Weber State coach Dave Arslanian was all smiles after his squad's annual Purple/White spring game Monday at Wildcat Stadium. Though pleased with the effort on both sides of the ball, his defense's 39-26 victory over the offense took a back seat to an even bigger picture. Faced with extinction one year ago, the Wildcats are back to the business of X's and O's after an increase in community support - both in the stands and on the financial ledger.
"We've got the luxury of being able to concentrate on football," said Arslanian, who led the charge to save the program. "It's been really nice."The same can be said for the Weber State defensive corps which stalled its offensive counterparts on the game's first four possessions - racking up points in the process thanks to a weighted scoring system. The Wildcat defense intercepted two passes - picks by Chris Matagi and Todd Frischknecht - while limiting quarterbacks Bryan Martin and Roger Cook to just 33 pass completions in 55 attempts.
Their inspiration? Purple jerseys, of course.
"They take a lot of pride in this. The offense won it last year (for the right to wear purple in this year's game) so the defense had something to prove," said Arslanian, who then towed the line. "I thought there was good play on both sides of the ball. All spring long, both sides have been pretty even."
However, defense ruled the the roost for much of this year's spring finale.
After frustrating the offense on four consecutive drives to open the contest (receiving two points for each series stopped), the defense bent slightly - giving up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Martin to Norvel Young early in the second quarter - before going on a 25-3 scoring run to leave little doubt as to the outcome. Redshirt freshman Scott Shields led the outburst with three field goals, while two interceptions and five defensive stops accounted for the rest of the scores.
Leading 33-10, the defense withstood eight-point efforts from running backs Von Robinson, who finished with a game-high 102 yards on 17 carries, and Reggie Carter in the fourth quarter. Threemore stops provided additional insurance despite the Robinson's 10-yard score and Carter's 1-yard plunge down the stretch. Both players added ensuing two-point conversions after they scored their TDs.
"It's all in the spirit for making good competition," said Arslanian. "We've had pleasant surprises all spring long."
Cat back David Stroshine, a freshman, led the defense with nine tackles (seven unassisted), while junior college transfers Kelly Felkins, Brandon Smith and Alfred Tukuafu caught Arslanian's attention on the defensive line.
The intra-squad game capped spring drills for the Wildcats who open the 1995 campaign Aug. 31 at Western Michigan.