Indiana University Athletics
Saurday's Scrimmage Shows Progress
8/22/2015 4:39:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football wrapped up its final true day of preseason camp with an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday to cap off what head coach Kevin Wilson called IU's best week of camp.
The Hoosiers were able to practice a wide range of game situations while also limiting the first team's snaps.
With class beginning Monday, IU will now enter a more conventional game week schedule for the final two weeks of preparation before its opening kickoff against Southern Illinois on Sept 5.
"We're a lot farther along than we have been," Wilson said. "I liked today's go. It was good football."
Indiana offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said although IU has some tweaking to do offensively, he was mostly pleased with the way the scrimmage went.
Johns praised the effort he saw out of Indiana's second and third string players from the day's work. Without mentioning any names in particular, Johns said he was impressed with the way the Hoosiers' second and third teams continue to push the starters.
"Right now, it's all blending together," Johns said. "I really like our depth."
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brian Knorr said he thought his team started out a little too sluggish for his liking, but he added that he liked the way his defense finished out the practice.
Like Johns, Knorr said his second and third team players continued to exceed expectations. The second-year Hoosier coach was already talking about how excited he was to dive into film just minutes after practice wrapped up.
"This is a big scrimmage for our defense," Knorr said. "It will be great to evaluate how we did, who we can rely on and who stepped up today."
One of the standout position groups that had Wilson excited at the end of the day was his kicking teams.
Wilson commended the work from senior punter Erich Toth and sophomore kicker Griffin Oakes—a pair of walk-ons who received scholarships yesterday.
Toth routinely pinned the opposing side down deep in their own territory in situational kicking drills throughout the practice.
Oakes hit a few long kicks, including a 60-yarder that cleared the uprights with room to spare.
"This is the best our kicking has been," Wilson said.
Indiana will practice Sunday before reentering a typical game week schedule with Monday off and practice beginning again Tuesday.
The Hoosiers will treat next week as if they were going to play an opponent and finish with a scrimmage Saturday afternoon. The season will officially begin the following week.
But nobody needs to remind the Hoosiers how close real games are. That's already been on their minds.
"I'm very excited," sophomore receiver Simmie Cobbs said. "I can't even sleep at night with how excited I am."
