In last Saturday’s scrimmage, Gavin Dickey had his best day at quarterback completing five-of-seven passes for 96 yards. Quarterback Chris Leak, who was 6-of-11 for 98 yard in the regular scrimmage, threw a 65-yard pass to receiver Chad Jackson (three catches for 105 yards) and ran a 26-yard touchdown on an option play. Defensive back Tony Joiner, who almost intercepted a pass, made at least two big hits and had a sack.

Meyer is looking for a tougher team. He pointed out defensive lineman Ray McDonald as someone who needs to play through some pain. In Saturday’s scrimmage, McDonald ignored a sore ankle and participated in the scrimmage. Players who don’t practice are put in “The Pit” lifting small boulders and sand bags. Meyer said after the scrimmage that his players of the day were center Mike Degory and right tackle Randy Hand on offense and cornerback Dee Webb and senior safety Jarvis Herring on defense.

Webb has locked down one of the corner positions. He was on the field for 924 plays last year, the most by any player. The other cornerback position is a battle among Vernell Brown, Dawayne Grace and Lewis. With redshirt freshmen Mike McIntosh and Kenneth Tookes on the sidelines with injuries, Dickey has played some receiver. The only receivers on scholarship that are available are Andre Caldwell, Jackson, Dallas Baker and Jemalle Cornelius. Florida has another scrimmage Saturday. Meyer said Monday that defensive end Derrick Harvey and lineman Steven Harris have improved. Athletic director Jeremy Foley told defensive lineman Taurean Charles Tuesday afternoon that he is no longer a part of the football team. (Gatorbait.net and Gainesville Sun)

SOUTH CAROLINA: After Wednesday’s practice, the quarterback merry-go-round has shifted to Antonio Heffner. Redshirt junior walk-on quarterback Brett Nichols, who turned heads last week, struggled and Coach Steve Spurrier said Heffner would start with the No. 1 unit in the next practice. Nichols, Blake Mitchell, Heffner and Michael Rathe have a combined 48 pass attempts. Receiver Syvelle Newton has to pass all 15 hours that he is taking this semester and a couple of classes in the summer in order to play in the fall. Spurrier said defensive end De’Adrian Coley could be a big-time player. Tailback Cory Boyd strained his hamstring again and is likely out for the spring. Noah Whiteside and Newton are the top two receivers in the standard two-back, two receiver set, but Sidney Rice has emerged recently as a threat. (Gamecockcentral.com and The State)

ARKANSAS: The Hogs have started spring practice and most of the attention has been on the quarterbacks—Robert Johnson, Alex Mortensen and Cole Barthel. Johnson, a sophomore, has the most experience. Mortensen is a redshirt freshman and Barthel is a true freshman. Coach Houston Nutt said after Wednesday’s practice that receiver Marcus Monk and tight ends Marcus Winston and Wes Murphy has stood out. (Hawgsports.com)

LSU: The Tigers are back at practice. LSU scrimmages Saturday. JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn are still battling for the quarterback position. Tailback Justin Vincent said at no time did he consider transferring even after a difficult season in 2004. He rushed for 1,001 yards during the Tiger’s national title season. Last year, Joseph Addai, Shyrone Carey and Alley Broussard got most of the action. (Tigerbait.com and advocate.com)

KENTUCKY: Coach Rich Brooks has suspended four players—receiver Lonnell Dewalt running back Tony Dixon and linebacker Gabe Wallace and senior linebacker Chad Anderson—for academic issues. Dewalt blocked seven kicks last year. Offensive lineman Kane Hannaford (6-5, 350) is transferring. (Kentucky Sports Report)

TENNESSEE: Quarterback Brent Schaeffer has been taking turns handling punts and catching passes at receiver, but he insists that he will stay at quarterback. Schaeffer also denies any transfer talk. Roshaun Fellows and Jonathan Hefney, the two starting cornerbacks last season, have impressed the coaching staff with their work at safety. Fulmer also said either Fellows or Hefney would go back to cornerback once Antwan Stewart is healthy. Redshirt freshman center Cameron Mayo was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday and miss the rest of spring. The offensive line has had problems because of injuries to Arron Sears, Cody Douglas and Rob Smith. Receiver C. J. Fayton is back on a limited basis after offseason knee surgery. (Volquest.com and the Tennessean.com)

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldog spring game, April 9, will be televised by ESPN2 at 1 p.m. Defensive tackle Deljuan Robinson drew praise from Coach Sly Croom after Tuesday’s practice. Offensive tackle Johnny Wadley suffered a dislocated shoulder in Tuesday’s practice. Tailbacks Brandon Thornton and Demarcus Johnson have seen more action because a tight hamstring has limited Jerious Norwood. Freshman safety Corey Spells has been dismissed from the team. Spells is the 16th player since the beginning of last season to quit, graduate early, transfer or be suspended. State has 57 scholarship players. Center Chris McNeil and guard Brian Anderson are having good springs, but the tackle spot has been disappointing. Conversely, the tight ends Eric Butler and backup Jason Husband have caught Croom’s eye. (Bulldogblitz.com and Clarion-Ledger)

