Lincoln University's spring football game started off as a one-sided showcase.
The defense recorded takeaways during the first four possessions of Saturday's annual spring scrimmage at Lincoln's practice field in front of a couple hundred spectators. The offense overcame a sluggish start, picking up two scores with touchdowns toward the end of each half.
"I thought the defense played lights out," Lincoln coach Steven Smith said. "Offensively, I thought we would play 10 times better at the quarterback position, but we didn't. I know we didn't play lights out at the running back position, but I thought we ran the ball well. We only put the ball on the ground once."
Smith said he only had five offensive linemen heading into the spring game, and that number dropped to four after the first play of the afternoon.
Miles Wallace, who plays center, suffered a right ankle injury during the opening play. Wallace had to be carted off the field with his ankle in a brace.
"The kid worked his tail off this spring, becoming one of the five (linemen)" Smith said.
Because of the low numbers on the offensive line, Smith said he had to move longsnapper Brenton Wrigley to right tackle for the spring game.
"I'm not one of those guys who panics under pressure," Smith said. "That's not my deal. I focus on what we got to get done and find a way to correct it."
The offense's first three drives ended in fumbled snaps recovered by the defense. Anthony Mitchell, JaJuan Chambers and Anthony Anderson each had a recovery.
Chambers also had a pair of sacks during the first half.
"We ended up moving him to D-line, and I thought that was a great move by coach Phil Pitts," Smith said. "He put him down there to give us some extra pressure. He's a little bit bigger at the linebacker position than we expected him to be, so we ended up moving him to defensive end."
On the fourth possession, the offense finally moved the chains for the first time on a 15-yard catch by C.J. Closser (Blair Oaks High School), but later in the drive, Joseph Madrigal snagged an interception and returned it 35 yards inside the 20-yard line.
The offense finally hit paydirt when quarterback Eugene Santerling threw downfield to senior wide receiver Justin Kelley, who hauled in the catch and raced into the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown.
Santerling, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore, was one of three quarterbacks the Blue Tigers used in the spring game, along with freshmen Henry Ogala and Darrion Cole.
"He came in and got to moving the ball," Smith said of Santerling. "I think it'll be a big battle between him and Henry. Right now, if I had to start today, I think Eugene would be the guy."
During the fourth quarter, the Blue Tigers worked on their red-zone offense and defense, starting each possession on the defense's 20-yard line. The defense came up with three turnovers on downs, while the offense added another score toward the end of the scrimmage.
Running back Kimbo Ferguson, who was a game-time decision for the spring game, dodged a couple of tackles and scored on a 16-yard run, taking a couple of big hits at the goal line.
"I didn't think he was going to play today because he had a high-ankle sprain," Smith said. "At the running back position, I thought all three running backs (Ferguson, Eriq Torrey and Terry Hunter) played hard. We've still got to get better, but you can see the progress we've made in running the ball."
Smith said the biggest area of concern heading into the summer will be the offensive line. In addition to the February signees, the Blue Tigers will add two junior college transfers in the fall.
"We've got to get bigger up front, we've got to get more physical up front," Smith said. "Our offensive line right now is just way too small."
With Saturday's scrimmage wrapping up the spring practice schedule, the Blue Tigers will head to the weight room.
"We're going to the weight room for three days a week and get stronger," Smith said. "There's no light at the end of the tunnel for us right now. We've got to continue to push ourselves, continue to get better over the summer."