Western Kentucky’s three-week fall camp is winding down. Coach Mike Sanford wants to see his Hilltoppers finish it strong.

WKU will conduct its final three practices of its official fall camp this weekend. Saturday’s practice will be the Toppers’ second live scrimmage of the month. Like the first scrimmage last weekend, it will be closed to the public.

WKU players and coaches will then turn the page next week and steer their focus toward the 2017 season opener Sept. 2 against Eastern Kentucky.

WKU’s fall semester also begins next week, which means players won’t be putting in the sunup to sundown hours at Houchens-Smith Stadium that they have since camp started July 31.

“We’re stretching these guys’ days out starting sometimes at 7 a.m., and they’re leaving the building sometimes at 10 p.m.,” Sanford said Wednesday. “Three weeks of that, they’re ready to see an opponent.

“I’ve really challenged them the last two days in particular with camp legs, camp brain, that fatigue mentally and physically setting in, ‘Hey, let’s push past.’

“This is where championship teams are forged, and more importantly this is where a team, the unity we’re looking for, the closeness, the bonding, that is formed through adversity and that’s what we’re trying to create. I think we’ve done a nice job of pushing through that and also staying healthy through that.”

With time ticking down between now and the season opener, Saturday’s scrimmage will offer Hilltopper players a chance to impress coaches before game preparations begin.

Roger Cray was the young player who took advantage of last week’s scrimmage. The freshman cornerback intercepted a Mike White pass in the end zone, then took off 100 yards for a defensive touchdown, a news release said.

Veteran safety Marcus Ward also got in on the action. The graduate senior stepped in front of a pass at midfield and took it 50 yards for the defense’s second pick-six.

Sanford wants WKU’s second team scrimmage Saturday to mimic a game setting. Players will warm up, stretch and then put the ball down and play rather than go through extra practice drills, he said.

Finding out how well players are conditioned is also a priority Saturday, Sanford said.

“I also want to see not only who’s game ready from a mental and schematic standpoint but who’s going to be game ready in terms of just playing consecutive plays back-to-back-to-back,” Sanford said. “ … Our game conditioning, running in the summer is one thing, practicing in scripted, six-play increments is one thing, but I want to see where we’re at from a conditioning standpoint and what guys we can count on in those situations.”

Offering Darden a scholarship ‘a no-brainer’

One of WKU’s fall camp highlights came Monday when Sanford told defensive back Ta’Corian Darden he was being placed on a scholarship.

The former walk-on from Russellville was mobbed in celebration by his teammates when Sanford gave him the news at the beginning of practice.

Sanford said it was “a no-brainer” to give Darden a scholarship when one of the team’s allotment of 85 came open.

The former Russellville High School star played five games last season as a redshirt freshman, recording a pair of interceptions.

“He’s not a flashy player, but he makes flashy plays,” Sanford said. “That’s what I love about him. He’s done it all camp. Honestly I think he’s been one of our most valuable players through 2½, three weeks of camp.”

Roush done for season with knee injury

WKU recently lost defensive back Nathan Roush to a knee injury. The redshirt junior tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a blocking drill, Sanford said.

“It was a drill where he was being blocked and just kind of planted funny on it,” Sanford said. “It didn’t have anything to do with a body rolling into his legs. It wasn’t even a live period.

“So it’s unfortunate for Nate just because of how much he loves being a part of this football team.”

Roush is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound redshirt junior from Louisville.

The DeSales High School product appeared in all 14 games last season, recording 12 special teams tackles – third most among all Hilltoppers. He finished with 20 total tackles (11 solo) for the 2016 season.

Roush is the second WKU DB to suffer a torn ACL during fall camp. Redshirt senior De’Andre Simmons was lost to the same injury earlier this month during a noncontact drill.{&end}