Aug. 18, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. -- Media day may have been the first time the ODU football team got to be on Foreman Field, but on Tuesday night, it was the first time the Monarchs got to play on it. ODU took to Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard for its first scrimmage as it was offense vs. defense.
"They were excited all the way from the Monarch March to dressing in the locker room and putting their game uniforms on for the first time, seeing the replay board, the sound system, to the band," said head coach Bobby Wilder. "It was exciting for them. And I know the coaches felt the same."
Looking at several of the scoring drives:
Redshirt freshman Jamar Parham (Chesterfield, Va.), who made 11 carries on the night, scored what you might technically consider the Monarchs' first ever touchdown at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. The running back capped a seven-play drive with a nine-yard run.
Redshirt junior Thomas DeMarco (Palm Desert, Calif.) had a 17-yard touchdown completion to redshirt rookie receiver Marvin "Trey" Bryant (Pikesville, Md.).
Redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Reamon (Newport News, Va.) rushed for a total of 15 yards during three consecutive plays to bring the ball into the endzone.
Drew Hareza (McDonald, Pa.) converted 39, 37, 26, 25 and 23-yard field goal attempts.
Defensively, a number of Monarch were in the mix. Redshirt sophomore lineman Edmon McClam (Coward, S.C) recorded a sack, while redshirt junior linebacker Jake Sweedyk (Walker, Mich.) totaled five tackles, including three solo. Defensive end Devon Simmons (Newport News, Va.) also managed to take down his teammates for four unassisted tackles, and rookie linebacker John Darr (Forestville, Md.) also registered four tackles, including a pair for loss.
"We had good execution," said Wilder, but did note where his squad needs to concentrate the effort on tomorrow. "We'll come back at it and continue to put emphasis on third down. That's going to be a big area we've got to practice. We've got to be better executing third down and defensively in stopping it. So we've got to fix things on both sides of the ball on third down and we'll come back and attack that down and distance"
Monarchs Moments:
Working On Third Down: The defense was rolling on early in the scrimmage, but they gave up a big 12 and three during the first scoring drive. After the offense was pushed back five yards for a false start making it third and 12, redshirt freshman Bobby Cooper (Davidsonville, Md.) connected with Reid Evans (Hampton, Va.) for a 16-yard completion setting the offense up for a touchdown, Parham's nine-yard rush, on the ensuing play.
No Two-A-Day Come Game Day: The Monarchs were in their tenth practice of the preseason on Monday night, which also happened to be a double session. The gridiron Monarchs had practiced earlier in the day. Even though they may have been tired, it certainly didn't damper their spirits in taking the field for the first team at Foreman. "I told them come September 5th, we aren't practicing in the morning," said Wilder. "We'll just come out and play a game."
First Reactions: When Jamar Parham was asked "what was it like to take Foreman Field for the first time?," the running back was rather quiet and contemplative. Then he smiled and said "There are no words to describe it."
Getting the Kinks Out: It was not only a practice run for the football team, but also for many other area as well. There was a big tech rehearsal. Audio and video was tested, including the communication between the Ted Constant Convocation Center and the Ainslie Football Complex. Graphics inserted on the video board and music cues were conducted. Camera angles were being worked out. Lighting throughout the complex was also tested. Even a simulated power outage was done once the team left the stadium to test emergency generators.
Hanging Out: Some folks were hanging out in the parking garage trying to get a glimpse of the scrimmage this evening, including the Monarch Maniacs. For those of you trying to get a scoop...not all the stops are being pulled out for the scrimmages. For that, you'll have to be at Foreman Field on September 5th.
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