http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040816/NEWS12/40816002/1011
*Croyle shines in Tide's scrimmage*
*By Craig S. Wysock* August 16, 2004
Several hundred fans came to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Monday afternoon to find out for themselves if the rumors were true.
And as the masses filed out, everyone appeared content with the knowledge they gained.
In a nutshell, Brodie Croyle is healthy and his untested receiving corps is more than capable of passing the first “exam” of the season.
“I thought Brodie was pretty sharp today,” head coach Mike Shula said. “He’s much further along than this time last year.
“And all those young [receivers] did a good job. We’re going to try and put them in as many game-type situations as we can because we’re going to have to count on them down the road.”
Croyle completed 15 of his first 19 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the day 19-for-26 with five scores and 281 yards, mainly because the second half concentrated on red zone and goal-line situations.
While Croyle’s performance was good news for the Crimson Tide, the fact that he spread the wealth to a myriad of receivers gave coaches and fans alike an idea of what can be expected from the passing attack.
Tyrone Prothro, Matt Caddell and D.J. Hall all had four receptions (each with at least one of the “deep” variety). Prothro gained 75 yards and picked up a touchdown, while Caddell outdid his teammate by one, finishing with 76 yards. He also crossed the goal line once.
Hall led all receivers with 80 yards though. The freshman also scored two touchdowns to lead the unit.
“When they said I could come in here and have a good chance to get the ball, I didn’t think they meant like that,” Hall said. “All we had to do was look up and the ball was there. Brodie’s going to get the ball to us.”
It might have seemed that the scrimmage was pass-heavy, but the final totals showed that there were 41 running plays and 40 passing plays.
Huntsville native Kenneth Darby led all rushers with 25 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. Tim Castille also impressed, scoring on three straight goal-line efforts.
On defense, DeMeco Ryans and Terrence Jones each had six tackles and tied for the team lead.
Practice will continue tomorrow with two sessions scheduled. The first will begin at 8:45 a.m. and the second should get underway by 7:45 p.m.
______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List
"Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!"
To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
