Blue-Gold football scrimmage set for Thursday

The Blue-Gold scrimmage has certainly evolved over the last few years.

What used to be an opportunity for Merced College football players to stake a final claim to a starting job has become a little more paint by numbers.

The Blue Devils still suit up under the lights of Stadium ’76 in an offense vs. defense scenario, executing between 50 and 70 plays. But after a few key players suffered substantial injuries in the game, coach Bob Casey and his staff have attempted to make it as controlled an environment as possible.

“We have a couple other scrimmages that we do leading up to this one,” Casey said. “A lot of our position decisions are made based more off of what we’ve seen in the day-to-day, but guys could have a nice showing and secure their place on the depth chart.

“Mainly it’s a chance to expose the new players to the stadium and playing in front of a home crowd. We’ll have officials, so it’s a chance for guys to have some stuff called on them they’ve probably been getting away with in practice. We just want to get through it healthy and get ready for Los Medanos.”

The annual Blue-Gold Game will take place Thursday with an anticipated start of 5:30 p.m. Casey said he expects to run between 50 and 60 plays with a break in the middle to work on special teams.

Spectators shouldn’t expect the Blue Devils to open up the playbook for this one, but if the previous scrimmages were any indication, they could be treated to quite a display from MC’s talented bevy of running backs. The Devils return 1,145-yard back Josh Stevens and backups Stephon Cross and Khalaf Williams. Casey has added depth as well with dynamic freshmen like Kama’Re Bailey (Mariposa) and a pair of bruising fullbacks, including Justin Stefani (Buhach Colony).

“The running back corps is amazing,” Stevens said. “The young guys have come in and listen. They don’t have the attitude that they already know everything. They want to learn, and they’re picking things up quick.

“We know there’s only so many touches and that there’s a natural rotation that the coaches use, so it keeps everybody motivated for when their number is called. I know that I can’t sleep on one of these guys going out and having the kind of season I had last year.”

Who will hand the ball off to those running backs remains to be seen. The Blue Devils entered the start of the fall semester with four players battling it out at quarterback. It sounds like the field has been narrowed to two after last Saturday’s scrimmage. In typical early-season coach fashion, Casey is being tight-lipped, but Thursday could present an opportunity for someone to become a frontrunner.

“I’ve heard the game is different than it used to be, but it’s still a cool experience, especially for the new guys,” Stevens said. “You get to put on the uniform and step into the stadium for the first time. It’s a chance to make a good first impression with the fans.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Blue-Gold football scrimmage set for Thursday."