Competition Thrives As Hoosiers Push Through August Camp
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Football shells (helmets and shoulder pads) were out, full pads were not. Contact had escalated, but not reached full-collision status during another steamy Indiana August camp session.
Communication matched action in drills on the practice field, and if it sometimes turned salty, if trash talk occasionally erupted and feisty moments surfaced amid deep throws completed, interceptions made and passes deflected, it was all good. You don’t beat teams such as Ohio State and Michigan without competitive intensity.
“The goal is to improve daily, increase the workload, sustain, compete, play at a high level, give good effort every play,” head coach Curt Cignetti says. “Competition was good at the end of practice today. We'll be back out tomorrow.”
A week into August camp and Hoosiers are performing, difference-making players are emerging, but Cignetti is not yet ready to designate any surprises.
“I think it's too early to say that. Your first two days you don't have any pads on. That’s not how you play football. We've only had shoulder pads on for two days. We'll have a better idea in about a week.”
Full pads are allowed starting Thursday, although that doesn’t mean IU will unleash full-scale hitting and tackling. Coaches want to ensure they have a healthy team for the season opener. In IU’s case, that will come Aug. 31 against Florida International.
“The NCAA limits the amount of times you can tackle and you're allowed to have two scrimmages,” Cignetti says.
More and more, the Hoosiers are building to develop the kind of offensive and defensive execution crucial for success against a schedule that includes eight home games and trips to UCLA), Northwestern, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
Recent heat hasn’t slowed preparations. Cignetti says the focus is on “developing this team, all 115 guys and all three phases.”
That includes a strong kick return game. Early practice focus has been on punt returns, in part, Cignetti says, because not many kickoffs get returned. He says it’s around “30-something percent.”
“We've got guys that are good with the ball in their hand,” he says. “The most important thing to me is that, at the end of the play, that we have possession of the ball.”
Top returner candidates are Myles Price, Solomon Vanhorse, and Ke’Shawn Williams. Price totaled 296 punt return yards and 59 kickoff return yards at Texas Tech. Williams had 654 kickoff return yards for Wake Forest. Vanhorse was an all-conference kickoff returner (including a touchdown) at James Madison.
“Of course, it helps when you’re doing a good job of blocking,” Cignetti says. “I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good there.”
Practices remain efficient and energetic, but lack a visible clock that shows how much time remains in a period.
Cignetti says he has never used a clock.
“It’s for efficiency sake,” he says. “If I feel we’ve gotten enough done in a period, I’ll blow the whistle. Players are not looking at the clock to see how much time is left in the period. I think it runs smoother.”