fall practice

[Rapai/MGoBlog]

Could you talk about Jabrill Peppers’ versatility and how you balance taking advantage of his many talents but not wearing him out?

“I always feel like there’s…in football it’s very common to be a two-way player. Normally that’s offense and special teams, playing two ways, or also a defensive player and special teams.

“Jabrill, and also there will be other candidates—Jourdan Lewis would be another—to be three-way players: offense, defense, and special teams. Feel like around that 90, 95 play—100 being really high—per game. But somewhere in there there’s a sweet spot, depending on the mental capability of the athlete. In terms of load, it’d be 95-100. {That’s] probably the max that we’re looking at right now. Did that answer your question?”
In terms of comparing this season to last year installation-wise, organization-wise, how much more control, how much more pull do you have on it or is it easier, less tedious?

“I don’t know about any of those words really come to mind as describing what it is. I think you’re doing something for the second time; there are advantages to that. Everything that we’re doing as a football program, with the exception of the new players coming to the team, we’re doing for a second time so there’s an advantage there.”

Heading into camp, do you like where your quarterback battle is or do you wish somebody had jumped out and seized command earlier?

“The last four months really they’ve been working with the team, working on their own, and we’ll see exactly where that’s at starting tomorrow. So, I’ll defer answering that question until down the road a little bit.”

Yo mentioned three-way player Jourdan Lewis. Are you thinking of giving him a look at receiver?

“Yeah, yeah. On offense I think there’s multiple ways that he could contribute offensively. We know that he can as a returner, hold-up person, gunner, kick and punt returner. He’s got those abilities and capabilities. Not going too far out on a limb to say that he can help us offensively as well.”

Some of the upperclassmen have mentioned how competitive these freshmen are, that they’ve really pushed the envelope. Talk about the personality of your freshman class.

“There’ve been very good reports with the whole team, and guys have commented on how quickly different players are picking things up and how they’re performing athletically, et cetera. They’ve just been passing comments. We’ll really look when we start practice to the freshmen, the incoming players, the new players and see if they’re tracking to be starters or backups, contributors, role players. We’ll start making all those determinations once practice starts.”

Is there any other guy you’d like to see if he can play two ways this year other than Jourdan and Jabrill? Is there anybody else that you’d like to see what they can do at a different spot?

“Yes, there are those that I’d like to see be able to do it. Those are the two that jump out right away, and have some thoughts on a few others.”

Can you share some names?

“Jourdan and Jabrill are the two that really jump off the roster sheet.”

What is the mentality, the psychology, that you want your team to take in your second year as head coach now that they know you, now that they know the staff, now that they know the expectations?

“Attitude, mentality? Set their goals high, dream big, and realize that all those can be accomplished once the work is realized, and if people aren’t making fun of you for what your dreams are, what your goals are, then you haven’t set your goals high enough.”

[After THE JUMP: “It’s where the team’s forged, under the sun in the August heat. Sun shaping the body, carving the mind. Very excited.”]

[Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]

Your impressions of Jake Rudock?

“Yeah! All those quarterbacks are doing a great job. This is day 21 of practice. I guess it’s 10 days until our first game, and all of them are competing and doing a great job.”

With him taking the majority of the reps Saturday is that an indication that he is the No. 1 guy?

“No, there’s no decision that’s been made.”

How close are you to having five linemen that you’re settled on?

“We’re not. You know, every group is competing and we want that because it brings the best out of everybody. So we’ll just keep tinkering around and putting guys in there in and out, and when the time comes we’ll make that decision.”

When do you want to have it by?

“I don’t know yet. I don’t know that yet. Like I said, we’re 10 days out from game time, so when the time comes we’ll make that decision.”

Can you sense that build up? You’re going to be on a plane a week from tomorrow. Can you start sensing the excitement?

“Yeah, you do. You do. It’s always fun to go play somebody else because you’ve been playing against each other. It’s one day at a time right now but you do sense it, yeah.”

Looking at your receivers you have an interesting mix. You have a bunch of young guys who’ve not played at all and some veterans as well. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about your receiving corps?

“I think they’ve got very good speed, they’ve got good hands, they catch really well, they’re disciplined in their routes. A lot of positive things. A lot of guys making a lot of catches. Blocking really well.”

[After THE JUMP: A (very) rough timeline for announcing the starting QB]

[Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]

What's the status of Bryan? Can you comment on Bryan Mone at all?
“Yeah, Bryan is a great kid and a great player for us. We really like him.”
If he’s not able to play how does that affect how you use Hurst? Do you use him more at the nose tackle spot?

“A great thing about our team right now, when you go through camp, is that we’re building depth at all positions. That's what this time of year is for is find where we’re strongest at and where our depth is and so I think across the board you've done a good job of that. We've developed some guys and we've got depth at all positions.”
So how do you expect to use Hurst then?
“Mo Hurst? Mo is definitely part of that depth up front and he can play all the spots too. Really he can play inside [or] outside, so he's a guy we’re counting on. He'll play a lot for us.”
What were some of the positives that you took away from Saturday as far as the defensive line is concerned?
“I think it was good. I think the biggest thing is probably that was the first time we were out with crowd noise and it was good seeing them communicate on their own. You know, coaches, we like to– either you're standing out and you cheat a little bit, you're yelling and you're kind of helping the guys out because you're into it, and we weren't able to do that. That was the first time they were out there on the field on their own, no one out there helping them make checks, and they really communicated well and for the most part were assignment-sound.”
What's the most interesting thing you’ve learned about your secondary in these last 2 1/2 weeks?
“The best part is we’ve been finding out the competitors, because there's good competition back there and we've put them in a bunch of spots where they’ve got to show up. And they know its competition. We've moved guys around a little bit and so I think it's been great. You find out the guys who really thrive in that type of environment.”
What do you like most about your defensive front?
“I think just their work-type mentality: blue-collar. We've brought it every day. This has been a tough camp, and they've responded every day. I mean, they've been locked in in meetings and done well on the field. There've been a few instances where I could say it wasn't that type of mentality, but really when you look at the whole grand scheme of camp they really brought it. They've done great.”

[After THE JUMP: I ask about the secondary and someone asks about Freddy Canteen. Also Jabrill, because there’s always a question about Jabrill]