Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football wraps up Spring season with scrimmage
04/24/2006 | 12:00:00 | Football
April 24, 2006
By Brian Feldt
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Joel Sambursky, the career passing leader at Southern Illinois Univeristy, smiled from the sidelines as he watched Nick Hill connect with wide receiver Bryce Morris on a long, touchdown pass Saturday night at McAndrew Stadium.
The quarterbacking torch was symbolically handed from Sambursky to Hill at the team's annual spring scrimmage, and the junior from DuQuoin looked eager to carry it.
Hill, who divided the snaps at QB with junior college transfer Justin Allen, efficiently moved the offense throughout the evening with a mixture of run and pass. The left-hander showed scrambling ability, a big arm and a soft touch on his throws.
Saluki head coach Jerry Kill would not commit to one player as his starting quarterback heading into the summer, but Hill clearly has the edge.
"Competition is good, and we have a lot of that on this football team, so that will only make us better," Kill said. "We have guys that haven't played a lot of football here, so I think putting them in this situation has really done them a lot of good."
The scrimmage, which consisted of roughly 100 snaps, was an opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate the team's younger players one last time before training camp starts in August. Several veterans, including first-team All-Gateway Conference running back Arkee Whitlock, did not play. Kill said the staff already knows what vets like Whitlock can do.
"We played a lot of people and ran a lot of different combinations, so we got to evaluate a lot of kids today," he said. "I am very pleased."
The event was open to the public, and the several hundred on-hand had to outlast a nasty storm that delayed the scrimmage for nearly 30 minutes.
"It was great to have a nice crowd out here and I really appreciate that," said Kill.
The Salukis return eight starters in 2006, but only two on defense.
The philosophy on defense seems to have changed somewhat, with the Salukis often lining up in a three-man defensive front, as opposed to a four-man front used in 2005. The unit appears to be built around the concept of team speed.
"They are fast," said Hill of his team's defense. "We aren't as big, but we are definitely faster than we have been in past years."
The cornerstone of the team is clearly the offensive line, where four starters return, headlined by first-team all-conference center Will Justice.
"We have really come together as a unit," said Justice. "I was really pleased with the way our line played."
