• Photo Gallery (Day 1)

JACKSON -- Millsaps College head football coach Mike DuBose led his 2009 team onto Harper Davis Field for the first time Wednesday afternoon, putting the Majors through a two-hour practice that kicked off at 4:20 p.m. and ran until 6:20 p.m.

"The main thing for us in the spring, since we don't have the contact work, is to put in as much of our offense, defense and special teams as we can," DuBose said.  "We'll experiment with a bunch of things and see whether we like it or don't like it, throw it out and get ready to go in the fall."

DuBose, the fourth-year head coach who's compiled a 26-7 overall record and an astounding 19-1 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play, welcomed back approximately 80 players from a year ago in addition to new wide receivers coach Adam Nelson and defensive backs coach Bobby Willcox who both joined the staff on Monday.

"It feels good to be back on the field and a little different because there's three coaches that aren't here that we're used to seeing," DuBose said.  "It was fun to watch all the coaches work but especially the new coaches and seeing them interact with the other coaches and players."

Wednesday's workout was the first of an NCAA Division III mandated 16 practice sessions, with the Majors practicing again Thursday at 4:20 p.m. and Friday at 2:30 p.m. All practices are scheduled to be held on Harper Davis Field.

"There's an awful lot of young guys who have the opportunity to compete for starting jobs.  This time last year we had a lot of starters coming back and everyone was competing for time.  Now, we have some guys who are competitive enough to take those starting jobs."

Millsaps is coming off a school-record 11-1 finish in 2008 in which they advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 1975.  They open the 2009 slate at MS College for the annual "Backyard Brawl" on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.