Central Michigan University Athletics
Competition Saturday Caps Second Week of Spring Practice
3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT Central Michigan head football coach Butch Jones stresses the importance of competition in his program.
The competitive spirit that exists within the program was on display during Saturday’s spring practice session at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Dubbed “Competition Saturday,” the practice pitted the offense against the defense in individual, group and team drill settings. A scoring system was put in place for each drill and the running score was posted on the scoreboard throughout practice.
The defense had built a considerable lead before the offense nearly rallied during the practice’s final period, a series of possessions in the red zone. A 20-yard touchdown throw from Dan LeFevour to Jeremy Wilson, a 1-yard touchdown run by Tyler Reed and an 11-yard touchdown run by Ryan Radcliff gave the offense a 74-73 lead.
The defense, however, stopped a screen pass to Bryan Schroeder short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal on the practice’s final play to secure a 75-74 victory.
“I really liked the way that we competed on both sides of the football today,” Jones said. “When you can create a competitive environment like we had here today, you learn a lot about your team. You learn who has that great competitive spirit and who is going to make plays with the game on the line and in a high-pressure situation.”
The 11-on-11 scrimmage periods featured scripted down-and-distance situations from different areas of the field. Paris Cotton provided the biggest gain of the day for the offense, shaking a tackle at the line before sprinting 60 yards up the middle for a touchdown.
Defensively, Dannie Bolden intercepted a pass on the first snap of the team session, while D.J. Scott (interception) and Armond Staten (fumble recovery) also generated turnovers.
Saturday’s practice concluded the second week of spring drills for the Chippewas. CMU returns to the practice field Tuesday morning.
Special Thanks: CMU’s football program hosted its third annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day prior to Saturday’s practice. Members of the football program personally invited their professors to the event, which was open to any faculty or staff member on campus.
Following breakfast, those in attendance had the opportunity to interact with CMU’s players and coaches, tour the football facilities and watch Saturday’s practice in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
“Obviously academics are first and foremost in our program, and we want to make sure the great faculty and support staff we have on this campus understands our appreciation,” Jones said. “This is a great day for us to get to know them better and for them to get to know us and understand a little more about our program. We’re all in this together, and we want to make sure they understand what we expect from our players in terms of going to class, succeeding academically and being good citizens. We have an extensive character education program for our players, and this event is an extension of that program.”
The competitive spirit that exists within the program was on display during Saturday’s spring practice session at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Dubbed “Competition Saturday,” the practice pitted the offense against the defense in individual, group and team drill settings. A scoring system was put in place for each drill and the running score was posted on the scoreboard throughout practice.
The defense had built a considerable lead before the offense nearly rallied during the practice’s final period, a series of possessions in the red zone. A 20-yard touchdown throw from Dan LeFevour to Jeremy Wilson, a 1-yard touchdown run by Tyler Reed and an 11-yard touchdown run by Ryan Radcliff gave the offense a 74-73 lead.
The defense, however, stopped a screen pass to Bryan Schroeder short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal on the practice’s final play to secure a 75-74 victory.
“I really liked the way that we competed on both sides of the football today,” Jones said. “When you can create a competitive environment like we had here today, you learn a lot about your team. You learn who has that great competitive spirit and who is going to make plays with the game on the line and in a high-pressure situation.”
The 11-on-11 scrimmage periods featured scripted down-and-distance situations from different areas of the field. Paris Cotton provided the biggest gain of the day for the offense, shaking a tackle at the line before sprinting 60 yards up the middle for a touchdown.
Defensively, Dannie Bolden intercepted a pass on the first snap of the team session, while D.J. Scott (interception) and Armond Staten (fumble recovery) also generated turnovers.
Saturday’s practice concluded the second week of spring drills for the Chippewas. CMU returns to the practice field Tuesday morning.
Special Thanks: CMU’s football program hosted its third annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day prior to Saturday’s practice. Members of the football program personally invited their professors to the event, which was open to any faculty or staff member on campus.
Following breakfast, those in attendance had the opportunity to interact with CMU’s players and coaches, tour the football facilities and watch Saturday’s practice in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
“Obviously academics are first and foremost in our program, and we want to make sure the great faculty and support staff we have on this campus understands our appreciation,” Jones said. “This is a great day for us to get to know them better and for them to get to know us and understand a little more about our program. We’re all in this together, and we want to make sure they understand what we expect from our players in terms of going to class, succeeding academically and being good citizens. We have an extensive character education program for our players, and this event is an extension of that program.”
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