NORMAL, Ill. – The long wait came to an end Monday morning for the Illinois State football team, as the Redbirds' 2017 season got underway with the first practice at Hancock Stadium.
Dressed in new practice jerseys and shorts, the Redbirds took the field for the first time as a complete unit to go through the first of six practices this week. Head coach Brock Spack called his team up at midfield after completing their usual pre-practice stretching routine and challenged his squad to play with a high tempo and with good technique.
The practice began with a usual special teams circuit focusing on kickoff coverage tackling technique, while punt returners caught kicks from the Redbird punters. A quick blitz drill followed and the offense looked crisp throughout, getting the ball out quickly and not taking very many sacks. The defense ramped up the pressure, as James Graham recorded an early sack while a quick throw from Tristan Smith resulted in a pass breakup by linebacker Brannon Barry.
Following individual position drills, the second of two 7-on-7 sessions began with Jake Kolbe completing a pass in the flat to fullback Jake Hendershot for a 10-yard gain. Kolbe finished the session 5-for-8 with connections to both of his primary tight ends Michael Clements and Tylor Petkovich and a deep shot to wide receiver Christian Gibbs. Smith also found Clements for a pair of grabs while going 3-for-5, and Malachi Broadnax was also 3-for-5 with passes to running back Markel Smith and fullback Tim McCloyn out of the backfield. Redshirt freshman defensive back Jarrell Jackson had a solid effort the defense as well, breaking up a pair of pass attempts during the drill.
After a quick perimeter drill, the team split sides of the field to work during the team session. Running back James Robinson got the offense off to a quick start with a 15-yard run right out of the game, but the defense fought back on the next play when middle linebacker Bryce Holm swatted away a pass intended for Robert Gillum. Kolbe then connected with Petkovich on a 15-yard gain along the far sideline and later found Spencer Schnell for a 30-yard gain.
The defense settled down quickly, as Tuvone Clark added a TFL when he stopped Robinson in the backfield and Barry followed with a stop behind the line of his own just a few plays later. Two deep connections from Kolbe to Anthony Fowler, the second for over 40 yards, swung the momentum briefly in favor of the offense, before breakups by Barry and Davontae Harris left the defense feeling good as the period came to an end.
Kickers Sean Slattery and JT Bohlken wrapped things up with a field goal session, before the horn sounded to end the first practice of the fall. The Redbirds return to the field Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. for practice No. 2, which will be followed by the team's annual Media Day beginning at noon at Hancock Stadium. For live practice updates, photos and video follow the official Redbird Football Twitter account @RedbirdFB and log on to GoRedbirds.com for full coverage throughout the fall.
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