Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Football Spring Practice Report
4/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
After spending the first hour of the morning workout inside the Indoor Athletic Complex, head coach Butch Jones took his squad outside to Kelly/Shorts Stadium, where it drilled for an hour in the sun and seasonal temperatures.
After heading outside, the team went full-contact during its 11-on-11 periods and the intensity on the field picked up noticeably.
“First off, it was good for us to be able to get back outside,” Jones said. “We had a chance to tackle, which is something we couldn’t do the last couple of practices. I liked our focus right from the start. It’s important for us to be able to do a lot of live situations, and being outside allows us to do that.”
Improving the running game has been one of the primary focuses for the offensive staff during spring drills, and Jones thinks he may have seen a breakthrough during Tuesday’s practice.
“I thought our running backs ran harder today with great pad level and an attitude to punish the defense,” Jones said.
As the Chippewas enter the stretch run of spring practice, Jones is clear in what he and his staff want to accomplish in the final two weeks.
“Aside from the spring game, we only have four practices left,” Jones said. “Every day it is critical that we continue to make major, major strides in physicality and mental toughness.”
Players of the DayThe CMU coaching staff selected Dan LeFevour (offense), Eric Fraser (defense) and Jonathan Lapsley (special teams) as its players of the day for Tuesday.
Radio Network Set for 2007 Season
The CMU Sports Network will consist of seven radio networks covering a population base of 8 million potential listeners in 2007. Fans will be able to catch all 12 CMU football games on the following stations:
WVFN-AM 730 – Lansing
WCHB-AM 1200 – Detroit
WJML-AM 1110 – Petoskey
WJNL-AM 1210 – Traverse City
WUPS-FM 98.5 – Houghton Lake
WFUR-AM 1570 – Grand Rapids
WCZY-FM 104.3 – Mount Pleasant
Upcoming Schedule
Five practice dates remain on the 2007 spring practice schedule. The Chippewas will return to the practice field Thursday morning, then conduct a situational scrimmage Saturday afternoon. Weather permitting, the team will work out in the stadium Saturday afternoon.
“It’s important for us to just get out and play football,” Jones said. “We’ll put them in a lot of situations in the scrimmage.”
Spring Game April 21
CMU’s annual spring football game, dubbed the Maroon-Gold Game, will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Spring Prospectus Available Online
CMU’s spring football prospectus is available online in .pdf format. Go the football page on cmuchippewas.com and click on the "2007 Spring Prospectus" tab.
