HATTIESBURG — When Will Hall watched the videotape of Southern Miss football's spring game, he appreciated what he saw.
In fact, the Golden Eagles' fourth-year coach said after Tuesday's practice that it was one of the best scrimmages he's ever had.
“The big thing I took away, and I told my staff, is it’s like football,” Hall said. “A good play made by the defense was also, for the most part, a good play by the defense. A good play made by the offense was also a good play made by the offense.
“What I mean by this is that in the past there were times when we played well just because the other team was really bad. They didn't do well either. Structurally it was similar to soccer. . We were lined up correctly and performing the correct mission.”
Although the spring game wasn't the traditional best-on-best with scorekeepers, Southern Miss played about three-quarters of the game's snaps.
With only one more practice after Tuesday, the main focus of spring ball is the implementation of a new scheme by offensive coordinator Chip Long and defensive coordinator Clay Bignell.
Offensively, players have noted that Long's system is more similar to the NFL than it was last season. This meant players had to play with different language for longer periods of time and had to adapt.
“I was really happy,” Long said. “I think the surgery went really well. We understood the play, we knew what we were doing, and the players didn't interfere with alignment.”
Hall singled out players that stood out to him, led by quarterbacks Tate Rodemaker, Ethan Crawford and John White. He also likes the way the offense protects passes, he said. Other standouts he noted were wide receivers JJ Butler and Chandler Pittman, tight end Justin Reed, and linebackers Desmin Baker, Tre Pinckney and Jalen Sims.
“As long as our guys are heading in the right direction and communicating well outside of the spring, that’s all I really care about,” Long said.
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Will 2024 be the end for Southern Miss' super backs?
Part of Hall's identity as an offense-minded coach is the superback package, where the running backs take the snaps, similar to the Wildcat formation.
But with Long becoming the new offensive coordinator, Hall stepping away from the offense and Frank Gore Jr. entering the NFL Draft, will that be the end for the superback?
“We feel like we've got a super back in Ethan Crawford,” Hall said. “He's a natural superback to play quarterback. This is Coach Long's offense. He's had Wildcat stuff everywhere he's been in the past. That's what we need to execute and take advantage of.” If it is, I will do it.
“Ethan and John (White) are both really good runners. You get that. If you're going to have a running back there as a superback, I don't know. I don't know if Coach Long is going to use that. That’s up to him.”
Sam Sklar is a Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow us at @sklarsam_.
