Aug. 16, 2008
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Kid’s Day Scrimmage photos from Saturday, Aug. 16
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Depth has not led to complacency among the University of Iowa football program, just ask Pat Angerer, Rob Bruggeman and Shonn Greene. All three Hawkeyes — who will be counted on heavily when the season officially kicks off in two weeks — say day-to-day battles for playing time have made the entire program stronger.
“I’m not worried about that,” said Greene, when asked if he was the team’s No. 1 running back. “We’re all working hard and competing and that’s the main goal. Everybody has to compete and I think that’s making us all better.”
Iowa held an open-to-the-public Kid’s Day Scrimmage this afternoon inside Kinnick Stadium, which delighted approximately 5,000 Hawkeye fans for two-plus hours.
“Competition isn’t a bad thing,” said linebacker Pat Angerer, who is in the mix at middle linebacker along with Jacody Coleman and Dezman Moses. “It brings out the best in everybody. It’s not necessarily a competition, rather than we’re all trying to improve and get better ourselves and help the team out any way we can.”
Bruggeman is a senior who is challenging for a starting position at center.
“The healthy competition between each of us really helps push people and helps get us better as a team,” he said.
Saturday marked the 16th of 29 preseason practices for the Hawkeyes. It was not one of their more crisp offensive exhibitions, but then again, few teams have had much success lately against the Iowa defense.
“I thought we were practicing pretty well as a team up through Tuesday,” UI head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We have work to do, that was pretty evident today.”
Ferentz reiterated that `a lot’ of starting positions are still open following the scrimmage. He also touched on the injury bug that has slowed the Hawkeyes in practice the past couple of days.
“We have too many guys out right now,” Ferentz said. “I feel a little bit like I did in the spring. It seems like we have more guys on the sidelines than on the field.”
On the third play of the scrimmage, Hawkeye fans received their first big reason to celebrate — a pass completion from Jake Christensen to a wide-open Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. The duo would hook up again on a dandy reception a few plays later. For Greene, who sat out the entire 2007 season while attending Kirkwood Community College, it felt good to return to the Kinnick grass.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “That was one of my main goals just to get back on the team. I just wanted to get back working out and being with the team. Never give up. You just have to keep going. Things happen, but you have to get back on your feet and keep going.”
Cornerback Bradley Fletcher and tight end Brandon Myers weren’t about to use the conclusion of the second week of training camp as an excuse for Saturday’s somewhat docile practice which was dominated by the defense.
“It’s part of camp,” Fletcher said. “Nothing is easy. You have to come and get your work done and that’s what matters.”
“Not everyone is going to be fresh,” Myers said. “There are a few bumps and bruises, but we have to fight through that and come out every day and put the pedal to the metal.”
Four of Iowa’s seven home games in have been announced as sellouts. Tickets remain available for the Hawkeyes’ season opener Aug. 30 against Maine, their date with Florida International the following weekend, and the regular season finale against Big Ten Conference rival Purdue. Discount-priced youth tickets are also available for the Maine and Florida International games. To purchase tickets online click HERE or call the UI Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800 IA-HAWKS.
“It’s unbelievable,” Angerer said. “How many sold-out games have we had? We appreciate every bit of it.”
To view 43 photos from Saturday’s Kid’s Day Scrimmage on hawkeyesports.com, click HERE .