TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State offensive coordinator Jeff Hecklinski must follow Dwight Schrute's famous K.I.S.S. system, because when asked about his offensive philosophy his answer was beautifully simple: score.
 
"Our job is to score, regardless of how you do it," Hecklinski said. "It doesn't matter. Our job is to score, and we've got to score more points than the other team does. You can't win if you can't score."
 
In practice, it's easy to see the simplicity, even among the innate complexity football carries with it. Hecklinski is in the process of instituting a brand new offensive playbook for the Sycamores, a more pro-style look that will run downhill, utilize the fullbacks and tight ends and see the quarterback under center more often than not.
 
That's not to say that the Sycamores will completely abandon the more modern aspects of the collegiate game – the shotgun, the pistol, the side-to-side speed game, etc. Rather, it will just look a little different at times.
 
"Part of it is building an offense around the talent of what we have here and what's coming in and really putting a foundation together," Hecklinski said. "I think right now what we're trying to find is that foundation."
 
The most striking thing out at practice these first few days has been the noise – and not just from the coaches. The most notable noise is coming from the quarterbacks, who are barking out reads and checks with the offense at the line of scrimmage like Peyton Manning impersonators with booming voices and a surprising confidence considering the installation of the offense is still in its early stages.
 
That's not that surprising, though, considering Hecklinski works specifically with the quarterbacks as his position group. Hecklinski was a quarterback himself in college at both Illinois and Western Illinois. In just two seasons in Macomb, Hecklinski lit up the record book for 5,980 passing yards to rank second all-time by the time he graduated in 1997.
 
Like much of head coach Curt Mallory's staff, Hecklinski has a familiarity not only with other coaches on staff but also with the state of Indiana. And as ISU's recruiting coordinator as well, scouting Indiana for talent is a job he's relishing.
 
"This is our state, and this is our home," Hecklinski said. "There are four major universities here that play Division I, FBS football – whatever you want to call it. From that, our base should come right after that."
 
Hecklinski coached alongside Mallory, assistant head coach Mark Smith and offensive line coach Darrell Funk for four seasons on Brady Hoke's Michigan staff from 2011-14 – during which he also mentored current ISU wide receivers coach Roy Roundtree.
 
"There hasn't been a great learning curve for us together as a staff," Hecklinski said. "It's really been a smooth transition, and once the staff is on the same page it goes to the kids, and I think our players feel the comradery and togetherness of our staff, and you can see it starting to build with them now."
 
Hecklinski acknowledges that the aims of this staff have been set high right out of the gate, and they aren't backing down from those claims.
 
"We still have to go and produce," Hecklinski said. "You can have a great staff, but if you don't produce it doesn't mean anything. The bottom line is we have to produce the results that everybody is expecting, and we've got big expectations."
 
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Day Three of spring practice was the first in full pads, and the Sycamores had a special visitor: Curt Mallory's former coach and current Indianapolis Colts assistant coach, Jim Herrmann, who gave a speech to the team following practice.


 
With the first week out of the way, the Sycamores are now barreling toward its first scrimmage, set for Sat., April 1, at 11:15 a.m.
 
Once again, the press and the public are all welcome to attend and watch all spring practices and scrimmages.
 
Day 4 (March 28): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 5 (March 30): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 6 (April 1; 1st Scrimmage): 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
 
Day 7 (April 4): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 8 (April 6): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 9 (April 8; 2nd Scrimmage): 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
 
Day 10 (April 11): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 11 (April 13): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 12 (April 14): TBA
 
Day 13 (April 18): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 14 (April 20): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 15 (April 21, Spring Game): 4:00 p.m.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.