It almost doesn't seem like that long ago that the Governors took the field at Fortera Stadium and downed Murray State in dominating fashion to close out the 2018 season.
At the same time, so much has happened since then, not the least of which is the hiring of a new football staff. Mark Hudspeth, who brings 14 years of head coaching experience to Clarksville, and his staff coached their first practice at Austin Peay, Thursday. And it was sure great to get back to football!
Keep it tuned right here on LetsGoPeay.com as we keep a running thread of all the exciting happenings of the next month of spring practices!
Practice 1 - March 14
You know Coach Hud was ready to go.
So was the rest of the staff
The Govs took the field as the sun began its decent behind the western facade of Fortera Stadium. A strong wind was howling throughout much of practice, at times turning outright gusty, but the Govs continued to put in the work.
The energy level was high as the Governors competed during team sessions and worked hard during individual drills. There are certainly improvements to be made after just one practice, but Hudspeth was pleased with the intensity and effort the guys brought to the field the first day.
Quoting the Governors
Head Coach Mark Hudspeth:
"I loved the energy, loved the way they attacked it. I would've liked to be a little cleaner considering we had some time to prepare for the first practice. If they will keep giving us the energy they gave us today, they will get better. They want to win. We have some guys that are working hard, we just have to work a little smarter."
"I thought, offensively, we have to improve on missed assignments. We really have to cut down on missed assignments: they really hampered our execution, so we have to improve in that area. Defensively, I thought for the most part we were in pretty good position today. We have to develop some depth because we're thin in some areas, but that's what spring ball is for."
Junior quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall:
"First day of practice – considering the circumstances with the changes in coaching staff and change in system – I thought it went decent. I think watching this practice after spring football is over, we're going to see how far we've come, for sure. I think, for the first day, we looked pretty good. We have to get in our playbooks a little more. We have to get everybody on the same page, but once we get everybody on the same page, we're going to start rolling."
"I thought, for the most part, we moved pretty fast. The coaches preach that we want to get to the line fast and go fast and not let defenses be able to catch their breath. I think the running backs and the receivers and the o-line, we lined up pretty fast and did what we were supposed to do with a great tempo. I think that's something we can for sure build on, but I know the offense is excited to get to know this new system and I think it can be really successful."
Junior safety Isaiah Norman:
"First day of practice, we came out with a lot of energy. I already feel the energy is way better than last year. There's always going to be a few kinks here and there on the first day, but it's the first day. I like what I saw today."
"The way we fought to get the football out, and the way we fought at the top of the routes (stood out to me). I feel an increase in the secondary this year thanks to our position coach, Coach (Dominique) Bowman. He's really teaching us the way of the DB, and a lot of guys are learning. It's tough coaching, but you get the same coaching in the NFL."
📸 Time
Check out photos from the first day of practice from our own Tyler Davis in this gallery.
Practice 2 - March 16
A surprise to no one, football coaches love coaching football. After the first taste of practice at Austin Peay, you know they were ready for Day 2.
The second day of spring practice started as a chilly late-morning affair, and as the sun continued to climb in a cloudless sky, the temperature began to heat up. And so did the tempo. The players have been talking about how they're noticing an uptick in the speed of practice.
Of course, head coach Mark Hudspeth wants to see it get even quicker, but a couple days in, there is no doubt the Governors are getting the work in.
There were quite a few spectators for practice as well, as Saturday served as the first Junior Day – an unofficial visit for high school juniors. A number of Austin Peay athletics officials and supporters, including Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison, were also on hand to take in the action.
Quoting the Governors
Safety Juantarius Bryant:
On his thoughts of the second day of practice:
"I feel like we're improving tremendously. We're getting better each and every day, step-by-step."
On the differences he's noticed in the first two days of practice:
"The energy and the will of everybody. I can see it in everybody's eyes that they want to get better. Nobody's lagging out here. Everybody is striving to get better each and every day."
On taking a leadership role with the safeties:
"I feel like I play a big role in the leadership position, but we have plenty of guys who can play."
Running back Prince Momodu
On the second day of practice:
"We've improved a whole lot, but we still have a whole lot to work on. We have an amazing offensive line in front of us, so we're just going to work off of them."
On what's stood out to him in the first two days of practice:
"The tempo has gotten a whole lot faster. It's better for us. We're going to work with it and we're just going to get deep in the play book over the weekend and get better next week."
On the running backs group:
"Each one of us works hard each and every day. We fight and make sure each one of us gets better, and we push each other to go to another level each and every time we come out here."
(Immediately after answering a few questions post-practice, Momodu got with offensive line coach Eddy Morrissey and began working on drills to improve his blocking technique)
📸 Time
Click here to see the entire gallery of Practice 2, courtesy of Tyler Davis
