Post by rkb on Jul 5, 2008 16:24:03 GMT -5
www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=275782&pub=1&div=Sports
What do you do? MudCats give defenses something to think about
7/5/2008 8:34:07 AM
NEMS Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
TUPELO -So, you're having to draw up a defensive scheme to stop the Mississippi MudCats.
Watch enough tape and you might get a headache. Put all your efforts into shutting down crafty veteran receiver Darryl Carter and either one of two young burners, Josh Smith and Maurice Avery, can take it to the house.
Try to take the deep routes away from Smith and Avery and there's Carter, working his magic up against the boards, spinning away from defenders for a crucial first down -or more.
Never mind worrying about running back Rico McDonald swinging out of the backfield, or quarterback Aries Nelson scrambling past your pass rushers.
Or maybe Avery, the team's backup quarterback, catching one in the backfield and flinging it deep.
As the TV commercial once asked, what do you do?
What do you do?
It's a mighty good question, as the MudCats prepare to take the field tonight against the Columbus Lions in a first-round AIFA playoff game. Both teams have averaged 55-56 points a game this season and their rubber match at BancorpSouth Arena could turn out into a classic arena-style shootout.
For their part, the MudCats receivers are happy they don't have to come up an answer:
n "Maybe if you had nine defenders," said Smith. "Having all three of us on the field at the same time make it easier for each of us. I think maybe we could handle nine defenders."
n "You can't stop all three of us all the time," said avery. "One of us will start getting off, and that's going to open things up for the other two."
n "You've three guys with arena experience who have proven what we can do," said Carter. "Any one of us is capable of changing a game."
Defensive lineman Naton Stewart adds his perspective: "When you have to take on the three of them, you'd better be ready for a battle."
While league statistics for the regular season remain incomplete, the MudCats' trio unofficially has combined for 209 catches for 3,095 yards and 73 touchdowns in 14 games.
Carter has the most catches (80), Smith the most yards (1,145) and Avery -the former University of Memphis quarterback -the most touchdowns (26).
"They all make my job a lot easier," said Nelson, who'll make his third start of the season tonight.
Nelson and Avery clicked for four touchdowns last week at Fayetteville, then Nelson found Smith and Carter for TDs in the fourth quarter, as the team erased a 12-point deficit for a 43-41 win.
Smith said the receivers had plenty of confidence in Avery, the MudCats' backup until Tommy Smith abruptly left the team three weeks ago.
"From the first day, you could see that he had an arm and that he was capable of putting the ball in the right spots," Smith said. "We knew he could step up."
William McCarthy, the interim MudCats head coach, figures Columbus will work hard to deny Nelson and his dangerous receivers the deep routes. "Teams have start trying to take away the big plays downfield, so we have to be prepared to take advantage of the throws underneath."
In their only loss of the season, here against the Lions on May 17, Smith, Carter and Avery were limited -if that's the right word -to 17 catches for four TDs. But Columbus was able to hold the trio to an average of 11.1 yards a catch in a 53-48 victory.
The longest MudCats pass play of the night was a 30-yard scoring strike to yet another receiver, Lemans Casimier.
The week before in Columbus, the MudCats led just 64-61 with 21-2 minutes to play before a late TD provided the final margin. In that game, Avery caught six TDs.
Both head coaches say they expect a shootout in tonight's rematch.
"This is the game where our defense is really going to be put to the test," McCarthy said. "Columbus has experience and talent on the offensive side and guys on their roster who have been around."
Lions coach Jason Gibson figures on another close game, regardless. "Just give us the ball at the end with one more chance to win and I'll be satisfied," he said.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/5/2008, section D , page 1
What do you do? MudCats give defenses something to think about
7/5/2008 8:34:07 AM
NEMS Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
TUPELO -So, you're having to draw up a defensive scheme to stop the Mississippi MudCats.
Watch enough tape and you might get a headache. Put all your efforts into shutting down crafty veteran receiver Darryl Carter and either one of two young burners, Josh Smith and Maurice Avery, can take it to the house.
Try to take the deep routes away from Smith and Avery and there's Carter, working his magic up against the boards, spinning away from defenders for a crucial first down -or more.
Never mind worrying about running back Rico McDonald swinging out of the backfield, or quarterback Aries Nelson scrambling past your pass rushers.
Or maybe Avery, the team's backup quarterback, catching one in the backfield and flinging it deep.
As the TV commercial once asked, what do you do?
What do you do?
It's a mighty good question, as the MudCats prepare to take the field tonight against the Columbus Lions in a first-round AIFA playoff game. Both teams have averaged 55-56 points a game this season and their rubber match at BancorpSouth Arena could turn out into a classic arena-style shootout.
For their part, the MudCats receivers are happy they don't have to come up an answer:
n "Maybe if you had nine defenders," said Smith. "Having all three of us on the field at the same time make it easier for each of us. I think maybe we could handle nine defenders."
n "You can't stop all three of us all the time," said avery. "One of us will start getting off, and that's going to open things up for the other two."
n "You've three guys with arena experience who have proven what we can do," said Carter. "Any one of us is capable of changing a game."
Defensive lineman Naton Stewart adds his perspective: "When you have to take on the three of them, you'd better be ready for a battle."
While league statistics for the regular season remain incomplete, the MudCats' trio unofficially has combined for 209 catches for 3,095 yards and 73 touchdowns in 14 games.
Carter has the most catches (80), Smith the most yards (1,145) and Avery -the former University of Memphis quarterback -the most touchdowns (26).
"They all make my job a lot easier," said Nelson, who'll make his third start of the season tonight.
Nelson and Avery clicked for four touchdowns last week at Fayetteville, then Nelson found Smith and Carter for TDs in the fourth quarter, as the team erased a 12-point deficit for a 43-41 win.
Smith said the receivers had plenty of confidence in Avery, the MudCats' backup until Tommy Smith abruptly left the team three weeks ago.
"From the first day, you could see that he had an arm and that he was capable of putting the ball in the right spots," Smith said. "We knew he could step up."
William McCarthy, the interim MudCats head coach, figures Columbus will work hard to deny Nelson and his dangerous receivers the deep routes. "Teams have start trying to take away the big plays downfield, so we have to be prepared to take advantage of the throws underneath."
In their only loss of the season, here against the Lions on May 17, Smith, Carter and Avery were limited -if that's the right word -to 17 catches for four TDs. But Columbus was able to hold the trio to an average of 11.1 yards a catch in a 53-48 victory.
The longest MudCats pass play of the night was a 30-yard scoring strike to yet another receiver, Lemans Casimier.
The week before in Columbus, the MudCats led just 64-61 with 21-2 minutes to play before a late TD provided the final margin. In that game, Avery caught six TDs.
Both head coaches say they expect a shootout in tonight's rematch.
"This is the game where our defense is really going to be put to the test," McCarthy said. "Columbus has experience and talent on the offensive side and guys on their roster who have been around."
Lions coach Jason Gibson figures on another close game, regardless. "Just give us the ball at the end with one more chance to win and I'll be satisfied," he said.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/5/2008, section D , page 1