Marlon Anthony and Buster Skrine lined up across from each other during Wednesday night's practice, as they have so often in recent weeks. The wideout vs. the cornerback, one on one.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offense was in the red zone, where the 6-foot-5 (and maybe more) Anthony can use his height and long arms to maximum advantage. If he can get by Skrine, that is.
Anthony is long, lean and young, a freshman with a lot of potential who has yet to play a collegiate game. Skrine, listed at 5-10, is a strong, fast, experienced junior All-Southern Conference cornerback. And on this play, Anthony never had a chance.
Once the ball was snapped to quarterback B.J. Coleman, Skrine moved forward and jammed Anthony at the line of scrimmage. Anthony tried to break free, but Skrine, who bench-presses 340 pounds, didn't budge and held him up long enough to take him out of the play.
"I just like to be physical on the line, so even if it's a fade it's corrupted at the beginning," Skrine said. "I don't ever let anybody get a clean release."
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said he hopes that in a year or so, after Anthony has gone through another offseason in the weight room, the receiver will be able to use his size and long arms to get clear at the line every time.
Right now, however, "Buster's stronger in every category," Satterfield said.
Because Skrine is winning most of the one-on-one battles -- Anthony said it was probably 60-40 -- Satterfield is worried about Anthony's confidence.
"We thought going into it that by this time he'd be able to compete with Buster and get open, and right now he's not," Satterfield said. "Buster's doing an unbelievable job, and right now we're just trying to train (Anthony) with some new techniques on how to get off press coverage to try to develop some confidence.
"He's getting better and better and better, little bits at a time. We're still a long way away, but he's getting there."
Anthony has had some good moments against Skrine, including a 37-yard touchdown reception in last Saturday's scrimmage. Anthony said this spring practice -- and the competition will resume during preseason camp -- has been a valuable learning experience.
"It's definitely helping me a lot," Anthony said. "You can tell over the weeks that we've been practicing that I've gotten way better, just because he's pressed me on the line and stuff like that.
"He's not cutting me a lot of slack, and even if I beat him (off the line) he's fast enough to get right back to me."
Skrine said he and Anthony are getting a lot out of going against each other and having fun at the same time. What little trash talking there is, he said, comes only from his side.
"I probably do most of it because he doesn't talk that much," Skrine said, smiling. "Maybe he just doesn't talk trash to me. He might talk trash to the other freshmen, but not to me."
Extra points
Running back Bryan Fitzgerald had surgery Friday to remove the three screws from his left foot that were inserted in October. Head athletic trainer Todd Bullard said everything went well and Fitzgerald would be in a cast for two weeks. ... The Mocs are off this weekend and will resume spring practice Monday. They will practice again Wednesday, and the spring game is at 3 p.m. next Saturday.