ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State conducted its first scrimmage of the spring Saturday, working out for approximately an hour and 45 minutes in the eighth of 15 spring practice dates. Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough, who is beginning his ninth season, said his team got in some good work, but that lots of work remain.

“It was our first scrimmage and we got in a good bit of work,” Pough said after the Saturday workout. “We looked good at times on both sides of the football. Our first team offense was able to move the ball and score against our second team defense, but that's generally how it should be.

“But, I remember a few springs ago,” he continued, “that our offense couldn't move the ball on the defense at all. But now, we have a guy back there (QB Malcolm Long) that can throw it around pretty good and our wide receiver corps, which is lacking some key guys, is doing pretty good.”

That's good news for SC State, which lost its top two receivers – Oliver (Tre') Young, who led the MEAC in catches, and Bulldog second-leading receiver Terrance Smith.  A talented, but mostly inexperienced group of receivers will have to step in and provide targets for Long, who set several school passing records as a junior.

He also said he was pleased to see some progress in another area where his team was hard hit – the secondary where SC State will be without three starters in cornerback Phillip Adams and safeties Rafael Bush and Markee Hamlin.

“The secondary is really coming around,” Pough said. “We lost some of our best skilled players in the secondary, but guys like (Samaj) Moody, Christian Thompson and Dominique Ellis have stepped up. We hope they will be up to the task. And, we get Yari King back. He looked pretty good his freshman year but missed last season due to an injury.”

In Saturday's scrimmage, senior quarterback Malcolm Long directed a couple of scoring drives against the second team defense and was also at the throttle when the first team offense scored against the number one Bulldog defense. Sophomore redshirt signal caller Derrick Wiley also directed a scoring drive.

The Bulldogs, who lost MEAC all-time rushing leader Will Ford, also got a good look at a bevy of running backs, led by junior Chris Massey, who was used at wide out down the stretch last season, but is the top candidate to take Ford's place in the fall. Also getting a look were sophomore Chris Merrill, redshirt freshman Rock King, Citadel transfer Asheton Jordan and Devin Wherry, a fullback.

SC State, which has just seven practice dates left, will resume spring drills Monday at 8 p.m. Pough's team will also workout Wednesday at 8 p.m., then conduct its second scrimmage Friday at 6 p.m. before going on spring break.

Spring drills will culminate Mar. 27 with the annual Garnet and Blue game.

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