Murray State University Athletics
Pannunzio also talks about grades at today's Football Media Day
8/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sometimes when you root for your favorite college team, you forget that the kids you are cheering for are not just athletes, but student-athletes. Today at Media Day, Racer head coach Joe Pannunzio displayed his pleasure with his team, gladly announcing the progress of the players over the past year.
"Our academic performance over a 365-day period includes posting the highest football grade-point average in the Ohio Valley Conference and the highest GPA in the history of Murray State football last semester," Pannunzio said. "In the summer courses, our players earned a 3.0 GPA. I've been coaching 22 years, and I've been a member of all kinds of championship teams and bowl game teams, and I've never been more proud of a team than I am this one."
The Murray State football team scored a 2.40 GPA in the Spring 2005 semester, an improvement over the 2.33 GPA it posted in the Fall 2004 term. The 2.33 GPA in Fall 2004 had been the highest for the football team until the Spring 2005 grades were released.
CAMP NOTES: Equipment manager Butch Dowty introduced a new drill today for the kickers. Long snapper Matt Radke would hike the ball to holder Ryne Salyer from a certain predetermined spot on or off the field, and in golf format, kickers Morgan Riley and Gary Crass would signal Pannunzio where to stand in order to advance closer to the goal posts. If Pannunzio caught the kicked ball, the next kick would be where Pannunzio caught it. If the kicker overshot Pannunzio, they only moved ahead five yards from the previous kick. The end of the game signified when one of the kickers would kick a successful field goal in the fewest attempts. Riley won the first game, and Crass held the edge in the second game until the kickers moved on to another assigned drill.
INJURY REPORT: The Racers received a scare yesterday when quarterback Ken Topps sprained his left hand. At first, the immediate thought was that it was broken, but X-rays showed it was just a sprain. Topps practiced today with no showing of soreness or pain. Defensive tackle Fabian Dean, a transfer from Missouri, sat out today with a sore neck, while wide receiver Akeem Lofton (groin), cornerback Stevie Chaney (dehydration) and wide receiver Rod Harper (hamstring) did not practice today.
DRILL BITS: The Racers focused on punt returns for the first time today, the first day the team wore full pads. Another drill performed today was an old-style drill called "Oklahoma," which tested the strength of the toughest guys on the team. The team also performed a "third-and-2" drill, where the defense had to hold the running back from gaining two yards on one play.
HAPPY CAMPERS: Two healthy Racers so far in camp have been Nathan Williams and Heath Wilson. Williams, who is from Murray, missed all of last season due to a hip injury, and Wilson has missed almost two full seasons with knee and shoulder injuries. Said Pannunzio at Media Day today: "There hasn't been a day so far where Nathan hasn't told me how much he enjoys being out there at practice. The other day, after Heath had made it through the third practice injury-free, all the players gave him a standing ovation in the locker room."
CHANGING TIMES: Junior Nate Moore has moved positions this spring, moving from fullback to defensive end. Moore isn't the only one learning a new position this season, as Bo Baxter (fullback to tight end), Keith McClain (linebacker to defensive end) and Dante Woods (linebacker to running back) have all learned new positions. Baxter looked great today in the board drills, McClain has the size and speed to become a pass-rushing threat, and Woods has become a reliable third running back behind Nick Turner and Chad Cook.
A FINE RECEPTION: A pair of receivers looked impressive today, with freshman DeAngelo Nelson showing tremendous poise and strength in the board drills and junior Trey Graham making a diving catch in a crowd of defenders.
