The 2013 edition of the annual spring football game is a game that BG, at least the Orange squad, would like to carry on to next season.
The Orange squad won the game 34-7 against the White squad, highlighted by a 28-point second quarter including 29-yard pass from quarterback Matt Johnson to wide receiver Shaun Joplin and two rushing touchdowns by running back Jordan Hopgood.
Hopgood’s playing time was minimized this past season due to an injury but saw a significant amount of time on both the Orange and White squads this past Friday.
“No matter who you are, you always have to play with a chip on your shoulder and I feel like I do that at times,” Hopgood said. “But at the same time when we’re winning that’s the most important thing. It’s a team game, just not one person.”
Another highlight of the spring game came at the quarterback position, which showed to be a competitive position battle between this past season’s starter Matt Schilz and this past season’s backup Johnson.
Johnson led both squads with 123 passing yards, completed 12 of his 23 passes for one touchdown and had a couple chances to run including a 20-yard run, which marked the game longest running play. Schilz threw for 118 yards and completed 13 of his 27 passes for one touchdown that came late in the fourth quarter.”
“You have to have two good ones,” Dave Clawson, head football coach, said. “We have not stayed healthy at the position since I’ve been here, except the first year with [Tyler Sheehan] and we’re going to let that thing play through the summer and play through camp and I think they’re both playing better.”
The spring game also marked the debut of quarterback James Knapke, who was redshirted this past season.
Knapke threw for a total of 64 yards with five completions as a member of both squads.
“I’m excited about James Knapke as well,” Clawson said. “I think as he learns the offense and he learns to play faster, I think he’s a very talented quarterback.”
The Orange squad prevented the White squad from scoring a single point for three quarters before letting up a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Schilz to wide receiver Diontre Delk.
The Orange squad’s defense saw a new player step up on its side of the ball, and that was the play of Kendall Montgomery at the defensive end that raised some eyebrows at the quarterback position.
“[Johnson] certainly stepped up and made some nice throws and made some plays with his feet,” Clawson said. “To me [Montgomery] was such a factor that I don’t know if [Schilz] had the same opportunity to make those plays. If he can continue to do what he’s doing has a chance to be a real difference maker for us.”
Montgomery played time at defensive end during this past season but was primarily a tight end.
Montgomery and the rest of the Orange squad’s defense recorded four sacks during the scrimmage, which brought concerns to Clawson.
“On the one side, I get excited about what [Montgomery] is going to do,” Clawson said. “But on the other side, I get concerned about the offensive tackle position. So that’s the mixed bag you get after a scrimmage.”
The 2013 BG football team will make its debut at its season opener against the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane on August 29.
