BATON ROUGE — Matt Mauck passed for 112 yards, Joseph Addai rushed for 52 yards and John Corbello was a perfect 6 for 6 on field goals as LSU went through its first scrimmage of the spring here Saturday in Tiger Stadium.
“I was really pleased with the effort and intensity we had out there,” LSU coach Nick Saban said. “It got pretty warm so I was pleased with the number of players that persevered and were able by their maturity as competitors to continue to play and focus on what they need to do. That’s probably the biggest difference between the younger inexperienced players and the older players. The older guys have the ability to do that in critical situations and tough times when it gets hot and they get tired.”
Offensively, Mauck completed 14 of 27 passes for 112 yards, while Marcus Randall connected on 10 of 24 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. Michael Clayton led all receivers with four receptions for 26 yards, while Shyrone Carey hauled in three passes for 12 yards and Blain Bech two for 41 yards.
“The defense was ahead of the offense, especially in the passing game.” Saban said. “I wasn’t disappointed in the quarterbacks. I just think the people around the quarterbacks need to continue to improve. We don’t have the same continuity when Reggie Robinson doesn’t scrimmage. We didn’t have Bennie Brazell scrimmage today, but he has been practicing. We have a lot of young guys that need a lot of reps and a chance to develop at wide receiver. Devery (Henderson) and Shyrone (Carey) both made a few plays out there. Jerel Myers is having an excellent spring. He made some nice plays today.”
Brazell missed Saturday’s scrimmage because he was with the LSU track and field team at the Sun Angel Relays in Tempe, Ariz.
Addai led all rushers with 52 yards on 12 carries, while Ryan Gilbert added 34 yards on 13 carries and Domanick Davis 30 yards on five attempts.
“I was pleased with the way Joseph Addai and Domanick Davis ran the ball today,” Saban said. “I thought the specialist did very well. Donnie (Jones) punted the ball well and John (Corbello) kicked the ball well.”
Jones averaged 43.7 yards on six punts, while Corbello converted all six of his field goal attempts. Corbello kicked field goals of 50, 42, 37, 27, 26, and 18 yards.
Defensively, linebacker Bradie James paced the Tigers with five tackles and three sacks, while Jason LeDoux added five tackles and a pair of sacks. Travis Daniels returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown.
“We have a long way to go before we are a good football team,” Saban said. “But that’s why we are out here having spring practice and that’s why we have a lot of practices before next season. I think there will be a big jump between this scrimmage and next weeks scrimmage in terms of overall execution and timing.”
The Tigers return to practice on Monday, followed by sessions on Wednesday and Friday before conducting their second scrimmage of the spring next Saturday. The annual LSU Spring Game will be held at 1 p.m. in Tiger Stadium on April 27.
LSU Football Spring Scrimmage No. 1 Stats
Rushing
Joseph Addai 12 att., 52 yards
Ryan Gilbert 13 att., 34 yards
Domanick Davis 5 att., 30 yards
Elice Parker 1 att., 15 yards
Passing
Matt Mauck 14 of 27, 112 yards
Marcus Randall 10 of 24, 76 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int.
Rick Clausen 2 of 3, 18 yards
Receiving
Michael Clayton 4 rec., 26 yards
Shyrone Carey 3 rec., 12 yards
Jerel Myers 2 rec., 34 yards
Joseph Addai 2 rec., 23 yards
Field Goals
John Corbello 6 of 6 (Made 27, 26, 50, 42, 37, 18)
Punting
Donnie Jones 6 punts, 43.7 avg.
Defensive Leaders
Bradie James 5 tackles, 3 sacks
Jason LeDoux 5 tackles, 2 sacks
Ronnie Prude 5 tackles
Damien James 4 tackles
Brandon Hurley 4 tackles
Interceptions
Travis Daniels 1 for 77 yards, 1 TD