Georgia Southern Football Scrimmage and "Meet the Eagles" on Saturday
8/14/2010 2:34:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Football team heads to Paulson Stadium Saturday morning at 10 a.m., 21 days in advance of the season opener, to participate in its first full scrimmage of preseason camp. The Eagles finished 22 periods of practice on Friday afternoon in temperatures that flirted with the 100-degree mark.
Monken reminded the team that there is an opportunity to get better every day and that the road ahead would not be easier, but harder.
"I thought the defense practiced well the last few days," said Georgia Southern Head Coach Jeff Monken. "I'm really encouraged by their enthusiasm and their effort. There are some good things happening, (wide receiver) Tray Butler is getting better every day on offense. It was good to have (offensive lineman) Ryan Byrne back out there and we think he is going to be able to help us."
Saturday's scrimmage will pit the first-team offense versus the first-team defense and then continue through the second and third teams. Extra points, field goals and punts will be live, but the team will not handle kickoffs or any returns.
"I just hope we'll see some good on both sides tomorrow - (have) the defense make some plays, the offense make some plays, that will help the confidence of our team and help the confidence of each unit," said Monken. "We'll try and kick the ball some and get some live reps as well."
While defined periods of team scrimmage in previous practices have given the coaching staff a preview of what to expect, Saturday's sustained scrimmage will allow for more observation.
"We haven't had a practice where we have just dedicated it to a scrimmage and our guys need to get out there on the field, not have the coaches standing right behind them telling them what to do and correcting them on every play," Monken said. "They (the Eagles) need to just get out there and play a series. They need to be out there by themselves and see if they know where to go and see how hard they play on their own without somebody having to chase them around. It will be good for us to evaluate that."
HOT ENOUGH FOR YA?: With the temperature hovering at the 99 degree mark and a heat index of 115 degrees registered at the practice fields on Friday, the Georgia Southern athletic training staff continually monitors the players' temperatures. The daunting task of collecting that data is now as easy as carrying a handheld wireless device by Hothead Technologies.
Sensors installed in all the helmets, and positioned to make skin contact just above the right eyebrow, measure the brain blood temperature of a player within about one degree of the individual's core temperature. The sensors transmit temperature data back to the handheld device which lists on the screen each player's name and a corresponding color code.
If someone is not wearing their helmet, a temperature reaches a threshold or the sensor is not sending a signal, the handheld device notifies the trainers very quickly. The system cycles through all the sensors every 60 seconds.
"This has the potential to be a defining technology for Georgia Southern Football," said Head Football Athletic Trainer Robbie Jackson. "This is a tool that quantifies the objective data in preventing heat illness."
Georgia Southern is one of only a few collegiate programs using this technology.
ROSTER UPDATES: Junior Russell DeMasi (Savannah, Ga.), who had been assisting the video staff during the first 12 days of camp, was put back in a jersey by Coach Monken on Friday. DeMasi will help the Eagles at the quarterback position. Freshman quarterback Ezayi Youyoute (Wachula, Fla.), who suffered a foot injury on Thursday, will be evaluated continuously. Ryan Byrne (Woodstock, Ga.) returned to action Friday, the first time since suffering a concussion the week before.
MEET THE EAGLES: Several of Georgia Southern's fall sports teams will participate in a "Meet the Eagles" event next Saturday, August 14th, from 4-5:30 p.m. on Glenn Bryant Field at Paulson Stadium. Student-athletes and coaches from the Eagle football, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, cross country and the track and field teams will be present to promote their respective programs.
The event on August 14th will be the first opportunity for Georgia Southern fans to receive 2010 fall sports schedule posters and have the Eagle student-athletes and coaches autograph them. Not only will fans be able to snap photos of and with their favorite Eagles, they will also be able to take photos with Freedom, Georgia Southern University's live American bald eagle mascot. Fan favorite GUS and both Georgia Southern's all-girl and co-ed cheerleading squads will also be at Paulson Stadium for "Meet the Eagles." The University Store, with new items for the 2010 season, will be on site as well.
INDUCTION CEREMONY FOR HAM THIS WEEKEND - The Canadian Football Hall of Fame announced its 2010 inductees in February of this year, with former Georgia Southern All-American quarterback Tracy Ham to be honored for his contributions to the league. The ceremony to induct Ham and the other four members of the class, Bob Cameron, Don Narcisse, Elfrid Payton and Joe Pistilli, will be held this weekend, August 12-14 in Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The events in Regina include the unveiling of the profile bust of the inductees and jacket presentation as well as the Hall of Fame game between the Saskatchewan Roughrigers and British Columbia Lions. After festivities the last two days, the Hall of Fame dinner will be held on Saturday, August 14th at the TCU Centre in Saskatoon.
In his 13-year career in the CFL, Ham amassed 40,534 passing yards for seventh all-time in the league, completing 2670 of 4943 passes (54 percent) and accounting for 284 touchdowns. He added 62 rushing touchdowns to his career totals.
PRESEASON SHOW PREMIERES SATURDAY: Georgia Southern fans will get an up-close look at Head Coach Jeff Monken's first Eagle team during a special preseason edition of "Inside Georgia Southern Football" on WGSA-TV (CW-13) in Savannah. The 30-minute preview show will debut next Saturday, August 14, and air nine times prior to the Eagles' Sept. 4 season opener against Savannah State. "Inside Georgia Southern Football" will also be available on the www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com website.
Coach Monken will join host and former Eagle standout Terry Harvin to give an in-depth look at the 2010 Eagles and discuss all things Georgia Southern football. The preview show will also feature Georgia Southern Offensive Coordinator Brent Davis, Defensive Coordinator Brent Pry and Director of Athletics Sam Baker.
WALK-ON TRYOUTS: Students enrolled full time at Georgia Southern are invited to walk-on tryouts Monday, August 16th at 4:30 p.m. at the practice fields. Tryout participants must provide proof of a current physical (within six months of the date of the tryout), proof of insurance, and copy of class schedule with minimum of 12 hours coursework for Fall 2010 semester. Participants must be willing to comply with NCAA eligibility standards and must agree to and comply with the Georgia Southern drug testing policy.
