Two-a-day Takeaways

Two-a-day practices, more than anything else, show the difference between the players in the pads and the press that wants to be in those pads. 

Attending a two-session practice is a necessary evil for the athletes and a dream come true for the scribes.

IU football coach Bill Lynch opened up the doors to his team’s most private sanctuaries to select members of the media Wednesday, and I was fortunate enough to represent the IDS.

7:00-7:45 am: Review of practice

To kick off the day, Lynch gathers his staff into one of the many new positional meeting rooms in the North End Zone to watch tape from the previous day’s practice and discuss what needs to be improved. 

8:00-8:30 am: Wide receiver positional meeting

Given the option to choose any positional meeting I wanted, I chose the group with the most potential to breakout this season in the wideouts.  

Wide receivers coach Billy Lynch went over the same tape gone over in the previous meeting with his boys, pointing out flaws or great strides made during the session. 

Freshman wide receiver Duwyce Wilson was joked with for hitting the freshman wall when we walked in looking tired, and Billy Lynch spent some time coaching him up on his assignments during two-minute drills.

9:00-11:30 am: Practice No. 1

The first of two practices begin with players in half pads, looking fired up for some football. Some defensive backs put in their own version of Hank Williams’ “Are You Ready For Some Football?” during stretches. 

The team wanted to concentrate on their two-minute offense, and they spent much of their 7-on-7 and full-team practices practicing that. 

Some standouts from the morning practice include freshmen Wilson and Edward Baker-Wright, tight end Max Dedmond, and wideout Terrence Turner. Baker-Wright showed great arm strength and a lot of potential for the future, Dedmond was spot-on with his crack blocks, and Turner blew away the competition with his route running. 

11:30 am-12:30 pm: Lunch

The players and media enjoyed a high-protein and carbohydrate lunch of grilled chicken, beef casserole, and beef ravioli for their mid-day break. 

12:30-1:30 pm: Defensive staff meeting

After sitting in the wideout meeting and spending most of my time watching the offense during practice, I figured I would stay fair and balanced by checking in with the defense. 

Surprisingly, the defensive coaches were much more subdued in the meeting than the offensive staffs, but they noted what was needed to be worked on and let their voices be heard later in practice. They seemed particular happy with the play of the defensive line on run plays, something that really hurt the Hoosiers last season.

1:30-2:00 pm: Full staff meeting

The entire IU coaching staff assembled in the team room to discuss the afternoon practice and the rest of the week. Bill Lynch delegates a lot of responsibilities to his staff, trusting they will make the right decision in most cases. 

3:00-3:30 pm: Special teams meeting

With the two-minute drill covered in the morning, the staff wants to focus on special teams during the afternoon. The coaches go over blocking assignments for kickoff returns and onside kicks, telling the players to be prepared to work on these things in practice. 

3:30-4:00 pm: Defensive backs positional meeting

Defensive backs coach Joe Palcic seemed pretty happy with his group’s performance through the day, and he gave some pointers to strong safety Austin Thomas and others on positioning in zone coverages.         

4:00-6:30 pm: Practice No. 2

With the sun out in full strength and the team in full pads, the second session kicks off – this time, literally. 

The return team dominated the coverage team the first few times, but once everyone got settled in, the returner, usually Ray Fisher or Zach Davis-Walker, were limited to around the 30 yard line. 
   
In 7-on-7 and full team drills, the defense stole the show this time around, as cornerback Richard Council gave quarterback Ben Chappell a headache all day and former-receiver Ray Fisher made a great break on the ball to pick off Chappell in the end zone.

The highlight of the day, however, came when a botched snap on a field goal attempt was picked up by kicker Nick Freeland, who looked to throw the ball away-hitting assistant head coach Dennis Springer square in the head and sending Bill Lynch to the ground in laughter. 

6:30-7:45 pm: Dinner

On the menu tonight: pizza, pasta, and ice cream. The players and coaches alike seem very happy practice is done for the day. 

7:45-8:45 pm: Offensive staff meeting

The offensive staff gets together one more time to look at tape from the day’s afternoon practice, and they like what they see, particularly from the running backs and wide receivers. They discuss some things that need to be worked on the next day, and proceed to the next meeting.

8:45-9:15: Full team meeting

To wrap up the day, the team gathers in the team room for a special guest speaker, who got the team riled up with visions of the best Indiana football team there ever was for 2009. They also watch a tape of Springer’s head meeting the football from the afternoon, sending the room into bursts of laughter. 

The meeting breaks, and the team heads off to enjoy their hour of down time until lights out, and the process starts all over again.