Indiana University Athletics
Monday Morning Quarterback with Don Fischer
4/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Veteran Indiana radio play-by-play voice Don Fischer eagerly anticipates the 2006 Hoosier football season. He is a frequent visitor to IU spring practices, and he recently sat down with IUHOOSIERS.com to offer his thoughts on the first two weeks of drills.
"The thing that impresses me is how much faster this team is," Fischer said. "They appear much quicker, faster and more athletic than a year ago. Now, on one hand, it is hard to tell when you're playing against yourself. But at the same time, you can see who has improved to some degree. Just look at what they're doing during practice. They're doing it faster, which shows that the players understand the system better and that they have a better knowledge."
The players are not the only ones with a better understanding of Coach Terry Hoeppner's system.
"A year ago, the assistant coaches were feeling things out as well," Fischer said. "You had (assistant head coach) Bill Lynch, along with the assistants that Terry brought with him from Miami and the ones retained from the previous IU staff. They all have a year under their belt, and that makes them that much more of a cohesive unit."
The coaching staff has focused on tailoring their schemes towards the players' individual strengths, and this could pay significant dividends in 2006.
"Their offensive and defensive systems fit the personnel that much better, and that will be advantageous," Fischer said. "The Big Ten is one of the best conferences in the country, and while Indiana was competitive early, it really got to be a meatgrinder of a schedule. That takes its toll on a football team, injuries play a factor and it shows the quality of depth needed to compete in the Big Ten. We're going to be very young at some positions, and it will require a learning period that will take time. Terry has an even better understanding of what he needs and has made the appropriate changes to his system."
