As the Colonel football team heads into the final two games of the season, there is plenty of evidence of the battles they have gone through. Many players around campus bear the wounds of these battles, donning crutches and slings. The football team has had to adjust with losing players during games; some injuries have put them on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

“It’s two things, we’re snake bit a little bit, and sometimes I feel like we could prepare our bodies a little bit better,” head coach Charlie Stubbs said.

College football is a demanding sport, and injuries are bound to happen. The Colonels have had their share, missing many starters from the beginning of the season.

“In our sport, you try to prevent everything and practice properly, but sometimes you’re just snake bit,” Stubbs said. “I think the injuries have come in droves this year. We are not very deep to start off with, and unfortunately they have come at positions where we don’t have any extra players.”

Stubbs and the coaching staff have taken measures during the week in preparation for games by dialing back the physicality during practice.

“Right now, we have gone to half the pads, and on Thursdays, we’re just going out in jerseys,” Stubbs said. “When it hits this point, you don’t need to bang all the time, so about two weeks ago, we backed off from that to keep them fresh.”

“It is especially tough when you lose one of your leaders,” Stubbs said, noting the absence of Jesse Turner from the past two games. Turner is currently the leading rusher on the team with over 600 yards and has not played since McNeese State.

All athletes assume the risk of becoming injured, but that rarely crosses their mind during games and practices.

“When a kid gets injured, I always draw it to their attention that maybe they played their last play, for the year or their career,” Stubbs said. “The biggest thing I tell them all the time is that you never know when it could occur, so play everything to the fullest.”

When asked about additional ways to prevent injuries, Stubbs looks to the summer months and off-season preparation.

“We need more of a commitment from our guys during the summer months,” Stubbs said. “The more that I can get them here where they can train in the summer, the more physically ready they will be for a tough season.”

The Colonels will wrap up the 2010 season with a pair of games against in-state rivals Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. The Colonels will travel to Natchitoches this weekend to take on the Demons before returning home to Guidry Stadium on Thursday night to host the Lions in the 2010 edition of the River Bell rivalry.

“I’m coaching these next two games according to what our kids are capable of doing,” Stubbs said.