Photo by: Brian Morse
CATS IN CAMP DAY 15: Detail Work Remains During Fall Camp
8/20/2016 6:17:00 PM | Football
MSU coordinators hone in on the finer points during final days of camp
The big picture has come into focus. For the men who coordinate Montana State's offense and defense, much work remains in the details.
"Through the first scrimmage we were really installing" the offense, said Bobcat offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham. "Going into (Friday's) scrimmage it was trying to hone the skills a little bit, get better, keep practicing, get so we understand the 'why' – why are we doing this, why are we doing that, what steps am I really supposed to be taking, not just knowing the scheme but knowing the small details of the scheme."
MSU's top offense sustained three drives in Friday's 100-play scrimmage, with two providing scoring opportunities. One was derailed by a false start, while one resulted in a touchdown and another in a missed short field goal.
"As an offensive unit we started to take some strides going forward as far as understanding we've got to make plays, understanding that we can't make silly mistakes," Messingham said. "We need to take care of the football all the time, and we need to make sure we don't jump offsides and make sure we don't do things that are going to put us behind the chains. If we can do that we should be able to take care of our own business."
One Bobcat drive ended in a turnover, when Sidney Holmes III forced a fumble. That low total pleased the offense, but not defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. "One's not good enough," he said, "especially with the amount of turns and the opportunities we had. The minimum, the price of admission, is three. So good job by the offense not giving it to us, and not a good job by us not getting more (turnovers)."
Still, Gregorak was pleased with much of what he saw. "I saw some improvements from scrimmage one to scrimmage two. I still think there are a lot of little details we need to continue to clean up and improve on. Some guys are going to have to step up. You see guys filling in at different places, so some guys are going to have to step up and show they can play. We're winding down camp, we have to keep working and refining the things we have in the package and decided what we are great at to go to Idaho."
For both coaches, the next segment of practice – leading up to Thursday's annual Media Day and the end of fall camp – offers a handful of chances to continue to refine. "It's like starting back at day one – fundamentals, details, relentless pursuit to the football. That's what we have to prioritize," Gregorak said.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE CHANGE: Montana State coach Jeff Choate revised his team's practice schedule for Sunday, eliminating the morning practice. The Cats will practice at 4:30 Sunday afternoon in Bobcat Stadium.
"Through the first scrimmage we were really installing" the offense, said Bobcat offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham. "Going into (Friday's) scrimmage it was trying to hone the skills a little bit, get better, keep practicing, get so we understand the 'why' – why are we doing this, why are we doing that, what steps am I really supposed to be taking, not just knowing the scheme but knowing the small details of the scheme."
MSU's top offense sustained three drives in Friday's 100-play scrimmage, with two providing scoring opportunities. One was derailed by a false start, while one resulted in a touchdown and another in a missed short field goal.
"As an offensive unit we started to take some strides going forward as far as understanding we've got to make plays, understanding that we can't make silly mistakes," Messingham said. "We need to take care of the football all the time, and we need to make sure we don't jump offsides and make sure we don't do things that are going to put us behind the chains. If we can do that we should be able to take care of our own business."
One Bobcat drive ended in a turnover, when Sidney Holmes III forced a fumble. That low total pleased the offense, but not defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. "One's not good enough," he said, "especially with the amount of turns and the opportunities we had. The minimum, the price of admission, is three. So good job by the offense not giving it to us, and not a good job by us not getting more (turnovers)."
Still, Gregorak was pleased with much of what he saw. "I saw some improvements from scrimmage one to scrimmage two. I still think there are a lot of little details we need to continue to clean up and improve on. Some guys are going to have to step up. You see guys filling in at different places, so some guys are going to have to step up and show they can play. We're winding down camp, we have to keep working and refining the things we have in the package and decided what we are great at to go to Idaho."
For both coaches, the next segment of practice – leading up to Thursday's annual Media Day and the end of fall camp – offers a handful of chances to continue to refine. "It's like starting back at day one – fundamentals, details, relentless pursuit to the football. That's what we have to prioritize," Gregorak said.
SUNDAY SCHEDULE CHANGE: Montana State coach Jeff Choate revised his team's practice schedule for Sunday, eliminating the morning practice. The Cats will practice at 4:30 Sunday afternoon in Bobcat Stadium.
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
