Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football simulates game conditions in Thursday scrimmage
08/20/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Aug. 20, 2009
By Adam Longueville
www.SIUSalukis.com
Daily Camp Blog -- Daily Photo Gallery
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki football team worked on clock management during a full live scrimmage at the end of practice Thursday.
What were your impressions of the live scrimmage portion of practice today?
Well, we tried to simulate game situations. It was 2:30 left in the half, and we had the ball. We needed to get into attack mode, get first downs and try to put up some points before the half. We just wanted to see how the guys would respond.
As training camp has gone on, the offense has looked more cohesive. Do you feel that they are a more confident group than at the beginning of camp?
They definitely know what they need to do. Now, it's just a matter of going out and executing, and that just comes with repetition.
The offense practiced into the wind today, compared to practicing with the wind like the rest of camp. Is there any particular reason why you did that?
It was a conscious decision, but since we were working on clock management, I wanted the guys to be able to see the clock, also.
How are Korey Lindsey and Mike McElroy doing in their practice with the punt return game?
They both worked on it all last year. Korey, at the end of the year, was our main guy, and Mike has had plenty of repetition at that position. So, they should be good for us this year.
The defense came with the blitz pretty often in the scrimmage today. Do you feel that will aid both sides in preparation for the season?
Blitzing is what our defense does, so naturally we practice it. It also helps our offensive line simulate game situations, which was one of our goals today.
