Since Aug.9 the members of the VSU football team have been hitting the same opponent—their teammates.
On Sept. 4 that will change when the Blazers welcome the Wingate Bulldogs to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium to begin the 2010 season.
“We are ready. I am fired up,” running back David Arnold said. “I keep it fired up (at practice) though. I challenge the defense a lot just to keep the practice intense. It is just going to be nice though to hit someone else.”
The Blazers will spend the nine remaining days until the season opener preparing for the Bulldogs by focusing on the smaller details that come along with the game of football.
“The biggest thing we have to work on is preparation and just getting in and watching the film,” senior linebacker Larry Dean said. “Just following the game plan and sticking to the plan of coach (Cauthen) and coach Dean and just doing the little things.”
Since the break of camp, the Blazers have experienced high intensity practices; something many believe is a good thing.
“We keep the intensity up because the more intense you are, the more ready you are to go,” Arnold said. “The more you are ready to go, the better you will be and there will be more that you get out of practice.
“If you’re intense and you are going after each other—not to hurt anyone— but just to make everybody better and to just beat the guy on the other side of the ball then you’re going to get better and we are going to be ready and be super intense (in the games),” Arnold said.”
Despite losing quarterback Russ Callaway to a torn ACL during the first scrimmage of the pre-season, the Blazers have experienced just minor injuries and concussions throughout the majority of camp. With the loss of Callaway for the season, VSU head coach David Dean feels as though redshirt junior quarterback Jimmy Coy has taken then proper steps in leading the offensive unit for the upcoming season.
“(Coy) has stepped in there and has done everything we have asked of him,” Dean said. “He has been out here and everyday he is getting better and better. He is getting more reps because Russ is out and you can see that is helping.”