Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Enter Final Week of Training Camp
August 18, 2001 | Football
Aug. 18, 2001
Bowling Green State University junior running back Godfrey Lewis will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus on Wednesday and his playing status will be determined once doctors complete the procedure and assess if there is any further damage.
"Godfrey is a very special person and has worked extremely hard to play a big role for this team," said first-year coach Urban Meyer.
Lewis rushed for more than 1,200 yards in his first two seasons with the Falcons, but missed the majority of the 2000 season and was granted a medicial hardship due to a stress fracture.
FALCONS BATTLE IN MORNING SCRIMMAGE
Saturday marked the eighth day of training camp which included an early morning scrimmage. The following are comments from Coach Urban Meyer following the morning workout.
What is your overall assessment of today's scrimmage?
"As a coach you always get worried that the enthusiasm isn't there, but it was there early and from what they've just gone through in the two-a-days, I think they're just blown out."
"I'm disappointed in the lack of ...I'm used to a certain level of intensity. But we have a couple of guys not playing, and everybody's pretty tired, worn down."
"I understand they're blown out, I understand they're tired, I understand they're sore, but that's all part of doubles (two-a-day practices). We've just got to get a little more intensity when we get to scrimmage situations."
You've moved freshman Cole Magner from quarterback to wide receiver, you must really like his athleticism.
"He's going to be a really good player. All he does is catch the ball. All he does is make plays. He's going to definitely play this year."
Are there any other of the true freshman who could come in and have an impact?
"Keon Newson's a good player. He goes in and blocks a punt, he makes tackles, and he's a true freshman from Georgia. He's a really good player. It's funny, but football, it doesn't change. I might be in a different place than I was a year ago, but football doesn't change. The same guys that make plays in practice make them in scrimmages and make them in games. And he's a guy who makes plays."
"Magner is going to play, it looks like (wide receiver) James Hawkins will possibly play. Charles Sharon the other receiver made a couple of plays for us, it looks like he's going to play."
On defense you have Newson, for sure, and playing probably T. J. Carswell, and then Daniel Sayles - the three kids from Georgia - there's a good chance they're all going to play.
People ask a lot about Kurt Gerling, how is he doing?
"We're just being very cautious with Kurt, but it looks like he's doing very well."
Has anyone emerged to win the kicking job?
"As far as who our kicker will be, that will be a game-time decision. Still wide open. We're not good enough at kicker yet."
What about the rest of the special teams?
"Special teams are going well. I think we've got a great punter (Pat Fleming), we've got an excellent punt returner (Robert Redd)."
Your process for selecting captains this year was unique, how did it work?
"That's a player vote. And we did it differently, the first time I've ever done it this way. I made each kid tell me, to my face, instead of just writing it on a piece of paper - that's too easy. I wanted to hear why.I know these kids, but I really don't know them well enough. Still getting to learn them. When they voted for Ryan Wingrove, I wanted to hear why. I feel very good about their choices."
The weather has been milder the past week, as a coach is there a reverse concern that you are not having to prepare under more difficult conditions?
"When it's really hot, then you wish it wasn't because guys just get so run-down and guys lose so much weight it seems like it takes forever to get them back. I'm kind of excited, because we run them, we condition the same as we would if it was real hot. I think we're in good shape. I'm not too concerned about it - the heat in Bowling Green all summer has been here, as we've been working out, so I'm not too concerned. I know our first two away games, Missouri and South Carolina, it will be hotter than hot, but I think we'll be prepared for that, as best as we can be."
Any concerns?
"We've got to toughen up a bit, and I think we will, I think some guys are banged up. I'm expecting more from our defense. "
"I realize that we put them in some hard situations. The thing we did do is we put them in some red zone. We do a lot of red zone. I'm a firm believer that's where you win or lose games. When you get the ball down there - you have to score. So the defense has its backs against the wall. Very rarely do you drive the ball 80 yards - not many teams do that, maybe once a game. It's easy to start the ball at the 20 every time and then say the defense is playing great. I like to put it on the eight-yard line and make them stop somebody. Or put it on the 25 yard line and then say stop somebody, because that's where you win or lose. There was an unusual amount of scoring, but we also put them (the defense) in hard situations.
You are entering the final week of camp, what are your goals?
"I think it's time to regroup a little bit, get re-energized and now focus our sights on Missouri. Up until now we've been putting in offense, putting in defense and just trying to acclimate to the double days. It's a different tempo than they practiced at last year. My initial feeling is that I'm disappointed in the defense. There's far too many points - there's a lot of points being scored. And there's not this great execution of offense. It would be different if it was just guys making plays and this great execution, but there wasn't."
"The key now is to just get it back, get fresher legs, and that's all going to happen. And I've got to keep positive, too. I have to watch the tape, and it's never as bad as you think it is, never as good as you think. There were some good plays out there today. Some guys actually looked fast, some guys were really running around, early on the officials told me there was some great enthusiasm. But it dwindled because they're tired. The coaches are tired, everybody's tired - that's part of double days."
"Next week's going to be critical. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are going to be the most critical practices for this football team."
