 KALAMAZOO, MI - The Brown Team, led by the first team offensive and defensive units, racked up 341 yards of total of offense Saturday in a 24-14 win over the Gold Team as Western Michigan completed its spring practice activities with the Brown and Gold Game.
Tevin Drake rushed for 94 yards and Alex Carder was 14-for-18 for 110 yards and a TD for the Brown Team. Keith Dixson led all defenders with 14 tackles and a pair of interceptions for the Gold Team.
Spotting the Gold Team 14 points, the Brown Team cut that deficit in half on its first drive on a 14-yard Drake run to cap a 10-play, 70-yard opening drive that spanned 5:19. Brian Fields carried the ball five times for 29 yards on the opening drive and caught a pass for 10 yards. After a Drake two-yard run, Carder hit Josh Schaffer for 10 yards and a first down, setting up Drake's TD at from 14 yards out.
The first quarter closed with Gold holding a 14-7 lead, but Brown opened the second quarter by driving to Gold's two-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-goal, Carder threw up a jump ball intended for Robert Arnheim in the left corner of the end zone. Raheam Buxton came down with it and returned the first of three Carder picks to the 24-yard line.
Gold went three-and-out, which allowed Carder and company to go 40 yards for the game-tying score. On first-and-goal from the three, Carder found Antoin Scriven on a middle screen for the TD. It was the third of three-straight completions to the running back leading to the end zone.
Garrett Smith intercepted Mike Perish on the next play but Dixson returned the favor two plays into Brown's next possession, ending the first half with the score knotted at 14.
Gold opened the second half on offense but the drive stalled after five plays. Perish moved over to the Brown Team for the second half and also had a pass intercepted by Dixson to end a drive at Brown's 39-yard line.
Perish got on track on Brown's next drive, completing four passes on as many attempts, capping the drive on a 20-yard strike to Robert Arnheim on a pump fake. Arnheim led all receivers with 60 yards on four catches.
John Potter capped the scoring at the 1:33 mark of the fourth quarter on a 33-yard field goal.
Defensively, Deauntay Legrier led Brown with five stops, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Paul Hazel had a pair of solo sacks and 3.5 TFLs. Chris Prom and Nick Galvin each had eight tackles for Gold. Brendon Gannon supplied the team's lone sack in the first half.
WMU opens the 2011 campaign on Sept. 3 at Michigan.
Courtesy of Western Michigan Athletics |
