Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s football team will conduct its second spring scrimmage, 9:30am, Friday in Governors Stadium.
The scrimmage will feature Governors first-team offense against the second-team defense and the second-team offense against the first-team defense. With mandatory campus activities for freshmen taking place much of the day, almost no third-team scrimmaging will occur. In fact, the freshmen absence will limit the total play numbers run during the scrimmage.
Cannon has watched his team progress through each week of preseason camp, despite indoctrinating so many newcomers to the system. Of course, the camp has endured the normal peaks and valleys as the Governors prepare to open the season, 5:00pm (CT), August 31st, at Tennessee. He has attempted to prevent the preseason work from being laborious. The staff has conducted spirit drills at end of some practices in hopes of maintaining emotion throughout a long day.
“I had goals for each one of the weeks,” Cannon said. “The first week was to instill effort and discipline into the program so we could get off to a good start so we could maintain a great learning camp atmosphere.
“The second week was evaluating each of our players. I wanted our coaches to have the teaching portion done so we can say this can play or say this kid isn’t ready to play.
“Our third week we had a couple of different thoughts. One was to make sure our systems are in place for the whole season; evaluate what throws, what runs, what defenses, what coverages we should hang our hats on. Also, I wanted to make sure our players were not looking ahead. There is a tendency in third week of preseason camp to want the camp to be over so they can get to the games. If you do that you waste some time. We really have tried to instill in our players living in the now.”
Although the Governors lost two starters—defensive end Earnest Smith and guard Chris Hartman—during summer workouts, they have been able to avoid debilitating camp injuries. No major issues resulted from the team’s first scrimmage a week ago.
“Generally speaking we have been able to stay healthy because we have stayed off the ground,” Cannon said. “It has not been a super physical camp and that was on purpose. I don’t think we want beat ourselves up and I don’t think we want to go into Tennessee without our best players.”
