Photo by: SFA Athletics
SFA Football Fall Camp Report | Running Backs
8/15/2018 5:42:00 PM | Football
‘Jacks complete third practice of week, return to afternoon session
The 2018 Stephen F. Austin football season is just around the corner and the Lumberjacks have begun fall camp, beginning the countdown to the 92nd season of Lumberjack football in Nacogdoches. Throughout the preseason camp, SFAJacks.com will break down each position or area of the team, this evening highlighting the running backs.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team began the second half of its 2018 fall camp Wednesday afternoon with the Lumberjacks' 11th practice of the preseason. For the third time this week, SFA took to the pair of grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse and returned to working out in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts.
In sultry conditions the 'Jacks took on a 20-period practice as the offense looked for improvement after too many turnovers Tuesday. SFA began with its usual positional drills and pre-practice warmup before spending three periods on special teams with a focus on punt returns. Taking part in open field tackling and blocking drills, the 'Jacks got quite physical with wide receivers and defensive backs going one-on-one and running backs matching up with linebackers. Both offensive and defensive players in each unit showed their grit and strength in attempting to outpower the other.
Following working on the inside run with linemen, quarterbacks and running backs, SFA completed 20 skeleton third down and red zone plays without the offensive and defensive lines. The 'Jacks then got together as a team to run 32 full plays with all personnel. A set of 12 second-and-seven running plays were ran first, followed by eight second-and-seven pass blitz pickup plays and 12 first-and-10 and second-and-six running plays.
The afternoon practice came to a close after a brief few words from interim head coach Jeff Byrd and positional meetings with each group's assistant coach.
"It's going good, we're still getting better," junior running back Jamall Shaw said following Wednesday's workout. "I mean there's a few things we need to work on but we only get better every day so it was a successful day."
"The running back group, we've got a bunch of dogs back there," commented Shaw on what makes him most excited about the offense this fall. "We've all got different styles so it's fun to come out here and watch each other work. The quarterbacks and wide receivers are all clicking, I think it's going to be a big year for the offense. We just want to go out there and give it our best every day and get better."
Running Backs
SFA will look to find a replacement for recently graduated Kijana Amous, who led the rushing attack in 2017. Amous proved to be the 'Jacks leading rusher a season ago as he racked up a team-high 639 yards on the ground on 139 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 58.1 yards per game. SFA will have plenty of options and will be deeper at the position this fall.
Junior Jamall Shaw, who was the Lumberjacks' second-leading rusher in 2017 with 266 yards on 77 carries, is set for a breakout season along with speedy sophomore Josh McGowen. Accumulating 362 all-purpose yards and averaging 40.2 all-purpose yards per game, McGowen rushed 33 times for 129 yards last fall. Redshirt freshman Dominic Williams used his redshirt season a year ago but proved he can do some damage during spring camp and has been impressive during the preseason.
A trio of newcomers join Shaw, McGowen and Williams in the backfield as junior transfers Jae'Lon Oglesby and Thomas Hutchings both could take reps in the first game of the season. Oglesby comes to Nacogdoches from American Athletic Conference member Memphis where he had quite an impressive true freshman season, racking up 814 all-purpose yards, including 588 yards on 25 kickoff returns. Hutchings has been with the program since the spring and turned many heads during spring workouts, he continues to showcase his skills during fall camp.
Rounding out the newcomer running backs is the lone true freshman of the group, Tycen Thompson (Ennis).
"There's a lot of different running back styles out here," Hutchings said Wednesday. "It leads to great competition and it puts me in a position where I can learn a little bit from everybody. Our chemistry is great, we're always eating together, laughing and joking around. It's just a great group."
Fall Camp Continues
With nine practices remaining, SFA will host back-to-back morning sessions Thursday and Friday at 8:15 a.m. on the grass. The 'Jacks will practice in shells Thursday before working out in just helmets, jerseys and shorts Friday. Saturday morning, SFA will head into Homer Bryce Stadium for its second scrimmage of the 2018 season.
With the exception of the Lumberjacks' three intra-squad scrimmages, all practices will take place on the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse.
The complete fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
Practice #12 | Thursday, Aug. 16 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #13 | Friday, Aug. 17 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Helmets
Scrimmage #2 | Saturday, Aug. 18 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #15 | Sunday, Aug. 19 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #16 | Monday, Aug. 20 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #17 | Tuesday, Aug. 21 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #18 | Wednesday, Aug. 22 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #19 | Thursday, Aug. 23 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #3 | Friday, Aug. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Fans and supporters of SFA athletics will have the chance to meet the Lumberjack football team at the 38th annual Meet the 'Jacks held Tuesday, Aug. 21. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Hotel and is sponsored by the Fredonia Rotary Club. The 2018 SFA football team will be introduced by position, followed by a first-hand look at this season's intro video. The 'Jacks will also be available for photos and will be signing autographs on SFA's posters.
