As the rain slowly started to drizzle down to the artificial surface on the field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Wednesday evening, South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough exploded.

Practice was just minutes away from wrapping up, but Pough didn't like what he saw when backup quarterback DeWain Clark took a snap in a drill in the Red Zone and was harassed by a defender that should have been picked up by a blocker out of the backfield.

"Blown assignment after blown assignment!" Pough scolded while mixing in a few colorful words to ensure his backs that he meant business.

A few seconds later, the offensive day came to an end with a Clark pass zipping through the hands of a receiver in the end zone. Six practices in, and many more to come before the South Carolina State Bulldogs are playing on the level Pough wants. Still, the coach said he can see his team getting better.

"That was a scale period, and we had a few busted assignments," Pough said. "But, we have got some things that we are trying to experiment with. Some of it is the same, but at the same time, you know, you configure it a little different and the kids get confused -- go the wrong way and some of that stuff. Plus, we are playing some guys like (Anthony) Campbell and some of the guys that haven't really been in the system. Last year, you put a card up to their face on scout team, and they just run what is on the card. For all these different kinds of pass routes and protections it gets to be kind of stressful for them.

"But, I feel pretty good," Pough added. "We have had a good chance to see most of what we have here now in some sort of live action. We know what we kind of have, and what we need to make some improvements on this last half of the season."

One thing that Pough has noticed in the spring is that Clark, the wing man to the more-heralded Malcom Long, is a solid option should the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" go down with an injury. In fact, Clark, in all likelihood, will see some snaps regardless of Long's health.

"The best thing going right now is that we have two," Pough said with a grin. "If Macolm should get hurt...football is one of those sports where you are one snap away from your next guy and, you know, we don't have to feel like all is done if Malcolm is unable to play.

"I like Dewain a lot," he continued. "He has had a tremendous spring so far. He is really a bright kid. Both these kids are great kids. They work hard in the office and studying. I expect both to play next year...we just have to figure out how to coordinate it. Sometimes when you have two you have a chance for some controversy, but they are such good friends that we can work it out and get both of them in the game."

The Bulldogs are scheduled to return to practice Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Other notes from Wednesday's practice

Rushing things -- Before Pough's scolding near the end of practice, SCSU put in plenty of work on the blitz Wednesday.

The Bulldogs spent the first half of the practice running through individual, fundamental drills, but the team progressed into what Pough called a "big" pass rush, blitz pickup drill.

"We just wanted to get them some good individual work with the linebackers trying to get to the passer and the backs trying to keep them from getting to the passer," Pough said.

The drill coincided with several new wrinkles that Pough said he and his staff added on both sides of the ball.

"We worked a good bit on the things we installed," he said. "Defensively, we put in a new defense or two so we have to work on those things."

McFadden banged up -- Bulldog defender Marshall McFadden sat out the second half of the practice with a bruised thigh.

"Marshall got nicked up in the blitz drill," Pough said. "He hurt his thigh a little, but most of our stuff now is bruises and the thing about that is you just have to rehab them and work the soreness out and that kind of stuff."

Campbell proving versatile -- Anthony Campbell, a transfer from Auburn, is filling in as a backup for tailback Will Ford, but the Bulldogs have also been using the speedster at wide receiver during the spring.

"It looks like he may be a guy that you can do lots of skill things with," Pough said. "He catches the ball well, and he played wide receiver and defensive back at a major college level. So, the guy has some skill that we can take advantage of. I'm thinking we can use him some at receiver and in the backfield."

Kick-free Saturday -- Aaron Haire has been busy working at both punter and place kicker during the spring, but he will be unavailable for Saturday's scheduled 10 a.m. scrimmage at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Pough granted his kicker a leave from the scrimmage because Haire is exploring educational opportunities.

"He is looking into med. school," Pough said. "He is exploring some of his options. He has a chance to do a whole bunch of stuff. We are excited that he might get that opportunity so we are going to give him a day off to go out there and explore that."

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be contacted via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland, at www.thetandd.com.

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