Tuesday, August 7, 2012

IU Quarterbacks – And All Hoosiers – Are Putting In The Time


What does it take to be a major college quarterback?

A lot of film work.

Take Tre Roberson, Cameron Coffman and Nate Sudfeld, the three contenders for Indiana’s starting quarterback job.

And, yes, if you believe the coaches, they are contending. Just because Roberson is the returning starter and Coffman (a JUCO transfer) and Sudfeld (a true freshman) have never played in a major college game doesn’t mean anything is locked up.

Anyway, beyond the two-a-day practices and meetings and weight room work going on in preseason camp, quarterbacks have to watch a lot of film – of practice, of their execution, of the defense, of opposing defenses.

“When you talk about how many hours a day does it take,” assistant offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns said, “I’m not sure of an exact number, but typically if you’re on the field for four hours, you should spend twice that much time watching film.

“It’s a big commitment on their part, but it’s the things you have to do to be great. Our kids know that and are willing to do that.”

What do quarterbacks look for on film?

“Every time we watch defenses and coverages,” Johns said, “we’re always looking for safties and keys in the linebackers to tip us off on what the coverages are.”

Johns said that type of commitment is coming from all the players at all positions as the Hoosiers look to make a big jump after last year’s 1-11 record.

“We as coaches came back off the road in January from recruiting, and our team was different,” he said. “It wasn’t anything the coaches did. The kids made a decision they had had enough and were ready to do everything they could to compete and fight and win a championship. They deciced they’re ready to go.”

The going starts Sept. 1 against Indiana State.



*****


So now we know that Indiana will open with North Dakota State on Nov. 12 in the first round of the Legends Classic. The Hoosiers will follow with Sam Houston State on Nov. 15. Both games are set for Assembly Hall.

After that they will head to Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Barclays Center where they will play Georgia on Nov. 19. The next day they will play either UCLA or Georgetown.

UCLA will likely be a top-5 team, IU, of course, is a preseason No. 1 by a lot of experts.


*****

So what do we make of the recent inadvertent tweets by Tom Crean that seemed a little, well, odd?

Not much. Recruiting is non-stop communication and Crean, as every college coach in America, does a lot of it. That includes tweets. Some are witty and insightful. Some are silly. And some are, well, not meant for public consumption.

Crean’s first tweet went as follows: "I am doing great. I have been thinking about you alot since last weekend. A whole lot. How are you doing?"

He quickly realized that what was meant for just a recruit went viral. He deleted it, then sent a pair of tweets to clear up any rumors or odd ideas.

The first said, "Sorry. That was to a new recruit. Wish I could tell you who. Sent it by mistake. Don't panic. Lol."

Then, he tweeted that, "My wife and daughter are laughing at my lack of ability to use technology. Sorry purdue fans, it's not what you want to think."

If you’ve ever tweeted or texted, you know how easy it is to hit the wrong button or let spell check turn words and names into bizarre statements. Also you often do it in a rush, which means they’re not always the most well thought out of messages.

Yes, even sports writers, who are paid to know everything, sometimes mess up in stories, columns and blogs.


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