Fourth-and-blog

20 days to 2009 season opener

Posted by: Bob Asmussen

Monday, August 17, 2009 8:53 PM

Have I told you how much I hate lightning? A lot. More than a lot. Mega a lot. A lot squared. Off the charts a lot.

So, when the lightning was flashing around Camp Rantoul on Monday, I was looking for a rubber room. And hoping the Illinois football team wouldn't practice in it. And, they didn't. Ron Zook, who dealt with hurricanes at Florida, didn't send his guys onto the field until the coast was clear. Even better, when it looked a bit ominous toward the end of the sesssion, he cut practice a few minutes short.

The reality for college football teams is they have to get as much work in as possible. Once Illinois made a commitment to the workout, they couldn't add another session. NCAA rules mandate 29 practice opportunities before the opener. Zook, and every other coach in the America, isn't about to waste one of them.

Is it really necessary? Probably not. But coaches don't want to leave anything to chance. So, if you give them 29 practices, they are going to take 29 practices. Like timeouts in the first half, you don't get to save them for later.

The forecast calls for rain most of the rest of the week. Not a big deal as long as the lightning stays away. Or there's a rubber room nearby.

To read Day 21, click here

To read Day 22, click here.

To read Day 23, click here

To read Day 24, click here

To read Day 25, click here

To read Day 26, click here.

To read Day 27, click here.

To read Day 28, click here.

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