Aug. 7, 2008
Click here to read CAMP REPORT #9 from Thursday morning's practice.
NORMAL, Ill. -
While it may have been practice number 10 of preseason camp, and some would say that the fatigue has to be setting in at this point, don't tell that to the Illinois State football team. The Redbirds practiced in shells with some of their strongest intensity and spirit under the lights Thursday night at Hancock Stadium, during a highly-competitive, two-hour (24 periods) workout that marked the midway point of their 2008 preseason camp.
"We had great intensity and effort (Thursday night)," said head coach Denver Johnson. "It was an outstanding practice. The guys are working extremely hard, and they have shown to me that they are improving every day and they are putting a great effort out there each practice."
Continuing a trend of recent practices, much of the early part of the workout was spent in one-on-one drills. Period three saw the defense going head-to-head against one another, as the Redbirds focused on wrapping up a receiver and getting him out of bounds as quickly as possible.
Midway through practice, it became apparent that projected starting quarterback Kevin Brockway has fully taken control of ISU's offense, as the senior from Crystal Lake, Ill., looked sharp in slant pattern passing drills to his wide receivers. This trend continued into the later 7-on-7 and scrimmage periods, which pleased Johnson.
"Kevin is a veteran player, who has been in our program for four years now, so we expect him to go out there and play like a leader," said Johnson. "He has thrown some great balls in camp and has embraced being the leader of the offense. I think our players have grown to see him as the leader of our offense."
Brockway displayed his grasp of the offense's scheme on the very first play of the 7-on-7 period, as he connected on a 15-yard pass over the middle to tight end Kedric Meredith. The senior quarterback completed 7-of-9 passes during the drill. Also looking sharp was wide receiver Eyad Salem, who made an acrobatic, over-the-shoulder catch on a 30-yard pass down the right sideline from sophomore quarterback Preston Earl.
The Redbirds finished the practice with a three-period scrimmage, where both Brockway and Salem continued to shine.
Brockway completed 4-of-5 passes during the scrimmage, and also displayed his prowess under pressure, as he scrambled for a 20-yard run on the first play. Salem had the play of the night, though, when under coverage from a defender, he juked right and broke free to catch a 35-yard pass from Brockway over his shoulder, in stride, and then streaked down the sideline for an easy touchdown.
Not to be outdone by their offensive counterparts, members of the Redbird defense also stepped up during the intense and competitive practice. Defensive linemen Tom Speer and Mario Bailey each had quarterback sacks during the end-of-practice scrimmage, while linebacker Pat Cucci made a diving interception of a pass from true freshman Matt Brown.
Illinois State will resume preseason camp workouts with a single practice at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Hancock Stadium, before its final two-a-day session Saturday.
NOTABLE:
Mario Bailey, Graham Corcoran and Doni Phelps all returned to practice after missing Thursday morning's workout with various injuries.
Bert Whigham, Reggie Dozier and Ben Graves remained sidelined with their various injuries.
Brian Hehl also missed practice due to a concussion he suffered during Thursday morning's workout.
Members of the Illinois State volleyball team, who started their own fall camp Thursday under first-year head coach Melissa Myers, were on hand for the majority of practice to lend their support to the Redbird football team.
Former ISU quarterback Luke Drone made another practice appearance, but did not assist in any drills, as he did Wednesday afternoon.
Assistant coach Jafar Williams had the index and middle fingers of his right hand taped together before practice after he jammed his index finger while catching a ball earlier in the day.
