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How many are coming to the spring game? Any events scheduled to draw folks in?

Make plans to spend April 11 on campus for a fun-filled Super Bear Saturday, with the annual Purple-Gray Spring Football Game bookended by Bears softball & baseball, along with a host of other activities for the entire family on the practice field.

We are planning to watch the spring game an hour or so and then tailgate party at baseball. Let's hope the weather is OK. Hope to see a few hundred fans at Estes

Does anyone have a report on the scrimmage from yesterday morning? Wasn't able to make it over. Our school website hasn't been reporting on the scrimmages for some reason. Rather frustrating!!!

Not defending them, but the department hardly ever does a recap of a scrimmage. I suspect part of it is lack of man power with all of the other spring sports. That is more of a guess than anything.

Appreciate the video with Coach Campbell. Thanks.

Coming by myself but my butt will be in the stands tomorrow. See Ya Bear fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It appears the offense is going to be very good again this year. If the defense improves some we will have a good team. If they improve a lot, we have the potential to have a special year.

Agree with you Bopper....The one thing that jumped out at me was the Bears ability to run the football.

I realize that coaches are always talking about how the defense is ahead of the offense in the spring, but I must say that I really liked the way things looked on offense Saturday. Thought the Quarterbacks threw the ball well and that the receiving corps looked good as well.

Ready for Samford......

Here's my take on this team so far this spring:

OFFENSE

QBs- We have two solid QBs in Reed and Hildebrand. Reed is his usual self in his accurate passing and leadership. Hildebrand can make those dart throws that hit the target. If Reed is the starter and he goes down then Hildebrand will be able to come in and take over. It may take a few more downs and a few more run plays but the kid could do it. Nice! Moore had trouble but he was playing with the 2nd and 3rd string guys. A few overthrows there. But overall we are solid at two QBs.

Grade: A

Oline- Held long enough to make a few throws look impressive. Not as strong as last year but will do for the time either QB needs. Gotta watch the blitz though. The guys looked like they had great chemistry and the techniques coach is teaching them looks like its sticking with them. As for busting holes in the defense for the RBs it was off and on depending who was in there and what style of runner was carrying the ball. Many instances of edges being wide open and the middle not so much. But Oline will do just fine.

Grade: B

TEs- I had to do this one by itself. Talk about HUGE! Soft hands and with their blocking the edges will be free for RBs to get those yards. Solid. Just solid. Dickey and Wymer and Vanya will be beasts! 4 good players at that position. One looked bigger than what he's listed at but I'm not sure which one.

Grade: A

WRs. - You can get excited about these guys now. Desmond Smith is a guy I wouldn't want to have to try to tackle in the open field. For those of you who saw the video of the Spring game I can say we can easily throw to 5 or 6 of those guys and they will NOT go down unless the turf pulls them down. If Jatavious Wilson catches the little screen or short ball its over with!

Grade: A+

RBs- We have a big variety of RB. Jeff Anderson is a bulldozer. Straight ahead and will get your 2 to 3 yards in a pileup. Daniels and Thomas are more flashy but both have huge bursts of speed that so tough to stop. We haven't seen this kind of solid running in a few years. Add a run game to our offense this year fellas! Quicker decisions and less dancing and these guys are headed for major yardage.

Grade: B

Overall grade: B+ for the offense.

We haven't dropped off from the league leading offense from last year. Now we can spread it around and our run game will actually be there to back up the passes.

Defense review to come soon.

Random thoughts.

We return a lot of solid guys on offense.

Thomas is going to be amazing. Kelton Warren can also be really good. Hoping he stays healthy. I don't remember seeing Daniels or Veasley at all. And it looked like Wells was hobbling a bit after a play.

Unless someone else was wearing #41, Jaquon Goodman is now playing WR. And he looks more like a tight end. I think it was Cox and not Wilson that smoked a DB (someone that I'd never seen before) after the catch, but I wasn't taking notes and I can't remember which one it was. Jacquez McMillian was running with the 2s. He seemed to struggle to get open but is big. Jose Moore and Roman Gordon are the two new(ish) guys that seem to be fighting for snaps behind the older guys. Although Gordon seemed to be stuck on the sidelines trying to switch jerseys for several plays at the start of each drive. Anyway, Smith, Whitehead, Wilson, and Gardner all had good days as you'd expect. Brady Moore didn't play.

The first TE I noticed was Gougler. He's huge and has long hair. Wymer is also big. And Vanya looks a lot bigger than last year. There's your theme. Unfortunately Matiaha didn't dress out.

Let's continue the theme: Bubba Williams is massive. Rostell King was playing with the gray if I remember right. If we can keep healthy, the front line should be solid two deep. Woodard is now wearing #3.

There were a lot of new names (meaning guys who didn't play much/at all) out there. Matt Hall (was excited about him after signing in 2014), Raphael Garner, Jacob Sisk, Tavion Garrison. The gray offensive line is young. Tachie , Garcia, Parker, Jones, Cook. There's a lot to be excited about.

And maybe most importantly, we had a dude on the roster named Brandon Brokeshoulder.

Agree with both assessments & appreciate you guys passing on the info. Offensively, Smith is our best player, quite possibly the best last year as well IMO, Thomas is the best RB I have seen at UCA in the five years I have watched IMO. The QB position will be the key IMO, really like the way TReed competes & natural skills of Hilledebrand, they should make each other better which is good for the Bears. The rest of the offense is as good or better than previous years & most have played.

I believe the key to Bear success is the defense. In most successful 3/4 schemes I have seen over the years, LB is the key. Speed is so important, especially on the inside. Hoping the coaches can spin down some big safeties or other tweeters to add speed to the mix in the fall. Guys like Allison & Bush would be perfect fits to this scheme IMO.

Should be a good season for the Bears!

I agree with most everything posted....I must say, however, that as a general rule, I hardly ever get REAL excited about what comes out of spring football practice.

I have often found it very hard to gauge over the years, but I must say with what I saw on Saturday, I am more than encouraged.

It is great to see such high praise after the spring game! This should be a great fall for some Bear football! GO BEARS!