Leave It to Offensive Lineman to Sum Up Whole Team's Spring

They will practice ahead of Saturday's open deal that's billed as a game, but will actually be exactly what coach Sam Pittman has been saying all along that — that it's the last practice.

Sam's been very careful to avoid calling it a game.

For a roster that returned a starting quarterback, a couple of proven running backs and question marks everywhere except maybe a kicker and fans better hope Cam Little doesn't twist an ankle or something there.

Honestly, we don't even know what questions to ask with so few players that have performed with folks in the stands, the band playing and keeping score.

We may not have an answer until the end of September.

Right now everybody is making plays at times.

Those new faces are also with coaches, which may have fit with bringing in so many new players. Pittman probably figured it was a good time to have some new faces coaching the new guys, too.

Especially on defense with coordinator Barry Odom leaving for the bright lots of Las Vegas and every coach on defense except one went somewhere.

One of the few old guys is Hudson Clark in the secondary.

""It's been kind of difficult but at the same time awesome just because they brought a different energy in," Clark said about all the new coaches. "They're high energy, flying around the field.

"It's just fun to hear them talk to us, communicate with us and just kind of like let us go play out there, let us communicate with each other and have fun out on the field."

Even the defensive front has promise in the spring and there really isn't a lot of experience coming back there with the exception of Taurean Carter and some backups like Marcus Miller, who have been hampered with injuries since getting here.

"I’m just trying to work hard, just do what I can do for the defense, do my part, and I’m excited to see the fans, ‘cause it be rocking here," senior transfer defensive Trajan Jeffcoat said.

It's the spring and everybody is positive, which is a good thing and better than doom-and-gloom at this time of the year, but you don't hear many negatives from coaches.

They are too busy cramming in practices and recruiting.

Film will be homework and that will consume things for about the next six weeks as they look at just about everything from every practice all through spring.

All of that will provide some direction of what they want to do.

For now, though, it's about evaluating.

Which is why there won't really be a game Saturday.