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HomeSportsAustin Peay State University Football to scrimmage Saturday afternoon at Clarksville Academy

Austin Peay State University Football to scrimmage Saturday afternoon at Clarksville Academy

APSU Sports Information Office

Austin Peay State University Governors - APSUClarksville, TN – With new Governors Stadium completion still days away, Austin Peay State University’s football team will scrimmage for the first time, 3:00pm, Saturday, at the Clarksville Academy Sports Complex.

The 70-play-plus scrimmage will culminate the Governors first two practice weeks, including a week-plus of contact work. Clarksville Academy Sports Complex is located on Highway 48/13.

Austin Peay freshman quarterback Darrien Boone (4) breaks through for a rush against the Governors defense. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay freshman quarterback Darrien Boone (4) breaks through for a rush against the Governors defense. (APSU Sports Information)

“It is a great act of cooperation and support of what we are doing by Clarksville Academy to allow us to come out there to use their facility,” APSU coach Kirby Cannon said. “Certainly we loved that opportunity to (reciprocate) in their direction someday.

“(Clarksville Academy) Coach (Todd) Hood is an AP grad and he really supports us and our football program very much. We appreciate that.”

Cannon plans to scrimmage each of his three units approximately 24 plays. Those units went nine scrimmage plays each Thursday morning.

“Real evaluation comes in 11-on-11 play,” Cannon said. “We just gave them taste of it today to get rid of some of that glassy-eyed looks and ‘I forgot everything I learned in the last 10 days.’ Hopefully, we got some of that out of there. I saw some of it. Hopefully, we will have a better demeanor come Saturday.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDCaGWmatb4[/youtube]

“”The fact we went nine plays with each unit you want them to come back wanting more. You also want some of that first contact out of their system. Some of our freshmen looked like freshmen. They will do better come Saturday.”

Offensively, Cannon has been impressed with his quarterbacks’ abilities, led by junior transfer Trey Taylor, to administrate the game—something that was a shortcoming a year ago. It also has helped those quarterbacks—all but one (Timarious Mitchell) are new to APSU’s roster—to have a talented young receiver corps.

“The wide receiver corps—the freshmen group—has a chance to be outstanding,” Cannon said. “Each day it seems like one of them is being described as our top receiver. That is a good thing.

“I am happy with the development of our quarterback position but you really can’t evaluate that position until its live action.”

Defensively, the Governors are running the same scheme (5-2-5) in the past, but Cannon has taken over the coordinator duties himself, flanked by second-year coach Kyran Weaver (linebackers) and first-year coaches Brandon Jordan (line) , Leron Eaddy (secondary) and Ryan Ettinger (secondary).

“The defense is a work in progress,” Cannon said. “We tore it completely down in the spring and went to some very simple concepts—concepts of effort, intensity, physical play. The kids understand those are the most important things no matter how you line up on defense.

“I am happy with our ability to have a lot of defensive calls in. It is still to be determined if we can cover well enough to be able to increase our blitz percentage like we could like to.”

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