Bobcats Open 'New-Look' Drills Tuesday
8/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
There will be plenty of familiar faces when Montana State opens its 2004 fall football camp on Tuesday, but they will be doing things in unfamiliar ways.
Mike Kramer will welcome nine returning starters, including preseason All-America Roger Cooper and starting quarterback Travis Lulay, but the first Bobcats to take the field Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 will be rookies. MSU's newcomers will practice at that time during each of the first five days of practice, Tuesday through Saturday, with the team's veterans joining the fray an hour later.
Kramer said teaching was the driving force behind the decision to restructure the team's early-camp practices. "Last year the NCAA put some restrictions on the number of practices and the amount of time we can spend practicing during camp," said Mike Kramer, who enters his 11th season as a college head coach and his fifth as leader of the MSU program. "The changes have been positive."
The negative, Kramer said, is that the rule changes do not allow new players to arrive on campus early, depriving rookies an intensive early-camp learning periods with coaches possible under the old rules. Kramer's solution is to give rookies their day in the sun every day, rather than on the first few days of camp. "We'll bring those young guys in early every day, and let the coaches work with just them for an hour before the veterans join in." The NCAA allows three consecutive hours of practice time per day.
"This gives the young guys a chance to get to know the coaches during their early moments on campus," Kramer said, "and also gives our coaches a chance teach in an intensive manner." Kramer indicated that several younger players who have been in the program will also join the rookies prior to the full squad practices at 3:30 pm. This practice plan is in effect during the first week of drills.
Kramer has also implemented another change in his team's preseason practice schedule designed to optimize player performance. On the three days Montana State practices twice, the 'Cats will practice at 6:30 pm. "That will give our players' bodies an extra few hours to recover (from the early practice session)," Kramer said. "That speaks directly to safety and performance, and I think it will produce good, crisp practices."
A log of MSU's scheduled practices follows...
Tuesday August 17 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Wednesday August 18 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Thursday August 19 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Friday August 20 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Saturday August 21 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (CONTACT PRACTICES BEGIN)
Sunday August 22 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Monday August 23 9:30 am/6:30 pm - Full Squad
Tuesday August 24 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday August 25 9:30 am/3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday August 26 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Friday August 27 9:30 am/3:30 pm - Full Squad
Saturday August 28 4:00 pm - SCRIMMAGE
Sunday August 29 Off
Monday August 30 3:30 pm - Full Squad (CLASSES BEGIN)
Tuesday August 31 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday Sept. 1 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday Sept. 2 4:00 pm - SCRIMMAGE
Friday Sept. 3 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Saturday Sept. 4 9:30 am - Full Squad/1:00 pm - FAMILY FUN DAY at Stadium
Sunday Sept. 5 Off
Monday Sept. 6 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Tuesday Sept. 7 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday Sept. 8 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday Sept. 9 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Friday Sept. 10 4:00 pm - Full Squad at Bobcat Stadium
Saturday Sept. 11 1:00 pm - MSU vs. Adams State
Mike Kramer will welcome nine returning starters, including preseason All-America Roger Cooper and starting quarterback Travis Lulay, but the first Bobcats to take the field Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 will be rookies. MSU's newcomers will practice at that time during each of the first five days of practice, Tuesday through Saturday, with the team's veterans joining the fray an hour later.
Kramer said teaching was the driving force behind the decision to restructure the team's early-camp practices. "Last year the NCAA put some restrictions on the number of practices and the amount of time we can spend practicing during camp," said Mike Kramer, who enters his 11th season as a college head coach and his fifth as leader of the MSU program. "The changes have been positive."
The negative, Kramer said, is that the rule changes do not allow new players to arrive on campus early, depriving rookies an intensive early-camp learning periods with coaches possible under the old rules. Kramer's solution is to give rookies their day in the sun every day, rather than on the first few days of camp. "We'll bring those young guys in early every day, and let the coaches work with just them for an hour before the veterans join in." The NCAA allows three consecutive hours of practice time per day.
"This gives the young guys a chance to get to know the coaches during their early moments on campus," Kramer said, "and also gives our coaches a chance teach in an intensive manner." Kramer indicated that several younger players who have been in the program will also join the rookies prior to the full squad practices at 3:30 pm. This practice plan is in effect during the first week of drills.
Kramer has also implemented another change in his team's preseason practice schedule designed to optimize player performance. On the three days Montana State practices twice, the 'Cats will practice at 6:30 pm. "That will give our players' bodies an extra few hours to recover (from the early practice session)," Kramer said. "That speaks directly to safety and performance, and I think it will produce good, crisp practices."
A log of MSU's scheduled practices follows...
Tuesday August 17 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Wednesday August 18 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Thursday August 19 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Friday August 20 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (Helmets only)
Saturday August 21 2:30 pm - Rookies/3:30 pm - Full Squad (CONTACT PRACTICES BEGIN)
Sunday August 22 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Monday August 23 9:30 am/6:30 pm - Full Squad
Tuesday August 24 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday August 25 9:30 am/3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday August 26 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Friday August 27 9:30 am/3:30 pm - Full Squad
Saturday August 28 4:00 pm - SCRIMMAGE
Sunday August 29 Off
Monday August 30 3:30 pm - Full Squad (CLASSES BEGIN)
Tuesday August 31 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday Sept. 1 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday Sept. 2 4:00 pm - SCRIMMAGE
Friday Sept. 3 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Saturday Sept. 4 9:30 am - Full Squad/1:00 pm - FAMILY FUN DAY at Stadium
Sunday Sept. 5 Off
Monday Sept. 6 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Tuesday Sept. 7 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Wednesday Sept. 8 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Thursday Sept. 9 3:30 pm - Full Squad
Friday Sept. 10 4:00 pm - Full Squad at Bobcat Stadium
Saturday Sept. 11 1:00 pm - MSU vs. Adams State
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
