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Story Archives: Rayville's Murphy, White team shine in LSU's annual spring game


Rayville's Murphy, White team shine in LSU's annual spring game
posted Saturday, April 5th, 2008 @ 10:57 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
BATON ROUGE -- Sophomore running back Richard Murphy rushed for 145 yards and accounted for a total of three scores to lead the White team to a 38-10 win over the Purple squad here Saturday in LSU's annual Spring Game.

LSU's annual Spring Game was played before a crowd of 33,624 in Tiger Stadium and featured a White team that was made up mainly of the 1s (first teamers) against a Purple squad that consisted mostly of the 2s.

"I felt like the spring game was incomplete, not necessarily exactly what we wanted," LSU coach Les Miles said after the contest. "But considering it was divided teams with good players on both sides we felt like we got a lot accomplished.

"I liked the way we rushed the ball on offense. (Richard) Murphy was very loose and fast. He had a very strong showing. Keiland Williams had some nice carries, but no back can put the ball on the ground. He (Williams) did that, and that's an issue."

Murphy's 145 rushing yards came on just 11 carries, which included scoring runs of four and 70 yards. He added another 52 receiving yards on a pair of catches, one of which resulted in a 53-yard touchdown. Williams, also playing for the White team, accounted for 36 yards on five carries but had one costly first half fumble. Redshirt freshman Stevan Ridley led the Purple team with 42 yards on eight attempts.

LSU quarterbacks Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch split time with both teams. Hatch combined to complete 13 of 17 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, while Lee connected on 7 of 13 passes for 181 yards and two scores. Demetrius Byrd led all receivers with 132 yards on four catches, which included receptions of 57 and 60 yards.

"We felt like the young quarterbacks came in and did things we asked them to do," Miles said. "Since it was the first time in that stadium with the crowd and in a game situation, I felt like they (the quarterbacks) managed it pretty well. A couple times they got started on the wrong foot, but eventually they got it squared away.

"Both guys could come in and play. I enjoyed the way Hatch managed the game at one point and felt like he was doing really well. I felt like Lee really got it started a little bit differently. Both got it turned around. Hatch got into a series where he got a little bit greedy and made a couple of bad calls and made a couple bad throws. I felt Lee came back and started making plays and got into a groove. I am comfortable with both quarterbacks."

Defensively, safety Danny McCray paced the White team with six tackles and one tackle for a loss, while Ricky Jean-Francois had five tackles and one tackle for a loss. Tyson Jackson added three tackles and a sack for the White squad. Lazarius Levingston led the Purple team with four tackles, which included three tackles for losses and one sack.

"I can tell you on the defensive side we are nicked up pretty good," Miles said. "There really isn't a full contingent of linebackers, and I felt the defense would have played better if the linebackers would have been intact. I think they did well anyway."

The Purple team, made up mainly of LSU's No. 2 offensive and defensive unit, took the opening kickoff and went 91 yards on 11 plays to take its only lead of the contest at 7-0 on 8-yard TD pass from Hatch to Jared Mitchell.

The White squad tied the contest at 7-7 early in the second quarter on the first of Murphy's three scores. Murphy's four-yard run evened the contest with 13:51 remaining in the second quarter. The White team took the lead for good at 14-7 on a 12-yard pass from Hatch to Brandon LaFell.

The Purple squad pulled to within 14-10 late in the second quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Andrew Crutchfield. The White team struck right back, needing just one play – a 70-yard run by Murphy to extend the lead to 21-10 at halftime.

The second half featured a running clock and was highlighted by a 57-yard TD pass from Lee to Byrd and a 53-yard TD reception by Murphy from Lee. Colt David's 23-yard field goal with two minutes left in the contest capped the scoring for the White team.

"All in all, it was a good spring game with quality snaps," Miles said. "It was an opportunity to get a little bit better. The quality of execution was not game-like, but now we can put the team together and give us a great summer. I look forward to taking this team to the field in the fall."

(Report courtesy of lsusports.net.)
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