Here are my quick notes (typing live as Kill spoke):
• I apologize for my great look this morning, but I just walked off the practice field. This is as good as it gets, getting the opportunity to visit with you a little bit.
• I just figure I get another day closer to Sid.
• We have more depth than I ever thought we’d have at this point. Many area lot further along than I thought they would be.
• We’ve done a good job at filling some holes from a defensive side. Phillip Nelson has continued to move forward, Mitch is where I thought he’d be. Donovan Jones is a great athlete, we need to get him taught up and coached up a little bit. Fruechte and AJ May have had very good camps.
• We know Bobby Hauck’s background a little bit. We anticipate a fast huddle and spread offense. We’ll see a lot of personal. Same thing on the defensive side of the ball – I’ve coached against those guys all the way from when they were back at Montana. We have an idea, but there’s always the unknown going into the 1st game.
• UNLV got all their personal. back, so they’ll be a better FB team than they were a year ago, and so are we. Most teams don’t win games, they lose them. No false starts, false snaps, blocked kicked, fundamentals.
• Depth will be important in our 1st game, you don’t want a tired player out there. Fatigue makes cowards out of all of us like Lombardi says.
• I did a study here, on my own, there’s a high percent of winning football games at home. If it were my choice, we’d play home football games every year. It’s important for the team, fans, etc.
• We’re going to play 4-5 teams that snap the ball 100 times a game, and no one can play that many snaps. It’s a whole different world playing defense than it was 10 years ago. You have to build your defense with a lot of personnel.
• Phillip Nelson’s experience has helped him move further along. There’s no replacement for experience. What he’s gotten better at, is understanding coverages. He’s made some mistakes, but he doesn’t let it get to him, he just comes back, it’s maturity.
• I want to be better than we are a year ago. I’ve been pleased with camp, our kids have been focused. You still need to go out on Saturdays and make a play or two.
• As far as the running back situation, we have experience, the blocking schemes, repetition, etc. Roderick is about 240 now, he runs better, he’s leaned out. Berkeley Edwards can run, he’s just a little dinged up now. They are all better than they were a year ago.
• Ed hasn’t gone through spring ball, he is coming off surgery. He’s pushing awful hard, and he’s a tremendous young man, but it takes time to get the feel of the game back. Anyone that hasn’t gone through spring ball isn’t going to be as far along as someone that has.
• I think I live my life in the grind, I enjoy the process, I enjoy watching all the pieces of the puzzle come together, late nights, film, strategy, motivation, getting a group of kids to understand their roles. It’s a team game, not everyone can run out and be a starter. When you’re young, not everyone understands that. It’s fun, but it’s a challenge. 30 years of this, you love it. The great teams are able to do that, the average and poor teams can’t, that’s the difference between running and losing.
• Derrick Wells is a question mark, he progressed well enough shoulder wise, but his hamstring has tightened up now. Hopefully he’ll be ready.
• Nelson is a very good learner, a very good kid, he’s anxious to go out and play.
• The visit with the marching band on Thursday was awesome, not good buy awesome.
• I love all sports, but there’s no game like the game of football – with the cheerleaders, band, the atmosphere. You have people packed in there, everyone is a part of it – when you win, and it tears them up when you lose.
• A kickoff/punter? I’d tell you if I knew. Hawthorne has had a good camp. I’m going to be careful on that decision.
• You’ve gotta have the punt that changes the game. We’ve got some kids that have the legs to do it. We put a lot of pressure on them through practice. We’ll make that decision towards the end of the week.