Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Stanton is starting to leave his mark on teammates and, most importantly, MSU football head coach John L. Smith.

Stanton was 16-of-23 for 117 yards and a touchdown in a scrimmage Saturday. Smith said Stanton has gained a slight edge over junior quarterback Damon Dowdell.

"I really think Stanton is starting to inch his way up there," Smith said. "He really moved the football today. It's maybe not the prettiest thing, but at least we're moving up and down the field."

Dowdell and Stanton were both No. 1 at the start of spring practice. Dowdell completed 4-of-7 passes for 53 yards.

Stanton said he understands other quarterbacks are fighting for his position, but he is focusing solely on his play and not how the others perform.

"I felt comfortable out there today," Stanton said. "It was nice to be out in Spartan Stadium, and it felt good to feel that atmosphere."

Sophomore wide receiver Agim Shabaj, who played in high school with Stanton, was still impressed with what he saw from the signal caller.

"Drew, he was looking real good," said Shabaj, who made four catches for 73 yards. "His arm is getting exceptionally strong. He's becoming a good quarterback. Every day he's improving."

Meanwhile, Smith said don't count out any quarterback, because his decision could change by the beginning of the 2003 season.

He added senior quarterback Jeff Smoker, who went 5-9 for 89 yards and had one touchdown, understands he has to work harder for playing time.

Sophomore wide receiver Aaron Alexander, formerly a quarterback, is adjusting well to his wide receiver role, Smith said.

Stanton threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Alexander in the right corner of the end zone.

And Smith said the offense looked a lot better on Saturday than Friday, where they played with no emotion.

Nevertheless, the offense has been more consistent than the defense thus far.

"That's what you expect in spring ball though," Smith said. "You're kind of like a yo-yo - one does good and the other doesn't and that's just the way it is.

"I thought (Friday) the defense just got after us - they kicked our tail. And maybe the offense took it a little bit to heart today. We showed more consistency than we had done."

Stanton said the Spartan offense stepped up Saturday because "nobody likes to look bad, especially at this level."

The good, the bad and the ugly

Smith said the running backs, quarterbacks and cornerbacks have shown significant improvements. However, he said he's still concerned about the lack of depth at wide out and in the secondary.

Smith said the most impressive players have been those on the offensive line.

Senior offensive lineman Joe Tate said his line is performing well and attributes most of the success to depth and the return of fellow senior offensive lineman Paul Harker.

"We picked it up yesterday, and we definitely picked it up today," Tate said. "We're doing the right things in terms of intensity wise.

"Just having (Harker) who comes back and knows what he is doing is great. It boosts us as an offensive line."