NORMAL, Ill. – The light is at the end of the tunnel for the Illinois State football team, with Friday's workout serving as the team's final tune up before Saturday's annual Red-White Scrimmage at Hancock Stadium.
The scrimmage will serve as the culmination of a day full of Redbird Athletics events. The Redbird volleyball scrimmage will start at 1 p.m. in Redbird Arena, with the 12th-annual Redbird Fan Fair to follow on the concourse at Hancock Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Fans can then head to the stands to watch the Redbird football team scrimmage on the turf beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans that stick around for the football scrimmage will see a bit of a different format than they may be used to, as the team will focus on specific situations throughout. The team will start working on the four-minute drill, in which the offense is staked a lead late in the fourth quarter with the goal of running out the clock and not giving the defense a chance to get the ball back and tie or win the game.
After a couple of series, the team will then work on the two-minute drill, with the offense trailing and needing a score to tie or win the game and the defense looking to stop them and hold for a victory. The third-team unit will then scrimmage and drive the length of the field, before the team takes a brief rest at halftime to allow the Big Red Marching Machine to play some music for those in attendance.
When the team returns to the field, the first-team offense will drive the field against the second-team defense on the first series. The second series will feature the second-team offense trying to move the ball against the first-team defense. The final situation of the day will be an overtime scenario, in which each unit will have the chance to try to score in overtime rules, starting at the opponent 25 yard line needing a first down or to score to go ahead.
Following the scrimmage, players and coaches will be available on the field to sign autographs and talk with fans. Saturday's scrimmage will be the final one for the Redbirds, before they open the regular season Sept. 3 against Valparaiso at Hancock Stadium.
For practice updates, photos and video, follow the official Redbirds Football Twitter account @RedbirdFB and log onto GoRedbirds.com for full coverage throughout the 2016 season.
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