Southern Utah's final intra-squad football scrimmage had a bit of a different look Saturday. Instead of the white offense going against the red defense, as has been the case all fall, it was the white against blue, as in Jackrabbit blue.

In an effort to simulate next week's season-opener at South Dakota State, the travel squad was in its road white uniforms, while the scout team donned blue jerseys, SDSU's home color. And the scout team, made up almost entirely of first-and second-year players, did a fair job of giving the white a test.

"I thought the young players showed the depth that we have on the team, the quality of the recruiting classes the last couple of years," Coach Ed Lamb said. "Those guys made up the South Dakota State mock team, the blue squad, and I thought the really gave the white squad a heck of a game."

As one might expect, the white team won the game, but the score wasn't as lop-sided as one might imagine, with a 26-10 final outcome, thanks largely to turnovers the blue was able to convert into points.

"It was a running clock and that's why the scores were kept pretty low, but with a couple of turnovers by the blue squad they were able to get on the board twice, and I thought it really sent some good messages to our travel squad about what they need to clean up before next weekend," Lamb pointed out.

Redshirt freshman cornerback Gordon Garrett had a big hand in the blue team's scoring, as he intercepted two passes, one of which set up a 52-yard Colton Cook field goal while he took the second 80 yards himself for his team's only touchdown.

"Gordon is a fantastic athlete, he was a state champion in the100-meters," Lamb noted. "He's just back off of a mission and getting better every day, getting more into the swing of things, he did a really nice job today, he's done a really nice job all camp, he's got a bright future."

Another player who had a big day was Brad Sorensen, the returning starter at quarterback. He completed 11-of-13 passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns, and the one interception he threw went through Austin Minefee's hands for Garrett's first interception. Sorensen also spread the ball around, as his 11 completions went to eight receivers.

"Brad was very sharp, particularly when we let him run the offense on his own, he marched the ball down the field very quickly, he's done that two scrimmages in a row now," Lamb said. "When we turn him loose to call his own plays and dictate the tempo of the offense, how quickly we operate between the whistles, he's done a really nice job."

Sorensen completed his first two passes, the first a 9-yard screen pass to Daryl Brown on the white team's first play from scrimmage, and the second was a 45-yard touchdown pass to Myles Crawford-Harris to cap that first drive. In between those passes Deckar Alexander carried twice for 15 yards and Austin Minefee carried twice for 17.

Although Sorensen's first pass of the second drive was knocked down, that drive took just six plays as well, with Brown catching an eight yard pass for the touchdown. Sorensen's final TD toss was a 7-yarder to Jared Ursua, who got open in the back of the end zone and made a juggling catch for the score.

Alexander and Minefee each rushed for 45 yards, on seven carries for Alexander (who also had a 2-yard touchdown run) and five for Minefee. Minefee also had the longest reception of the day, a 50-yard hookup with Sorensen on the final play of the first half and the final play of the scrimmage for both players as the second-team took over in the second half.

The team defense was very stout, as it has been all year, as both scout team scores were set up by turnovers. Cody Larsen had three tackles for loss, while Cody Heinreich had one big one early in the scrimmage.

"Cody Heinrich made the first big play on defense, after the blue squad had made a couple of first downs, he made a tackle for loss, I thought it was a really nice play on his part," Lamb said "I thought consistently the tackles and the big plays were spread around for the rest of the scrimmage."

Returning all-conference safety Erron Vonner had three solo tackles, including one in the backfield, and broke up a pair of passes while linebacker Chad Hansen led the team in tackles for the second straight scrimmage with five, including a sack he teamed up on with Jeff Tukuafu. Tyson Turley and Herman Sword each broke up a pass as well, while Blake Fenn finished with three tackles.

Cornerback Tyree Mills had the last big play of the game, stepping in front of a pass at the blue 24 yard line near the end of the fourth quarter to set up Alexander's touchdown run.

As for his assessment of where the team is heading into its first game-week of 2011, Lamb was upbeat, but allowed there is room for improvement.

"I think our guys are doing a real good job," he said. "To have training camp for as long as we've had it, to be reporting on August 1 and now have it being pretty darned near the end of the month I think the guys have kept a consistent, persistent enthusiasm and passion for their work and work ethic. I think that showed up today. We definitely need to get better, we need to use the mistakes made today and improve over the next week, we need to be a lot better next Saturday than we were today, but I think being a week out I'm pleased with their focus, pleased with where we are right now."

-- SUU --