'Cats Take Day Off
8/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- A day in Montana State’s preseason football camp doesn’t pass without Mike Kramer thinking about that afternoon in August of 2000.
“I ended two-a-days four days early, so we practiced in the morning and ran Peet’s Hill in the afternoon,” Kramer said of his first fall camp as MSU’s head coach. “Our youth was so extreme that year, the players, except for those four seniors, just couldn’t fathom or conceptualize what it takes to be a winning program.”
Four years later, almost to the day, Kramer gave his team the day off on Thursday. But the reasons were entirely different. “The day off is the result of hard work,” he said with a smile. “This is 180 degrees different from year one. As a team, we’ve really thrashed ourselves down in the last two weeks. I’m proud of the kids and the coaches for working that hard. They’ve done a great job.”
Kramer said the Bobcats will regroup for a pair of difficult practices on Friday and an “all-out” scrimmage Saturday morning. The day off, then, is more than just a reward. “We need to get re-charged and re-invigorated for a strenuous two days. That will put us on the down-side of camp. We’ll no longer be fighting fatigue or conditioning.”
MSU’s fourth-year head coach will continue to look for signs of development when practice resumes. “I want to see a rebirth of our vigor and continued technical efficiency from our young players, the guys who will be playing that haven’t been regulars before.”
With Michael Williams the only varsity running back practicing this week, and given MSU’s defensive philosophy of stopping the run and forcing teams to throw the ball, Kramer will have an eye on the passing game, particularly his receiving corps, on Saturday.
“I want to see our receivers have the kind of day that you have to have against our defense,” he said. “If we can accomplish that, I’ll be happy.”
The scrimmage will begin Saturday around 9:30 am in Bobcat Stadium.
“I ended two-a-days four days early, so we practiced in the morning and ran Peet’s Hill in the afternoon,” Kramer said of his first fall camp as MSU’s head coach. “Our youth was so extreme that year, the players, except for those four seniors, just couldn’t fathom or conceptualize what it takes to be a winning program.”
Four years later, almost to the day, Kramer gave his team the day off on Thursday. But the reasons were entirely different. “The day off is the result of hard work,” he said with a smile. “This is 180 degrees different from year one. As a team, we’ve really thrashed ourselves down in the last two weeks. I’m proud of the kids and the coaches for working that hard. They’ve done a great job.”
Kramer said the Bobcats will regroup for a pair of difficult practices on Friday and an “all-out” scrimmage Saturday morning. The day off, then, is more than just a reward. “We need to get re-charged and re-invigorated for a strenuous two days. That will put us on the down-side of camp. We’ll no longer be fighting fatigue or conditioning.”
MSU’s fourth-year head coach will continue to look for signs of development when practice resumes. “I want to see a rebirth of our vigor and continued technical efficiency from our young players, the guys who will be playing that haven’t been regulars before.”
With Michael Williams the only varsity running back practicing this week, and given MSU’s defensive philosophy of stopping the run and forcing teams to throw the ball, Kramer will have an eye on the passing game, particularly his receiving corps, on Saturday.
“I want to see our receivers have the kind of day that you have to have against our defense,” he said. “If we can accomplish that, I’ll be happy.”
The scrimmage will begin Saturday around 9:30 am in Bobcat Stadium.
Wednesday, June 10
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Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
