Plaster Stadium was absolutely buzzing Saturday, August 15, as Missouri State held a full-speed scrimmage packed with long passes and big hits. The Bears put on a show where many players flashed some serious talent, even if other parts of their game definitely need a polish before the first game of the season.
Locklear’s Arm Flashed, But So Did The Issues
Fifth-year senior transfer Skyler Locklear got the majority of the snaps under center. He lined up primarily with the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense throughout the whole scrimmage, slinging it for a 13-for-21 performance. We saw drives starting from his own five-yard line, the 25, the red zone, and even a two-minute drill. Locklear delivered a perfectly placed ball on the sidelines for a massive 30-yard gain to wide receiver Mekhi Miller during the two-minute offense. Then he uncorked a 55-yard bomb to star wideout Jmariyae Robinson, where Locklear’s on-time delivery set Robinson up for most of those yards after the catch. Coach Woods said, “I think our guys rally around him and believe in him. You can see why he’s been a starter in certain times and he’s won some games.” But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Locklear struggled with consistency, especially when the ball was placed inside the two-yard line, where the Bears rarely punched it in for a first down. Woods kept it real, admitting, “He’s still a little careless with the ball. He can be impatient in the pocket on occasion, but we move the ball when he is in the game.”
Injuries and Defensive Stands Shake Things Up
The other quarterback in the hunt, fifth-year transfer Henry Belin IV, took most of his snaps with the second unit. He went unofficially 3-for-6 across the scrimmage, but here’s the kicker: he sat out the final 45 minutes, which included crucial red zone and two-minute offense drills. Turns out, Belin’s been battling some shoulder soreness. Woods confirmed it, saying, “Henry has been battling a little bit of shoulder soreness. We need to see where that is at. What does that look like in the short term future, long term future. That will impact our decision.” On the ground, top depth chart running back Breezy Dubar, a Boise State transfer, also missed the action due to soreness. In his place, Nixa native Ramone Green Jr. got some valuable reps alongside Locklear. While the offense had its ups and downs, the defense was absolutely humming in the second half. Deflections and tackles for loss were everywhere, with linebackers like Jared Lloyd and Iowa State transfer defensive end Markell Chapman making plays. Special teams got a highlight too, thanks to Yousef Obeid.
The Bears still have areas that need improvement before the first game of the season, and you gotta wonder how Belin’s shoulder impacts that QB decision moving forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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