JACKSONVILLE - Head football coach Jack Crowe was pleased with the Gamecocks‚
first practice in shoulder pads and he stressed a priority in the running game
this season following Sunday's practice.

Jax State practiced for almost 2 1/2 hours in shoulder pads and helmets as
temperatures topped 90 degrees Sunday afternoon.

"We put shoulder pads on and had some kind of semblance of football," said the
ninth year head coach. "We were able to get into football situations. There
looked like there was some play making things that were happening, even though
it wasn‚t live."

Crowe said he was pleased with the work of the offensive line on Sunday.

"To me, the priority is getting back to having a running game. Along those
lines, it looked like the offensive line was in control, knew what they were
doing and communicating well," added Crowe. "It wasn‚t live, but it looked like
they had their bodies in the right place to make blocks when their time comes."

The Gamecocks return to the practice field at 7:45 p.m. the next two days, due
to summer classes. Jax State will work in pads for the first time on Tuesday,
but Crowe said some of the players are going to have gain intensity during the
preseason workouts.

"I thought we still had some guys who don‚t quite know what is expected of them
in terms of maintaining intensity and some were in junior college last year,"
said Crowe. "We have a certain expectation of a player and a tempo of practice
and the intensity of practice. Some of these guys, even though they are good
football players with the right intentions, I think it‚s a little more than
they are used to so we‚ve had to push them."

Jacksonville State opens the 2008 season on Thursday, August 28 in Atlanta
against Georgia Tech. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the JSU Athletic
Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499.