PROVO -- LaVell Edwards Stadium was the site for the first full-contact team scrimmage of Fall Camp Tuesday. John Beck led the offense to 24 points over six different possessions.
Coach Mendenhall said he was impressed with the way the players conducted themselves while playing in the stadium.
"As I watched the team come to the field, I think they had the correct mindset," he said. "I think their intent was to play their best in the stadium today and that part pleased me. We made an emphasis on what it means when we come to the stadium."
The scrimmage lasted 65 plays and 11 possessions with Beck, Berry and Jason Beck getting a chance to guide the offense. John Beck led the way as he completed 18-of-25 (.725) attempts for 223 yards and three touchdowns. All-America candidate Todd Watkins, freshman receiver Michael Reed and junior receiver Zac Collie each had touchdown receptions while Nathan Meikle, a junior receiver, led the team with four catches for 72 yards.
Quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman said he is pleased with the progress of the quarterbacks.
"They're doing well," he said. "They've got to keep learning and putting themselves to the grindstone because as far as I'm concerned, it's a privilege to be the quarterback here and these guys are recognizing that everyday."
The running game picked up 60 yards on 27 carries. John Beck showed his versatility though, picking up a team-high 18 yards on three carries.
One aspect that impressed Mendenhall was the offense's ability to make plays on third down, converting on 9-of-16 opportunities.
"I think the offense performed better on third downs," he said. "The number one offense's third down percentage was something that changed the day. I was encouraged, from an offensive perspective, that there were guys stepping up to make plays."
Beck led the first-team offense to a field goal on the opening drive that covered 63 yards on 14 plays. Sophomore kicker Jared McLaughlin finished the drive with a 34-yard field goal. Beck finished 5-of-6 for 47 yards on the drive while sophomore tight end Jonny Harline caught two passes for 23 yards.
The defense came up big on the next drive, forcing the offense to punt after three plays. Senior linebacker Paul Walkenhorst recorded a sack, dropping Matt Berry for a seven-yard loss on third down.
With Beck back on the field, the offense rolled all the way to the seven-yard line behind a 22-yard grab by sophomore receiver Matt Allen and a 13-yard reception by Watkins. With his team in scoring position on the eight-yard line, Beck dropped back and threw into the endzone only to have his pass tipped by junior linebacker Justin Luttgerodt and intercepted by senior cornerback Ryan Beck on the one-yard line.
On Beck's next drive, the offense took a hit with two penalties for a total of 15 yards on the first two plays. Beck then went to work, completing two-of-three attempts for 34 yards to get the first down. On the nex play, Beck found Collie in the endzone on a 13-yard pass. Junior running back Fahu Tahi also added the day's longest run of 13 yards during the drive.
Beck's next drive ended with the same result as the offense drove 50 yards on seven plays for another touchdown. Meikle caught two passes for 32 yards to put the team in the "Blue Zone," setting up Beck's 13-yard touchdown pass to Watkins, who leaped over a defender to make the grab.
With the offense firing on all cylinders under Beck's direction, he engineered an 11-play, 63-yard drive that ended in a six-yard scoring pass to Reed. During the drive the offense was a perfect 3-of-3 on third down situations.
Junior linebacker Dan Bates had an impressive day defensively, recording a tackle for loss and a pass break up. Junior linebacker Cameron Jensen and senior defensive lineman Vince Feula also had tackles for a loss, while freshman defensive back Stephen Covey intercepted a Matt Berry pass.
The Cougars will be back at the outdoor practice fields at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, for the second of five practices open to the public.
Scrimmage stats
Passing Stats
Player ATT COMP YDS TD INT SCK
Jo. Beck 25 18 223 3 1 0
Berry 6 2 18 0 1 1
Ja. Beck 6 3 30 0 0 0
Total 37 23 271 3 2 1
Rushing Stats
Player ATT YDS TD AVG LNG
Brown 9 10 0 1.1 7
Jo. Beck 3 18 0 6.0 6
Tahi 6 16 0 2.7 13
Hudson 6 18 0 3.0 8
Meikle 2 5 0 2.5 6
Berry 1 -7 0 -7.0 -7
Total 27 60 0 2.2 13
Receiving Stats
Player REC YDS TD AVG LNG
Watkins 3 29 1 9.7 13
Harline 2 23 0 11.5 16
Allen 3 37 0 12.3 22
Collie 2 27 1 13.5 14
Reed 2 19 1 9.5 13
Meikle 4 72 0 18.0 24
Hudson 3 19 0 6.3 9
Griffin 1 11 0 11.0 11
George 1 18 0 18.0 18
Tahi 1 13 0 13.0 13
Brown 1 3 0 3.0 3
Total 23 271 3 11.8 24
Kicking Stats
Player FGA FG LNG PAT
J. McLaughlin 1 1 34 3-3
Punting Stats
Player ATT YDS AVG LNG
D. McLaughlin 3 99 33.0 46
J. McLaughlin 1 22 22.0 22
Key Defensive Stats
Player TFL YDS SCK PBU INT
Jensen 1 2 0 0 0
Feula 1 2 0 0 0
Bates 1 4 0 1 0
Walkenhorst 1 7 1 0 0
Howell 0 0 0 1 0
R. Beck 0 0 0 0 1
Covey 0 0 0 0 1