Week One
The 'Jacks open up their 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Southeastern Conference mainstay Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. SFA hosts NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
SFA Football Season Tickets
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team began the second half of its 2018 fall camp Wednesday afternoon with the Lumberjacks' 11th practice of the preseason. For the third time this week, SFA took to the pair of grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse and returned to working out in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts.
In sultry conditions the 'Jacks took on a 20-period practice as the offense looked for improvement after too many turnovers Tuesday. SFA began with its usual positional drills and pre-practice warmup before spending three periods on special teams with a focus on punt returns. Taking part in open field tackling and blocking drills, the 'Jacks got quite physical with wide receivers and defensive backs going one-on-one and running backs matching up with linebackers. Both offensive and defensive players in each unit showed their grit and strength in attempting to outpower the other.
Following working on the inside run with linemen, quarterbacks and running backs, SFA completed 20 skeleton third down and red zone plays without the offensive and defensive lines. The 'Jacks then got together as a team to run 32 full plays with all personnel. A set of 12 second-and-seven running plays were ran first, followed by eight second-and-seven pass blitz pickup plays and 12 first-and-10 and second-and-six running plays.
The afternoon practice came to a close after a brief few words from interim head coach Jeff Byrd and positional meetings with each group's assistant coach.
"It's going good, we're still getting better," junior running back Jamall Shaw said following Wednesday's workout. "I mean there's a few things we need to work on but we only get better every day so it was a successful day."
"The running back group, we've got a bunch of dogs back there," commented Shaw on what makes him most excited about the offense this fall. "We've all got different styles so it's fun to come out here and watch each other work. The quarterbacks and wide receivers are all clicking, I think it's going to be a big year for the offense. We just want to go out there and give it our best every day and get better."
Running Backs
SFA will look to find a replacement for recently graduated Kijana Amous, who led the rushing attack in 2017. Amous proved to be the 'Jacks leading rusher a season ago as he racked up a team-high 639 yards on the ground on 139 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 58.1 yards per game. SFA will have plenty of options and will be deeper at the position this fall.
Junior Jamall Shaw, who was the Lumberjacks' second-leading rusher in 2017 with 266 yards on 77 carries, is set for a breakout season along with speedy sophomore Josh McGowen. Accumulating 362 all-purpose yards and averaging 40.2 all-purpose yards per game, McGowen rushed 33 times for 129 yards last fall. Redshirt freshman Dominic Williams used his redshirt season a year ago but proved he can do some damage during spring camp and has been impressive during the preseason.
A trio of newcomers join Shaw, McGowen and Williams in the backfield as junior transfers Jae'Lon Oglesby and Thomas Hutchings both could take reps in the first game of the season. Oglesby comes to Nacogdoches from American Athletic Conference member Memphis where he had quite an impressive true freshman season, racking up 814 all-purpose yards, including 588 yards on 25 kickoff returns. Hutchings has been with the program since the spring and turned many heads during spring workouts, he continues to showcase his skills during fall camp.
Rounding out the newcomer running backs is the lone true freshman of the group, Tycen Thompson (Ennis).
"There's a lot of different running back styles out here," Hutchings said Wednesday. "It leads to great competition and it puts me in a position where I can learn a little bit from everybody. Our chemistry is great, we're always eating together, laughing and joking around. It's just a great group."
Fall Camp Continues
With nine practices remaining, SFA will host back-to-back morning sessions Thursday and Friday at 8:15 a.m. on the grass. The 'Jacks will practice in shells Thursday before working out in just helmets, jerseys and shorts Friday. Saturday morning, SFA will head into Homer Bryce Stadium for its second scrimmage of the 2018 season.
With the exception of the Lumberjacks' three intra-squad scrimmages, all practices will take place on the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse.
The complete fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
Practice #12 | Thursday, Aug. 16 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #13 | Friday, Aug. 17 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Helmets
Scrimmage #2 | Saturday, Aug. 18 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #15 | Sunday, Aug. 19 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #16 | Monday, Aug. 20 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #17 | Tuesday, Aug. 21 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #18 | Wednesday, Aug. 22 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #19 | Thursday, Aug. 23 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #3 | Friday, Aug. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
- Practice time and location subject to change dependent on weather
Fans and supporters of SFA athletics will have the chance to meet the Lumberjack football team at the 38th annual Meet the 'Jacks held Tuesday, Aug. 21. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Hotel and is sponsored by the Fredonia Rotary Club. The 2018 SFA football team will be introduced by position, followed by a first-hand look at this season's intro video. The 'Jacks will also be available for photos and will be signing autographs on SFA's posters.
Week One
The 'Jacks open up their 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Southeastern Conference mainstay Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. SFA hosts NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
SFA Football Season Tickets
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
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