The UND Drive Blog will provide an inside look at the 2011 Fighting Sioux fall camp that begins on Wednesday, Aug. 3. Before UND can begin its first official drive of the season vs. Drake on Sept. 1, the team will spend 29 days on a different kind of a drive as the Sioux will work hard to reach the common goal of being the best-prepared team at the Alerus Center on that Thursday evening against the Bulldogs and each subsequent game that follows.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The first two-a-day practice of fall camp is in the books for the Fighting Sioux football team as the players practiced for the final time before going live during Thursday's session.
Senior safety Justin Belotti caught up with the UND Drive blog following the second scrimmage and said the team is continuing to progress. "Camp has been good," the Kenosha, Wis., native said. "There has been a lot of give and take on both sides as the coaches have said. This morning's practice started out on a high level for (the defense), but ended on a little bit of a lower note and ended well for the offense."
Team drills in the morning session featured the first red zone work for both sides of the ball and the offense did produce a trio of touchdowns, including a bootleg scamper by senior quarterback Brent Goska (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) and a nice pass-and-catch from Joey Bradley (Issaqua, Wash.) to Blair Townsend (Coon Rapids, Minn.) on a crossing route. The session ended with the best play of the day, a one-handed grab by senior Drew Daggett (Frazee, Minn.) on a fade pass from Goska.
Daggett's grab sparked the offensive sideline, but redshirt freshman Derrick Dulaney (Oak Creek, Wis.) put somewhat of a good taste back in the mouth of the defense as he intercepted the final pass of the morning practice.
After about a three-hour window that included scaled-down conditioning, lunch and position meetings, the squad was back on the field for the second practice of the day.
Belotti said there were signs of some tired legs, but no one is feeling sorry for themselves. There was a little ribbing of the true freshmen experiencing the initial two-a-day practice of their collegiate careers, but the upperclassmen are taking care of the newcomers as best they can.
"We are all working together," he said. "They are asking a lot of questions, and that is good. We're just trying to help them out as best we can."
After going in full pads for the morning session, the team practice in just helmets and shoulder pads for the second go-around.
News and Notes
-The Sioux coaching staff stresses that this football team is a family and any chance they have to incorporate their own families and get them around the players, they try to do just that. And, after the second practice of the first two-a-day of fall camp the players were greeted with popsicles from the children of the coaching staff.
-The temperature was hovering in the upper 80s throughout, so the cold treats were especially appropriate today. Bradley, the JUCO transfer from Washington, was vocally pleased with the popsicle, admitting he never knew a popsicle could taste so good.
-The special teams' emphasis of the day was on the punt return. Four different Sioux took turns receiving punts from junior Brett Cameron (Winnipeg, Manitoba). The quartet included: R.J. McGill (Phoenix, Ariz.), Jake Miller (Bismarck, N.D.), Daryl Brown (Plymouth, Minn.) and Jer Garman (Marion, Iowa).
-Thursday's practice will conclude with the first live session of fall camp for the players. Head coach Chris Mussman said the team would run about 30-40 plays to help prepare for Saturday's first scrimmage. Practice starts at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday.
