Sunday's first practice was a good start to the fall of 2013
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Cats in Camp: Day #1
8/4/2013 9:22:00 PM | Football
A look at the long snapper position and, in general, a good first day
It was a long time coming for long-time , Montana State football coach Rob Ash, the first day of fall practice, which arrived in Bozeman on Sunday. And after a summer of unsettling injury news, Ash couldn't help train his attention on one position.
"I was really anxious to see how our new long snapper performed," Ash said of perhaps his team's biggest, if not most high-profile, question mark entering the 2013 season. And Ash was pleased with the performance of Rocky Hogue, a freshman from Merced, Calif., who was added to the roster just last week.
"He was really good," Ash said. "I'm very happy with him. He's a very polished long snapper for a young guy. We'll have to get the pads on and see what happens when the bullets start flying, but today he looked good."
The long snapper position remained largely open for competition throughout the spring and summer. The addition of Hogue brings specialization back to a position held down by Donny Tudahl the past two seasons. Unlike earlier years, when long snappers were basically plucked from the ranks and trained in the trade,
Sunday's first practice was largely scheduled to start the clock toward contact sessions (which begin Tuesday), two-a-days (on Saturday), and ultimately game preparation for the season opener August 29 against Monmouth. Due to practice's general nature, and its brevity, Ash didn't have observations on position battles or individuals.
Ash was plenty pleased, though, with what happened before the team even dressed for the late afternoon session on the field. "It was a really good first day," MSU's seventh-year head coach said. "The big thing for me was how organized and punctual everyone was. The freshmen were all here early, everyone on the team was at meetings early, everybody got through the paperwork, the NCAA forms, the insurance forms. Everyone is academically eligible. It's not just that we got through the day without any problems, it's that it went really, really well."
The Bobcats return to the field on Monday morning, and practice daily through Thursday. Two-a-days begin Saturday.
"He was really good," Ash said. "I'm very happy with him. He's a very polished long snapper for a young guy. We'll have to get the pads on and see what happens when the bullets start flying, but today he looked good."
The long snapper position remained largely open for competition throughout the spring and summer. The addition of Hogue brings specialization back to a position held down by Donny Tudahl the past two seasons. Unlike earlier years, when long snappers were basically plucked from the ranks and trained in the trade,
Sunday's first practice was largely scheduled to start the clock toward contact sessions (which begin Tuesday), two-a-days (on Saturday), and ultimately game preparation for the season opener August 29 against Monmouth. Due to practice's general nature, and its brevity, Ash didn't have observations on position battles or individuals.
Ash was plenty pleased, though, with what happened before the team even dressed for the late afternoon session on the field. "It was a really good first day," MSU's seventh-year head coach said. "The big thing for me was how organized and punctual everyone was. The freshmen were all here early, everyone on the team was at meetings early, everybody got through the paperwork, the NCAA forms, the insurance forms. Everyone is academically eligible. It's not just that we got through the day without any problems, it's that it went really, really well."
The Bobcats return to the field on Monday morning, and practice daily through Thursday. Two-a-days begin Saturday.
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
