Saturday the Aggie football team conducted its annual Spring Game scrimmage as head coach Rod Broadway heads into his second season at A&T.

Last season Broadway was cautious about being too critical of his team because he understood many of his players were learning a new system and a new coaching staff for the third time in four years.

The team faces a challenge with the instructional time the coaching staff can spend with players was reduced from 15 days to seven this spring in order to help the football team improve its academic progress rate, focusing on getting their players to graduation.

The spring session at Aggie Stadium brought great excitement with MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Mike Mayhew at running back, Jerry Rice Award Finalist D’Vonte Grant at linebacker and Lewis Kindle at quarterback.

Mayhew suffered an injury-filled 2011 season causing him little participation Saturday but seeing him with the ball brings hope and excitement to fans. He will have plenty of help in the backfield this season with junior running back Ricky Lewis.

Much improved from last season was redshirt junior Dominique Drake, who carried the ball 76 times for 4.1 yards per touch.

Even though the trusted wide receiver Wallace Miles eligibility ended, Kindle who threw more than 2,020 yards and 16 touchdowns last season did not seem to be affected during Saturdays game. He completed passes to different receivers such as Demonta Brown, Quentin Thomas and Christian Carver, including two touchdown passes to senior Larry Raper.

“The game went well,” said sophomore receiver Brown. “Wallace set the pace for us as young bucks, so coming into the season we know we have to step up.”

Miles spoke highly of Brown last season expecting him to help lead the team.

“I was proud to see the progression of a lot of young players,” said Miles. The graduating wide receiver broke three records in the 2011 season.

Thomas Hines will return to his snapping duties for the Aggies this upcoming season. Last year at football camp, the center suffered from a broken ankle that kept him out all of the 2011 season.

A&T had the eighth best defense in the country and the best rush defense in the MEAC last season. The defense will surely not go unrecognized come this season but the focus this spring was more on offense.

“We did a lot of passing this spring,” Kindle said. “We didn’t get to practice as many times as we wanted, so we focused on our passing. We know we have Mike Mayhew in the backfield, so we’re trying to get better at passing.”

• Symone Kidd