Dawn and dusk are familiar sights to football players at Haskell Indian Nations University.

“We’ve stayed away from the heat as best we can,” HINU coach Eric Brock said after Monday morning’s start of the second week of drills.

The Fightin’ Indians have been on the practice field at 6:15 a.m. for an hour-and-45-minute session. Then they return to the field for a 30-minute shorts-and-helmets-only kicking drill at 2:10 p.m. Finally, the HINU players have worked for two hours starting at 6:30 p.m.

“I think it’s really helped us,” Brock said of the early and late sessions. “We’ve had only one guy who needed to hydrate with an IV, and that was a precautionary thing.”

Three-a-days will end today, with classes scheduled to begin Wednesday. The Indians’ opener will be a week from Thursday against Missouri Southern at Haskell Stadium.

After more than a week of work, Brock singled out running back Quinton Haynes, a true freshman from Montrose, Colo., who has been sharing tailback duties with Bubba Wills, a red-shirt sophomore who finished fourth in the NAIA in rushing last season.

“Haynes has done really well,” Brock said. “He and Wills will be a really good 1-2 running-back punch.”

Haynes led Colorado’s Class 4A schools in rushing last fall with 1,834 yards while scoring 15 touchdowns.

At quarterback, red-shirt freshman Victor Ramos has the edge over four true freshmen, according to the HINU coach.

“Ramos has taken the lead,” Brock said. “He knows what he’s doing, and he has a little better arm than the other freshmen.”

Adam Saunsoci and Tyler Sessions are battling for the No. 2 job.

At wide receiver, veterans Hunter Smith and Kaleb Harris have impressed, along with sophomore Sevei Martin and freshman Josh Collins.

Early defensive standouts include backs Victor Martinez and Micah Swimmer, linebackers Mario Torres and Antonio Hayes and lineman Zach Kingfisher.