline for a 16-yard gain, setting up a 1-yard Andrew McCloud touchdown run for the offense’s first score of the day, while on the following series Smith connected with Jared Holland for a 23-yard touchdown pass on the final snap of the mini-scrimmage.
The offense also fared well in the first situation of the afternoon, facing 1st-and-10 from its own 30-yard line. The Toppers recorded a first down on six snaps while adding eight other plays that gained at least five yards. Lerron Moore opened the mini-scrimmage with a 23-yard rush down the right sideline, later adding carries of 10 and 16 yards. He would lead all rushers with 56 yards on just six attempts.
Stephen Willis recorded seven carries for 43 yards, with McCloud finishing with 27 yards. Jake Gaebler led all players with three receptions for 45 yards, while Holland’s 47 yards (on two catches) paced the squad. Curtis Hamilton, Jared Johnson and Blake Ladson also recorded a pair of receptions as 11 individuals accounted for WKU’s 17 catches.
“The main thing is that we accomplished what we wanted to as a team, and we were able to keep key guys healthy while running the number of plays that we set,” said Topper head coach David Elson. “I thought the tempo was good and that the offense did well getting in and out of the huddle.
“Lerron really looked good on first-down plays. And, there’s no question that through five practices that Jake has really, really impressed in all phases of the game.”
The defense’s performance improved during third-down plays, as the unit allowed the offense to convert on just six of 20 snaps while also scoring when Travis Watters returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown.
Jon Hedges, Andre Lewis and Marion Rumph recorded six tackles apiece to pace the Hilltopper defense. Evan Brewer, Bo Smith, Clay Stephens and Chris Walker added four stops each, with Brewer posting three sacks and Walker adding two to go along with a pass broken up.
“One thing about this defense that we have always had a concern with is that we haven’t been able to get a lot of pressure out of just the line in our base defense,” Elson said. “All we ran on defense today was base plays and we were able to get some pressure, so that’s a good sign for us.
“We still have a lot of work to do, though,” he added. “The most important thing is that our team can really learn from this scrimmage and these situations.”
WKU will practice Monday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. (CST) at Smith Stadium, with another mini-scrimmage set to take place at the conclusion of the second workout. It’s first full scrimmage of the spring is set for 4 p.m. on Friday.
