Ball State University Athletics
Football Team Spring Practice #8 Report
April 09, 2011 | Football
Ball State completed Spring Practice #8 Saturday on a dreary, rainy day, but first-year head coach Pete Lembo says the Cardinals had great attitudes.
Today may have been the worst weather of the Spring Practice, how did the players respond?
It sure was. We got some heavy rain and had one delay due to thunder and lightning passing through the area. Our players did a nice job of handling the break and coming back out focused despite the conditions. We cut the session short because of the combination of bad weather and the risk of injury. Fortunately, we got about 85% of our work done today with a pretty good tempo. Afterwards, we talked about the things we can control and the things we cannot - with the weather being an example. Our attitude was great today and we look forward to getting back on the field next week.
You had officials at practice today, what was the reasoning and did you get accomplished what was needed?
Officials are always a good reality check for the players. Coaches provide feedback and make corrections on the field and in meetings. However, when officials are present and they are calling penalties, it's instant feedback. The opportunity to work at some spring scrimmages is beneficial for the officials because it helps them stay sharp and communicate with each other. Many young officials utilize this time to work with veterans in hopes of moving up the ladder to bigger conferences. We appreciate their time and commitment by being here today.
We are two weeks away from the Spring Game, what are your expectations for that day's format at this point in time?
I am not quite sure at this point. A awful lot can happen from an injury standpoint in the next week or so. We will have another opportunity to scrimmage with officials next Saturday morning. Several players like Andrew Puthoff, Cameron Lowry, David Schneider and Zane Fakes continue to be non-contact throughout the spring season. At a minimum, I envision a substantial offense versus defense scrimmage on April 23rd with special teams work mixed in. The best case scenario would be a true Red vs. White Game where we draft teams and play more of a realistic game. At some point, I really hope our depth enables us to make it happen that way.
