Up-tempo Eagles enter week two of camp
August 11, 2008
Faulkner went back to work at Cramton Bowl Monday afternoon with great enthusiasm looking to increase offensive reps and improve some of the shortcomings revealed by Saturday’s scrimmage. Head coach Jim Nichols was pleased with the team’s high spirits and work ethic.
"We had a good, crisp, up-tempo practice today," Nichols said. "The backs were running the ball hard, guys were moving around the field and everyone was going full speed. We’re moving forward and are a lot further along than we were last year."
Brandon Lockhart and Samuel Campbell rejoined the action during practice. Lockhart sat out of Saturday’s scrimmage to rest a wounded ankle. Campbell, who played linebacker for the Eagles last year, spent last week completing summer courses and took the field for the first time on Monday.
Faulkner has two promising young running backs in Lockhart and Ryan Williams, but Nichols has been increasingly impressed with the intensity and strength of returning fullback Matt Fleck. "He’s fast, solid and dependable," he said. "We have a great running core this year and he’s a big part of it. He’s put in a tremendous effort during camp and he’s doing a great job."
The freshmen are becoming more involved with on-campus activities as preparations for the upcoming year unfold. "The young guys have to be in a lot of places and are involved in a lot of activities and that’s a good thing," Nichols commented. "They’re trying to get oriented with school and learn the formations and plays and it can make their heads spin a bit. The freshmen have to work hard because a lot of them are going to play for us this year."
Nichols will continue to survey the kicking game this week, paying particular attention to the punters. Jared Corder is a strong contender, but Chris Sears is showing great potential and the two continue to compete for the position.
The offense will implement more plays and increase reps throughout the week. The passing game suffered from dropped balls early in the scrimmage and that is an area Nichols wants to patch up. The defense will continue to be physical working on gap play and attacking up front.
"This is going to be a big week, especially for the young guys," he said. "We’re going to be looking at who might be redshirting and who will fill the scout teams. We should have everything in by the end of the week on both sides of the ball."
The remainder of the week’s practices will also be at 3 p.m. at Cramton Bowl and are open to the public. Faulkner opens its season on Sept. 6 in Birmingham against Samford at 6 p.m. The Eagle’s home opener is Sept. 13, hosting Huntingdon at Cramton Bowl at 7 p.m.