Sore and A Little Tired, Bobcats Move Toward Pads
8/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Call it Math According to Ash, or just a simple fact of life.
"Day two's always different than day one," Bobcat football coach Rob Ash said after putting his third Montana State squad through the paces on Tuesday, the second day of fall drills. "Guys are starting to get a little sore, a little tired, legs aren't quite as fresh as they were that first day, and you start to get some of that mental stuff, penalties and offsides, different things that come from not being used to being out here working."
After lauding his team for sharp play and good effort on Monday, Ash called Tuesday's deterioration natural. "Today was pretty sloppy, particularly on offense," he said. "Defense was not quite so sloppy, they did a pretty good job getting lined up and getting in the right spots, but offense is typically a little behind early. We could tell some of the guys were a little bit sore, a little bit beat up, just because it's such a different exercise than what they've been through all summer long."
After two days in helmets, the Bobcats accelerate into the next phase of fall camp on Wednesday, donning shoulder pads. Ash said the addition of contact accentuates the evaluation process for the first time in camp. "When you get in helmets and shoulder pads we can see a little better about contact, we can see about blocks and defending blocks in the line, we can see who's in position to make tackles and break tackles."
Ash is pleased with MSU's quarterback competition, where Mark Iddins entered fall camps on top of the depth chart. Cody Kempt, who started the first nine games of 2008, and Iddins have both performed well early.
"The experience for Cody and Mark is really starting to show up," Ash said. "They’ve been through this before, they know the offense back and forth, they've both played it. They get the ball out on time and are doing a lot of things really well."
A pair of true freshmen have also shown positive signs during fall camp, Ash said. "Denarius (McGhee, a true freshman from Texas) is picking things up. I noticed Denarius made big strides from day one to day two in his confidence and running the team. He's in the right spot right now, being the third guy behind those two, but he's a good player. Cody Davies (a freshman from Bozeman) has done a good job, too. It's good to have an extra arm, a good young talent like him to help us get through drills and signal plays in from the sideline. I like what I'm seeing there."
Ash anticipates taking a more complete look at his team when it dons pads on Wednesday. "In helmets and shoulder pads, when we get to our team time, we'll be able to block and sustain blocks," he said. "Tomorrow is our chance to see what we have in the interior."
Practice begins at 3 pm on the MSU practice fields on Wednesday.
* * *
IN WITH THE NEW: Ash likes what he's seen from his new freshmen thus far. "The guys are physically very capable," he said of his second full Bobcat recruiting class. "They move well as a group, and I think they have a great future. My first reaction is that I don't know which ones will play right away, last year we had four freshmen that made major contributions, I'm not sure if there will be four this year or not, but again, helmets only you really don't know."
* * *
INJURY UPDATE: Rob Ash had no new news on starting cornerback Arnold Briggs, who reported to camp with a knee injury. "We're still working... on getting a definitive diagnosis" on Briggs' situation, Ash said. Bobcat players suffered no new injuries Tuesday, although DeSean Thomas "over-heated" and was removed from practice, Ash said.
"Day two's always different than day one," Bobcat football coach Rob Ash said after putting his third Montana State squad through the paces on Tuesday, the second day of fall drills. "Guys are starting to get a little sore, a little tired, legs aren't quite as fresh as they were that first day, and you start to get some of that mental stuff, penalties and offsides, different things that come from not being used to being out here working."
After lauding his team for sharp play and good effort on Monday, Ash called Tuesday's deterioration natural. "Today was pretty sloppy, particularly on offense," he said. "Defense was not quite so sloppy, they did a pretty good job getting lined up and getting in the right spots, but offense is typically a little behind early. We could tell some of the guys were a little bit sore, a little bit beat up, just because it's such a different exercise than what they've been through all summer long."
After two days in helmets, the Bobcats accelerate into the next phase of fall camp on Wednesday, donning shoulder pads. Ash said the addition of contact accentuates the evaluation process for the first time in camp. "When you get in helmets and shoulder pads we can see a little better about contact, we can see about blocks and defending blocks in the line, we can see who's in position to make tackles and break tackles."
Ash is pleased with MSU's quarterback competition, where Mark Iddins entered fall camps on top of the depth chart. Cody Kempt, who started the first nine games of 2008, and Iddins have both performed well early.
"The experience for Cody and Mark is really starting to show up," Ash said. "They’ve been through this before, they know the offense back and forth, they've both played it. They get the ball out on time and are doing a lot of things really well."
A pair of true freshmen have also shown positive signs during fall camp, Ash said. "Denarius (McGhee, a true freshman from Texas) is picking things up. I noticed Denarius made big strides from day one to day two in his confidence and running the team. He's in the right spot right now, being the third guy behind those two, but he's a good player. Cody Davies (a freshman from Bozeman) has done a good job, too. It's good to have an extra arm, a good young talent like him to help us get through drills and signal plays in from the sideline. I like what I'm seeing there."
Ash anticipates taking a more complete look at his team when it dons pads on Wednesday. "In helmets and shoulder pads, when we get to our team time, we'll be able to block and sustain blocks," he said. "Tomorrow is our chance to see what we have in the interior."
Practice begins at 3 pm on the MSU practice fields on Wednesday.
* * *
IN WITH THE NEW: Ash likes what he's seen from his new freshmen thus far. "The guys are physically very capable," he said of his second full Bobcat recruiting class. "They move well as a group, and I think they have a great future. My first reaction is that I don't know which ones will play right away, last year we had four freshmen that made major contributions, I'm not sure if there will be four this year or not, but again, helmets only you really don't know."
* * *
INJURY UPDATE: Rob Ash had no new news on starting cornerback Arnold Briggs, who reported to camp with a knee injury. "We're still working... on getting a definitive diagnosis" on Briggs' situation, Ash said. Bobcat players suffered no new injuries Tuesday, although DeSean Thomas "over-heated" and was removed from practice, Ash said.
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