Indiana University Athletics
#IUFB Scrimmage Highlights
4/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
 Highlights | Coach Wilson | Coach Johns | Coach Knorr | Sudfeld | Allen |  Photo Gallery
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The IU football team took part in their first full scrimmage of spring practice on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. With three weeks of spring football and a full speed scrimmage under their belt, Kevin Wilson and the IU coaching staff believe that they're seeing what they want to see.
"It's been a good, challenging week of practice," Wilson said in his initial comments. "There's a good competitive spirit. I was impressed with the way our guys handled it today."
While technically a scrimmage, today's practice didn't play out in the same fashion as the Cream & Crimson Spring Game. The Hoosiers opened practice with individual and position work, then transitioned into a selection of in-game scenarios and simulations.
"We're trying to get them into the flow of the game," Wilson said, explaining the goal of Saturday's practice. "You've got T.V. timeouts, warm-ups, running on and off the field, even sitting around and learning to re-create your energy."
Coach Wilson seemed pleased with IU's first practice primarily featuring simulated play.
"We had some great defensive plays, some stops," Wilson said regarding the standout moments of the scrimmage. "We had some good offensive football, taking advantage of turnovers and short field situations, and a good running game."
Watch coach Wilson's full interview with IUHoosiers.com below:
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld ranks second in program history in completion percentage (60.6), second in 300-yard passing games (four) and fifth in passing touchdowns (34) in just 25 career starts. Sudfeld's initial takeaway from the scrimmage was the Hoosiers change of scenery.
"It's been a while since we've actually practiced in the stadium, so it was a treat to be out here today," Sudfeld said.
Sudfeld was quick to praise the explosiveness of the running back corps in the scrimmage.
"They're very hungry, and Coach McCullough is doing a great job," Sudfeld remarked. "They're running violently and taking pride in the challenge. Somebody is going to step up, maybe even a few guys."
The offensive unit looked to be clicking on Saturday afternoon, capitalizing on short field situations and sustaining drives. Sudfeld attributes the early success to a familiarity with one another.
"It's not a ton of new personnel, just guys who are getting older, getting more experience." Sudfeld explained. "I wouldn't say that we've arrived. We have a lot of work to do, but we are gaining, we are getting better."
Watch Sudfeld's interview following IU's scrimmage below:
Junior safety Antonio Allen started all 12 games and led the Hoosiers in tackles (74) last season, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors for his outstanding defensive play. Allen is pleased with the team's energy and toughness through the first eight practices, especially during Saturday's scrimmage.
"There was physicality on both sides," Allen said, analyzing the scrimmage. "Everything was moving quickly, and both the offense and defense looked pretty good."
Allen is also excited about the rapid development of the younger defensive backs. "Tony Fields and Kiante Walton have stepped up a lot," Allen said. "They're learning the playbook and are in a better position than last year."
The main goal for the defensive backs heading into the week before the Cream & Crimson Spring Game, according to Allen, is to avoid mental mistakes.
"We need to work on covering and not giving up big plays. We gave up a couple of big plays today," Allen said.
Watch Allen's full post-practice interview below:
CREAM & CRIMSON SPRING GAME IN 5 DAYS
The Hoosiers kick off the 2015 Cream & Crimson Spring Game at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18. They will also host a Little 500 pre-bash evening open scrimmage on Thursday, April 23.
