TROY, Ala. – The Troy State football team worked for two hours in full pads on Tuesday afternoon, focusing on fundamentals as they prepare for Wednesday night’s final preseason scrimmage.

The scrimmage is set for 6:30 p.m. at Richard M. Scrushy Field and is free and open to the public.

"(The players) weren’t as excited today as they will be tomorrow night," Troy State head coach Larry Blakeney said. "But that is to be expected. They have been in classes for a couple of days now, so they have been a little preoccupied. We expect a lot better effort when they get out there full speed."

Blakeney said he wasn’t displeased with Tuesday’s workout, but he added that he thought effort was lacking in several areas offensively.

"We need to catch the ball better, but passing is a lot more than just catching," he said. "It involves every area and every player on the field. It takes all 11 to make it work properly."

He was pleased, however, with the continued improvement of several freshmen, most notably quarterback Hansell Bearden of Cairo, Ga., and defensive back Derrick Ansley of Tallassee.

"They continue to look good out there," he said. "They are definitely going to have an impact this fall."

Blakeney said that returning starter Brock Nutter is still running as the leader at quarterback, followed by senior Ryan Shirley, sophomore Derek Bynum and redshirt freshman Uyl Joyner. A redshirt is still a possibility for Bearden, but Blakeney said he will not make that decision until after the season starts.

TROJAN NOTES: The Trojans will hold their annual Fan Day at Richard M. Scrushy Field on Sunday, Aug. 27. The event begins at 3 p.m., with free ice cream and cokes for all fans and free T-shirts for children 14 and under . . . Football Appreciation Night will be held Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Troy. Several items will be auctioned off at the event, which benefits the TSU football program. For more information, call Marcus Paramore at (334) 670-3480.