Murray State University Athletics
Murray State Football Preseason Practice #2
8/7/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
The Murray State football team completed their second of their 22 practices today, at the practice field behind Stewart Stadium at 3:35 p.m.
Today marked the second straight day the Racers practiced in a 100-degree heat index, and head coach Matt Griffin stressed the importance of hydration at the conclusion of practice, around 5:40 p.m.
The quarterbacks worked on throwing the ball on the run, shuttling from side-to-side before throwing to a streaking receiver. They also performed a slant drill, where the receiver would start out with his left side facing the quarterback, then the quarterback would lead the receiver at a 45 degree angle. The next drill was multiple fade routes, where the quarterbacks would roll after a fake hand-off and hit the receiver with a pass just before the receiver would step out-of-bounds.
The running backs, fullbacks, and tight ends worked on upper body strength under assistant coach Carl Mintken, beginning a drill on their knees and using their hips to grab a pad held by a player and extend their arms to drive the players backward.
The offensive line also took part in a similar drill, using their momentum to drive back a player from their knees. The offensive line also worked on double teaming and getting in the right position to block both players coming at them at once.
On the defensive side of the ball, the safeties and linebackers worked on reading the quarterback, played by defensive coordinator Rich Nagy, and judging where the throw would be located by judging the quarterback's elbow and arm.
The defensive backs worked on staying in-bounds after an interception, as they would outjump their counterpart to catch a pass from assistant coach Kenyatta McCoy and try their best to land in-bounds.
The defensive line's agility was tested during a drill where the players would shuttle around five pads, keeping their eyes up and trusting their feet.
Another drill performed by the defense was one player running from a set of three cones at an angle towards one cone, where another player awaited and tried to prevent him from touching the cone with his hand.
Special teams were also busy today, working on getting on and off the field under pressure of a dwindling play clock and getting properly set up and getting the punt off in time to avoid a delay of game penalty.
The Racers will hit the practice field again Wednesday for a 3:35 p.m. practice. They return to the field Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m., before a scrimmage at 6:45 p.m. at Stewart Stadium. This will be the first chance for the fans to see the newly-installed FieldTurf that was put down over the summer.
Murray State opens its 83rd season of college football on Aug. 30 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, where they will face the University of Louisville Cardinals. Kick-off time is set for 6:30 p.m.