OLE MISS: In Wednesday’s scrimmage, a lot of work was done on the kicking game and return game. Mico McSwain, Mike Espy, Taye Biddle and Larry Kendrick are vying for the return job. Defensively, defensive backs Dontae Reed, Jamarca Sanford and lineman Chris Bowers were very impressive. In Friday’s scrimmage, quarterbacks Micheal Spurlock and Ethan Flatt took most of the snaps after Robert Lane sprained his shoulder. Spurlock was 4-of-8 for 52 yards. The linebackers led by junior Patrick Willis and senior Kelvin Robinson combined for nine stops. The plan this season is to have a linebacker replace a smaller defensive back to improve the run defense. Willis put Lane out of the game. In Monday’s practice, receiver Mario Hill had a big day. He was a threat every time he touched the ball. (RebelGrove.com and Clarion-Ledger)

GEORGIA: In Wednesday’s practice, Thomas Brown, Danny Ware and Tony Milton ran the ball well. D. J. Shockley was on target with two scores and no picks. Marcus Howard has been moved from linebacker to defensive end. He needs to put some weight on his 210-pound frame in order to play the position for the length of the season. Junior offensive lineman John DeGenova has moved to the defensive line to provide depth. The move also comes as junior nose tackle Dale Dixson continues to miss practice with minor injuries. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has not been happy with Dixson’s not being on the field. Senior corners Tim Jennings and DeMario Minter have locked down the young receivers. Senior linebacker Derrick White may have taken back his starting job from sophomore Brandon Miller. At the other linebacker spot, redshirt freshman Josh Johnson has been pushing junior Tony Taylor. Richt has also noticed the play of redshirt freshman Dannell Ellerbe. Tight end Leonard Pope, who is 6-foot-7, is the leading returning receiver that caught more than 16 passes last season. Coach Mark Richt complimented the play of receivers T. J. Gartrell, A. J. Bryant and Kenneth Harris. He was especially high on Gartrell because of his blocking ability. (UGASports.com)

MIAMI: Fullback James Bryant has been a real positive for the offense. Cane running back coach Don Soldinger said Bryant (6-3, 245) could be the best fullback ever at Miami. Quarterback Kyle Wright and Kirby Freeman have had their moments, but neither one outplayed the other. Cane coaches have borrowed some drills from Minnesota in the hopes of emulating the Golden Gopher rushing attack. Coach Larry Coker said he has been impressed with Derron Thomas and Charlie Jones. Line coach Art Kehoe has given Tyrone Byrd some snaps at center. Because the offensive line has been so overwhelmed by the defensive line, the quarterbacks have had to run for their lives. Kehoe praised the play of the defensive line with Bryan Pata, Eric Moncur and Calais Campbell at end and Baraka Atkins in the line. Willie Williams have moved from middle linebacker to outside linebacker where he played in college. He played second team behind Jon Beason Monday. Linebacker Glenn Cook suffered a seizure last week and ended up in the hospital from Wednesday to Saturday. He has not been cleared to practice. Linebacker Roger McIntosh has missed time with a back injury. Receiver Lance Leggett remains on crutches and has a boot protecting his foot. He has had an MRI and might not return this spring. Receiver Ryan Moore is performing much better after losing 10 pounds. Coaches are still raving about receiver Darnell Jenkins and his potential. (Canesport.com)

FLORIDA STATE: In Thursday’s scrimmage, linebacker Ernie Sims went down with a possible hairline fracture of a non-weight bearing bone in his ankle. He could be out for the spring. His backup is sophomore Lawrence Timmons. Quarterback Wyatt Sexton struggled while Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford made up some ground, but the quarterbacks combined were only 6-of-16 for 22 yards. The longest play was Lee to receiver Kenny O’ Neal for 12 yards. Lee is now trying to throw the ball with laces after using an unorthodox throw in high school. Free safety Roger Williams, a redshirt sophomore, made an early pick to set the tone. Defensive lineman Kamerion Wimbley sacked the quarterback twice and linebacker A. J. Nicholson had eight tackles. The ground game (136 yards on 24 carries) improved although the defense recorded six sacks. At cornerback opposite Antonio Cromartie, Gerard Ross is making a move after struggling as a reserve for years.

FSU holds its first full scrimmage Saturday. Receiver De’Cody Fagg has played well. He had a scoring catch from quarterback Xavier Lee in Saturday’s practice. The offensive line has struggled with injuries—center David Castillo (dislocates his finger), Matt Meinrod and Cory Niblock-are not playing for various reasons. John Frady who was moved from center to guard last week is back at center. Tight end Donnie Carter, who tore his ACL in preseason practice, and guard Matt Meinrod, who missed 11 games with a torn ACL, are trying to make a comeback this season. Both players are close to earning their degrees. Meinrod has been so successful with his rehab that he is just 35 pounds under his squat of 615 pounds. Despite an injured ankle, Willie Reid is hoping to continue returning punts after gaining 522 yards in returns last season. (Warchant.com and Tallahassee Democrat)

CLEMSON: Senior basketball forward Olu Babalola, who is 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, has joined the team and been rather impressive. Coach Tommy Bowden is not sure where he will play. Redshirt freshman cornerback Brandon Croley, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., is pushing hard to move into the two-deep position. Bowden after the Monday practice accidentally mentioned singer Lionel Ritchie instead of Lionel Richardson, the senior linebacker, as one who stood out to him. Bowden and the media enjoyed the slip. (TigerIllustrated.com)

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FL.
HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM AND SAMSPORTSLINE.COM.