University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Football Practice Report: August 8
8/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Venue: Joe P. Park Practice Facility
Format: Shoulder Pads and Shorts
Upcoming: Practice (8 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9)
Report: Southern Miss transitioned into shoulder pads and shorts for its third practice of fall camp here Monday and also took advantage of an overcast sky which helped keep the normally hot summer temperatures in check during the 2 ½ hour workout. The Golden Eagles opened the day with special teams periods, and then continued to put in their schemes for the remainder of the practice that included individual and team periods.
Head Coach Jay Hopson
On the day's practice...
"I thought we had a pretty good day today. We executed pretty well. Still, it was the third day of summer and still have to keep executing better and doing things better, but I thought we worked today."
On the No. 2 quarterback spot...
"That's going be a battle all the way up until game day. Certainly Nick [Mullens] is the starter right now, but that two spot, that thing is up for grabs. Keon [Howard] worked twos the other day. It's just a battle. Don't read into that. There's nothing really into that right now."
On the team's execution during the day...
"I thought we had some good energy. We had some good communication. I thought it was a good day today. Just gotta keep building.
Julian Allen, Junior, TE
On the first days of practices:
"It's going well, I mean we are getting after it. It's everything you can expect from the first couple of days of practice and we're getting after it. It's going to work real well; offense and defense."
On being healthy heading into camp:
"It feels great. Last year, I had two big injuries that held me out and now that I get to finally be out there with my teammates; play and participate and just give everything I have to make this team as good as we possibly can be. It's a great feeling."
On the Tight End Role having a bigger emphasis with the offense this season:
"Absolutely. It's great. As a tight end you want to get the ball but sometimes you have to block; it's a part of the game. You have to block and do everything possible to put your team in the best position to win games. That's just what comes with it."
Wil Freeman, Senior, OL/DL
On how his fall camp has been so far...
"They're going great. The transition has been a lot better than the spring, and we had the whole summer to work on that. I feel a lot more comfortable."
On his injury and transition to the opposite side of the ball...
"I came back in the spring and started off at left tackle. My leg really did a lot better. Doctor Line and our trainer, Todd McCall, did a fantastic job. I sprung back a lot quicker than I thought I would. Last year I thought would be my senior year, and the offseason was really sudden. As soon as we hit the summer, it's been a non-stop roller coaster pretty much. It was hard watching from the sidelines last year. I was real proud of what the team did last year, but it instilled a hunger in me to get out there."
On if there's any feeling going from offense to defense...
"Different. It's a lot different. I have to be a lot more controlled and calm than I was on defense, when it was all about emotional with raw power. Offense requires a lot more thinking."
On the team's lofty goals for the coming season...
"It's just our next level. We've had success, and now we have to build on it. There are a lot of guys we don't have from last year, like Casey Martin, Jalen Richard, Mike Thomas, and a lot of other big-time contributors. We need to step in and fill the gaps."
Tickets: Season tickets for the 2016 Southern Miss home season can be purchased by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-844-TICK (8425) as well as visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Center on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
