Wake Forest Concludes Ninth Spring Practice
3/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson put the Demon Deacons through their ninth practice of the spring season on Tuesday morning at McCreary Field House.
Following Friday's first scrimmage of the spring, Clawson and his staff knew the squad might be a little sore.
"We went almost 140 plays," said Clawson of Friday's first scrimmage. "This is as sore as (they've been). I knew when I set the scrimmage, that this was the practice we were going to have to push them though a little bit.
"We have a bunch of young guys who I think after the scrimmage thought `Okay, that was a long scrimmage, I'm a little sore. I'd like today to be easy,' said Clawson. "It's never easy. Friday was the most plays they've ever played in college in a scrimmage or a game. Some of those guys had over 50 plays. That was Friday, (today) it's Tuesday, we've got to go again. It never gets easy. It's human nature. You get through something tough and you want to be able to relax and that's not college football."
Clawson pointed out to the assembled media a handful of veteran players that been setting outstanding examples for their younger teammates.
"(Linebacker) Marquel Lee has practiced at a really high level," said Clawson. "I really am excited about the way (safety) Cam Glenn is practicing. I liked the way (linebacker) Demetrius Kemp is practicing. I like the way (wide receiver) Chucky Wade is practicing. Those guys are everyday lunch pail, bring it guys."
Tuesday's practice consisted of a number of game-specific situations that the team may face once the regular season begins September 1 at BB&T Field vs. Tulane.
"We worked on coming out (of the end zone), we worked on 4-minute (drill). I just want to see us come out and be physical every day," said Clawson.
Over the Easter weekend, Clawson had a chance to review tape of Friday's first scrimmage of the spring.
"The one thing that stuck out to me was the amount of plays the offense made that were followed by a mental error," said Clawson. "I think of our first five or six first downs, the very next play we had a holding call, we had a procedure (call). It's like every time on offense we gained momentum by making a first down we then gave it up with an unforced error. Almost all of them were freshman. Steven Claude had two holds and an illegal procedure. We had a procedure on offense. It makes me feel better that ability-wise we're getting better but obviously there are some things we have to clean up. I felt on offense we moved the ball but we ended up with a lot of second and longs and third and longs. How'd that happen? Three holding calls, two procedures. Those are the things you've got to get cleaned up."
