Red-White game concludes spring practice

Coach Cam Cameron said it isn't often a college football coach gets 15 "excellent" practices out of his team during the spring.\nHe also said his Hoosiers have a shot at making it 15-for-15 Saturday at the Red-White Spring Game.\nIU began spring practice March 21 and will conclude its spring training Saturday with the spring game, its final NCAA-allotted practice. Cameron said he has been pleased with what he's seen so far.\n"We can honestly say, assuming we can play as well as we can in the spring game, we've had 15 excellent practices," Cameron said. "Not one time have we as a staff had to go out and really get after them.\n"I haven't been around many teams that have been able to maintain that for 15 practices. We've had good attitudes in the past, but this team has a chance to have one of, if not the best, attitudes since we've been here."\nCameron said those good attitudes have been complemented by improved play, namely on the defensive side of the ball, where the Hoosiers are "significantly better."\nThe defense has been challenged this spring by an inexperienced offense.\nJuniors Tommy Jones and Gibran Hamdan have been battling for the starting quarterback spot since senior Antwaan Randle El changed positions. Randle El began practicing with receivers this spring and will primarily play that position in the fall.\nThe addition of Randle El to the receiving corps will help balance a lack of experience by other returning receivers; only two of IU's returning receivers played a game last season.\nOne of those two, senior Henry Frazier, said a big difference this spring has been the team's physical play.\n"We were physical last spring, but this spring, we put a lot of emphasis on being physical," he said. "Our defense is hitting more than they've ever been hitting. Our offense is making more plays. I think we're looking way more physical than we did last year."\nStill, 15 solid practices and physical play doesn't mean IU is in perfect form heading into this summer.\n"We've had a little struggles here and there," Jones said. "We've just got to get timing down. We have to start thinking more. We've got to be out there looking for things to happen instead of just thinking it's going to happen because it happened before. The last practices have been a little both ways, good and bad."\nThe Red-White game gives IU one final chance to fix the bad, and it provides a game situation to do so.\nThe Hoosiers have played three Saturday scrimmages thus far, and all have been played in a game environment and refereed by Big Ten officials.\n"You utilize those Saturdays to let the guys get game experience," Cameron said. "Sometimes, you have to turn them loose and let them play"