Mavs See Positives & Negatives in Pine Tree Scrimmage

The Mavericks saw a bevy of good things Thursday night in their scrimmage against their old-time rivals from Pine Tree. They also saw plenty of things to work on as they prepare for the season opener against Tyler High.

The controlled portion of the scrimmage saw a 2-2 tie while the Mavs won the two live quarters 10-7.

The Marshall first team offense used a methodical running game with good a mix of the passing game to march up and down the field most of the night against the Pine Tree defense. The Mavs appeared to keep the playbook close to the vest, but still managed some big plays.

With each team getting a set number of plays on offense, the Maverick offensive line opened up big gaps for a stable of Mav runners most of the night.

Returning running back Semaj Gatson had limited play on the night but still had some big plays, including a 69 yard and a 25 yard scamper.

The Mavs scored on their first series, going 70 yards on just 6 plays for a 1-0 lead.

They failed to get a first down on their second series.

On their third series on the night Marshall drove to the PT 35 in just 3 plays before running out of snaps on the pre-set number.

The Marshall defense ended Pine Tree's first series with a QB sack, but the Pirates bounced back with a 24 yard draw play for a big gain near midfield. They then followed it up with a perfectly thrown 47 yard slant play for a quick PT touchdown.

The Mav defense then recorded their second QB sack and an interception of the Pirate QB.

The teams were tied 1-1.

Marshall's second team offense took the field and was able to put on a show thanks to running back Keyonte Elias.

The Mavs drove 70 yards in just 6 plays. Elias had 46 yards on just 3 carries while QB Weaver was 2-3 through the air.

Marshall took a 2-1 lead with another 70 yard drive.

It looked as if Marshall was going to take a 3-1 lead in scores when they drove down to the PT 5 yard line, but ran out of allowable plays before giving the ball over.

Pine Tree answered back quickly with another long pass to tie things up 2-2.

The Mav defense bounced back and recovered a PT fumble and also earned their second INT of the night to wrap up the controlled portion of the scrimmage.

The teams then lined up for 2 live quarters of play.

Pine Tree quickly lit it up with a spectacular 52 yard TD pass to take a 7-0 lead with 9:17 left in the first quarter.

But Semaj Gatson had some lightning of his own with a 65 yard run down to the PT 1. Marshall scored on the next play to tie things up 7-7 with 7:37 left in the stanza.

The Pirates were forced to punt on their next possession and Marshall marched down to the PT 18 yardline before stalling. A 32 yard FG make it 10-7 with 3:30 remaining before "halftime".

Each team then traded punts to close out the half.

Each squad played their second string in the second quarter with neither team scoring.

Pine Tree 7 Marshall 10- FINAL (Live portion).

The Mavs used a deep stable of running backs throughout the night.  Gatson was used sparingly...but he had some outstanding runs. 

Isaiah Bush also had a strong night. 

But Keytone Elias was the shock of the night with nearly 100 yards on the ground.

LJ is the MAN-CHILD at RB....and he barely touched the ball offensively tonight.  His presence was definitely felt on defense.

4 guys in the backfield: Get ready Mavs fans!!!

Alton Henderson had a strong night at QB with several good tosses. But he also showed that his legs will need to be respected as well with some strong running of his own.

Marshall's FG/PAT kicker (Name?) had a perfect night. He was 4/4 in the scrimmage portion. He made his PAT and also had a 35 yard FG. He had a 42 yard FG in the scrimmage.

The Maverick defense had 5 sacks on the night and two interceptions.  They had several tackles for loss.  Run defense looked solid most of the night.

There were also some things to work on found on the night as well.

Pre-snap penalties are to be expected in a scrimmage; especially the first of the year.  Marshall had a couple of false starts, delay of games, and off-sides. However...overall....it was a clean game played by both squads. 

Punting was somewhat inconsistent......in spite that there was no rush on the punters. 

The secondary gave up a couple of big plays tonight.  PT had several plays over 20 yards on the evening.

MAVERICK REPORT CARD:

#1 OFFENSE:  (A-)...... No turnovers by the starting offense.  Strong running game.  OL looked good.  Passing game wasn't flashy (probably by design) but was effective. Mobile QB made things open up.

#1 RUN DEFENSE (B)..... PT only had one really long run all night (26 yards).  Marshall had several QB sacks and many tackles for loss against the Pirates.  They had some breakdowns that gave PT extra snaps and a couple of offsides really kept the Pirates alive.

#1 PASS DEFENSE (C-)..... The Marshall defense gave up a 46 yard pass and a 52 yard pass on the night. But they also had 2 interceptions on the night too.

FIELD GOAL (A+)..... when you have a perfect night....you get a perfect score.  

PUNTS (C-)..... A couple of great kicks. But some quacking ducks too. Inconsistent.

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Overall a very good scrimmage for the Mavericks. Best of luck to Pine Tree this season.

Marshall will open the season Friday night against Tyler.