NORFOLK, Va. – With preseason training camp ending this week and the season-opener at Toledo just one week away, Norfolk State head football coach Dawson Odums is encouraged by the direction his team is headed.

But more than just the Xs and Ox, Odums is most pleased by the intangibles of his group following its second full preseason scrimmage.

"I thought the biggest difference from the first to second scrimmage was just the effort," Odums said. "The enthusiasm, excitement and communication was much improved."

Those signposts allowed the Spartans to scrimmage for roughly 100 plays, approximately 20 more than the first scrimmage. Despite the increased workload, the Spartans' execution didn't suffer.

"We only committed one turnover on offense, so that's a great sign when your offense knows how to protect the ball," Odums said. "Now defensively we want to create more turnovers, but when your defense is going after the ball and your offense is careful to protect it, that's a good sign that mentally your team is doing what they're supposed to."

From an offensive standpoint, Odums highlighted the play of a couple of his wide receivers and his offensive line from the second scrimmage.

"I thought 'DK' (James) is really coming into his own and (Marcque) Ellington really caught the ball well," Odums said. "And as a unit, our offensive line improved tremendously in their effort and execution."

On the defensive side, Odums was pleased with the ability of his team to limit the big plays by the offense.

"Our communication and our run fits were much better," Odums said. "Between the 20 (yard lines) we were excellent, I just want to see us get a little tougher when the ball gets toward the goal line."

Odums was also thrilled with the performance of his veteran specialists, kicker Josh Nardone and punter Ryan Richter.

"Nardone kicked the ball well and Richter really had some nice punts," Odums said. "You can see why those two have gotten a lot of preseason awards. We have two gifted individuals at those positions."

The Spartans break camp this weekend to prepare for the start of classes on Monday before beginning their in-season routine and preparing for the 2021 opener at Toledo next Saturday night.

"We're definitely on schedule," Odums said. "But we haven't seen anyone in a different colored jersey yet. That's when we'll find out a lot more about our team."