Football ends first week with scrimmage

By: Alex Braswell, Staff Writer
Hard hits, big runs and a back-of-the-end zone touchdown concluded FIU’s first week of spring practice. Friday ended the week with a 37-play scrimmage.

“For the first week, I can’t tell you how pleased I am with this group,” head coach Don Strock said.

Rashod Smith led the running game with 61 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, while Harold Leath caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.

After the offense failed to move the ball on its first two possessions, due to an interception and a punt, the running game provided a burst.

On a third-and-five from the 49-yard line, Jerrid Lundstedt burst through the defense, faking out one defender and cutting left on another, on the way to a scrimmage long 39-yard run, before being taken down at the 10.

On the next play, Smith broke through several tackles and carried several would be tacklers into the end zone for the first touchdown of the afternoon.

“I was impressed with Rashod this afternoon and Jerrid did a good job at both running back in the single back formation, and at fullback,” Strock said.

The big hit of the day was on the last offensive series of the afternoon.
Smith gained six yards the hard way as he was hoisted up and brought back down by several defenders.

The offense put up its second touchdown on the last play of the scrimmage when quarterback David Tabor found Leath, who seemingly popped out of nowhere in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-five.

Tabor completed five of 13 passes for 60 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

There was some miscommunication between Tabor and his receivers, but the ex-Miami Dolphin quarterback Strock, put the fault on the receivers and not his QB.

“Sure we had some breakdowns this afternoon. We ran some plays that we didn’t have in the fall. A couple of them looked pretty good, and a couple we’ll probably throw away in the trash can. But that’s what this time of year is for – to see if we can do it or not.”

Overall, the FIU offense accumulated 170 yards, rushing for 105 yards and passing for 65 yards.