CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern battled through the elements on Saturday morning as the Buccaneers kicked off their first scrimmage of the 2019 fall camp.

The Bucs competed through a steady rainfall over the first 75 minutes, before the sun came out during red zone drills.

Despite the weather, Head Coach Autry Denson looked at the positives that came from CSU's first scrimmage of preseason.

"Today was really, really good as we went 100-plus plays and guys kept playing," he said. "Things didn't necessarily go for them at times as we battled through some rain and the elements, but they kept fighting through and thanks to God's grace, we came out healthy."

The defense highlighted the efforts of the Bucs throughout the first scrimmage as CSU took advantage of a trio of interceptions (two pick-sixes) and a fumble recovery in setting the tone of the practice early.

"The defensive unit overall, those guys lost a lot from last season," Denson said. "My hat goes off to Zane (Vance), Coach Brooks, and Coach Moss - they do a great job of next man up mentality and they get those guys ready to go. The defense had fun today and it didn't matter who made a play out there. They were celebrating with each other and that togetherness is how we want them to play."

CSU's offense started early on the first drive with Garris Schwarting staying active on the outside. Quarterback Jack Chambers targeted the senior wide receiver for an early first down pickup before the defense recorded the stop.
Ross Malmgren and Kaleb Chatmon got into a rhythm as well on the second drive as the two connected on a first-down pickup. Anton Williams' pressure from the outside ended the offense's second drive and started a stretch where the defense dominated.

Eishaun Funnye and Garrett Sayegh were both playmakers on the fourth drive of the scrimmage portion with Funnye's tackle for loss starting the drive, while Sayegh's pass break-up highlighted the defensive stop.

Chambers moved the ball on the fifth drive of the scrimmage portion, but Cody Cline came through with a signature play that has become his trademark so far this camp. The freshman safety timed a screen pass perfectly and took it 45 yards down the right sideline for the pick-six and the defense's first score of the game.

After a fumble recovery on the next drive, Jordan Carr continued the Bucs' defensive efforts with CSU's second pick-six of the scrimmage. Carr stepped in front of a pass over the middle and took it 55 yards down the sideline for the score.

Moving onto third down situations, Chambers and Schwarting again highlighted the offense's efforts as the duo connected on a swing pass to the left side for a 33-yard gain.

Among CSU's other highlights on the day, Quinn Caballero looked strong with several connections outside, while Anthoni Taylor and Jonathan Earl had several powerful runs on the interior.

Thaddeus Underwood and Jon Pohahau highlighted the defense's efforts during red zone drills. Underwood came up with a big hit in the flat to set up a late fourth down, while Pohahau broke through the middle for a sack to end the drive. Nick Spitulski also made a clean play on a short run to keep the offense out of the end zone.

The Bucs offense did break through for a trio of late scores as Demetrius Jones hauled in two short touchdown passes, while Ronnie Harris broke through up the middle for an eight-yard score.

Alex Usry and Nathaniel Toole close out the scrimmage with PAT and field goal drills. Usry was clean from 47 yards, while Toole showed strength in connecting on all four attempts from the field.

The Bucs will be continuing to work over the next few days before CSU wraps up fall camp next weekend and Denson still sees several areas the team can improve on.

"We're still working on everything – our timing, our snaps, you name it," Denson said. "We'll go watch the film. It's never as bad as you think it is, it's never as good as you think it is, it's usually somewhere in the middle. It comes down the little things, and we'll keep working on those as we keep getting ready for the season."

The Bucs continue closed fall preseason camp on Monday as they continue preparations for the upcoming August 31 game against Furman. All practices are closed to the general public.