With split practices, film study key for U of L football

The goal for Louisville football's first week of preseason camp was simple: Split the team up into newcomers and veterans to get both groups more on-field reps.

With more work, each player and each position group gets more hands-on experience through the re-installation of the playbook.

The team building is happening off the practice fields, in the film room and around campus.

"The older guys are helping us a lot," said freshman cornerback Trumaine Washington. "They stay with us after practice. In meetings they talk to us. The safeties, they talk to us, too."

Each position group has had on-going film study sessions this week as part of their preseason camp experience, which allows veterans like senior linebackers Deiontrez Mount and Lorenzo Mauldin to work with freshmen like Henry Famurewa.

They haven't watched film of future opponents, Mount said. They're solely focused on how they do their jobs. And for two outside linebackers who were defensive ends last season, watching film of old games and spring practices helps Mauldin and Mount, too.

"You have me and Lozo and we work with the outside linebacker group," Mount explained. "We have the new recruits and then young guys like Finesse Middleton, and we break down the playbook.

"You know it's really good for both of us. They come out of high school and they don't really know the terminology. We get them used to hearing it every day. And for us it helps to keep repeating it and teaching it."

Washington shook his head with slight disbelief when asked which defensive backs have helped the most.

"Andrew Johnson and Charles Gaines -- they know everything," Washington said. "They help me a lot. I'm looking up to them."

The team as a whole will scrimmage on Saturday, and practices will join together after that. There's another team scrimmage on Aug. 16.

And with new NCAA rules in place allowing more time for teams to work in the offseason, most of the newcomers were into their college routines before August camp started.

Still, this week's helped a lot.

"Those guys are further along than I was," Mount said. "It's a really good group of recruits."