JMU preseason football camp notebook: Practice 11

HARRISONBURG – After watching his offense completely stymied by his defense in the team’s first scrimmage of the preseason, JMU football coach Mickey Matthews said he hopes to see the offense bounce back during Saturday’s scrimmage.

“Hopefully it’s more competitive,” Matthews said Friday after a rainy practice on the grass fields across campus from the stadium. “I thought the defense really dominated. Hopefully we’re a more competitive offensive team. We should be.”

Players on offense are similarly looking for an improved showing.

“It’s hard on offense. Everything has to be clicking,” junior left guard Earl Watford said after practice Thursday. “It was a little slow the last scrimmage but this time we should be able to pick it up.”

Matthews said Dae’Quan Scott will be the Dukes’ starting running back this season. Scott, however, will be held out of today’s scrimmage.

Matthews said that, while that certainly will hurt the offense’s production, it will give the coaching staff a good opportunity to evaluate the rest of the running backs.

Sophomore Jordan Anderson and redshirt freshmen Ron Gordon and Dejor Simmons have been seeing most of the time there this preseason.

“We need to really take a good look at our running backs and see who’s going to get some playing time behind Dae’Quan,” Matthews said.

Center Roane Babington (bruised ankle) will also sit out the scrimmage. He hopes to return to practice next week.

The scrimmage will be set up the same as Wednesday’s, with a crew of officials calling penalties.

Tough break: Freshman wide receiver Andre Coble – the offensive star of the first scrimmage when he played quarterback – broke his hand Thursday and will require surgery next week at the University of Virginia Medical Center, Matthews said. Coble will miss 6-8 weeks and may redshirt this year.

“He hit it on a defender’s helmet,” Matthews said. “He’ll have surgery next week at U.Va. They’re going to have to put a plate in there.”

Matthews said he will reevaluate Coble’s situation once he returns.

“We’ll have to make a decision at midseason if we’re going to play him or redshirt him,” Matthews said. “As I explained to Andre, we’ll just wait until that day arrives and see where we are.”

Catch of the day: Cornerback Leavander Jones made a nifty catch for an interception during Friday's rainy workout.