DAYTON – With students returning to campus and classes beginning on Wednesday, the University of Dayton football team broke up the routine of preseason camp this to do some campus community service on Friday, play a full scrimmage on Saturday and hold Media Day on Sunday.  

Dayton football was part of the volunteer contingent assisting the "Blue Crew" in moving UD's Class of 2023 into their dorms on Friday.  Saturday evening, the Flyers did a full-game situation scrimmage and then returned to Welcome Stadium for Media Day on Sunday.

The offense won the scrimmage by the score of 23-19.  UD's first two quarterbacks combined to go 10 for 12 passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns.  Jack Cook was four for five for 81 yards (including a 64-yard catch-and-run TD to tight end Adam Trautman), while Jack Albers completed six of seven for 132 yards (and scoring tosses to tight end Jay Vallie and H-Back Andrew Rothstein).

At the end of Media Day, Coach Rick Chamberlin took time to do a Q&A with DaytonFlyers.com.

DF.Com:  First off, tell us about camp is going so far.
Coach Chamberlin:  "Camp is right on schedule.  We have only been in camp nine days, so we are pretty much at the mid-point.  We're learning, we're better today than we were on Day One, but we still have a ways to go."

DF.Com:  How is the health of your team at this point? 
Coach Chamberlin:  "Good. With school starting, health-wise, I think it will help us.  Because we are not doing things throughout the day. The players are off their feet more, and if they need treatments, they can fit that around their schedule instead of around the camp schedule.  The other side of that, and a concern for us as a staff, is not for our team's health.  It is for our focus.  Classes are starting and that's important.  All of their classmates are back, there are a lot of things happening on campus with the start of the semester.  All of the focus is not just on football, and we still have a lot of work to do to be ready for the season."

DF.Com:  Talk about the weekend, from move-in, to last night's scrimmage and then today's Media Day. 
Coach Chamberlin:  "It's a great weekend for our players – freshmen through seniors.  Friday's the move-in day and we are happy to help the University of Dayton Community.  Some of our freshmen actually first meet some of the people on their floor by helping them move in.  And several of our players got to meet some of our alums on Friday, because they had their children coming to the University of Dayton this year.  I heard from three of our alums who said they enjoyed meeting our football players during the move-in and that they talked to them how much they enjoyed their time as a Flyer.

"Last night, our scrimmage went well. We had a great game-night feel to it and the intensity fed off that.  And then today, all of our families gathering together, getting pictures of their own players and those they have gotten to know over the years.  Parents came up to me and said "Coach this is our last picture day and it's gone so fast!"  It's a great day to come together, kind of take a breath as a program, and let our families reconnect with each other before we get into the thick getting ready for the season."

DF.Com:  Without the benefit of looking at film, it seemed like both teams were fairly sharp. 
Coach Chamberlin:  "We almost didn't have any penalties until we got to our last groups, our younger players.  And that's a good sign. We didn't have guys jumping offside, or lining up in illegal formations or holding or whatever it may have been.  That speaks to our focus.  The other thing is we didn't have any turnovers.  Defensively of course we wish we did, but our offense took care of the football and that was a good thing to see."

DF.Com:  From the spring game to now, it looks like the defense has gained some ground from where they were compared to the offense.  Is that true?
Coach Chamberlin:  "That's absolutely true.  In the spring, our offense was dominating our defense, and the defense has really improved.  They are closer now.  Some of the players we were playing last season and in the spring were probably a year away.  But they had talent and the opportunity to see the field.  Now they are a year older and more experienced and that is showing in their performance, and their growth."

DF.Com:  Any surprises or someone who has stood out in camp?
Coach Chamberlin:  "The one who has stood out to us is Andrew Holderer. Andrew was a tryout young man a couple of years ago.  He was at linebacker when he tried out and after that spring we told him we didn't think his position was at linebacker. So we moved him to H-Back.  Last year he was playing there on scout teams and all that.  He had a tremendous spring and he has carried that on, not just at H-Back but on special teams.  He will be on the field for us this year.  That's great to see for him, and great to be able to look at a player and see how much his hard work has paid off in his improvement."

The Flyers open the season at 17th-ranked Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 7.  Dayton's home opener is Saturday, Sept. 21 against Duquesne.  For ticket information, please visit DaytonFlyers.com.