Spring Practice

[The Jackal]

Look forward to seeing what Xavier Stephens and Christian Paraison bring to the DL- have heard good things about both of them. Also, coaches talked about how how hard it is to tackle Myion HIcks, even for our biggest linebackers. Agree with what Kelton Gunn and Bailor Hughes can do- we have some bona fide speedsters along with Kendall Thomas. Keep Jace healthy for the whole season while Carson and Huff get some reps and it could be a fun season. But I am an optimist by nature.

Looking at Stephens tape from Lehigh (https://www.hudl.com/profile/9731252/Xavier-Stephens), he's going to fit in fine with what we want to do defensively.

Paraison* and Stephens both look like good fits for our 3-4 DE position. Stephens is now listed at 270. Pariason looks like he's gained 20 lbs (up to nearly 260) from when he was recruited.

As far as receiver, if we end up looking more like a 3WR team, we'll need some guys to step up. Hughes and Gunn look like they've gotten a fair amount of time on special teams. So, this would be a season where you'd expect for them to take that next step.


*Sidenote: Scanning bios, it looks like Paraison's high school coach was John Mohring, who was a standout player for Georgia Southern and one of the best linebackers I can remember watching in the SoCon.

[The Jackal]

Look back and forward to the team's leader in each of the following major categories:

Rush Yards: Roberto
Pass Yrds: Wilson
Receiving Yrds: Miller
Receptions: Miller
Sacks: Stokes (graduated)
Tackles: Ryan
PBUs: Blackshear
Ints: Blackshear

As you look at the stats, the one area where Furman has lost most production is going to be in the pass rush. The Paladins had 19 sacks last year, however 13 were by graduating seniors (Stokes, McKoy, Hope, Lewis). There are similar data points with tackles for loss - most of that production was by players no longer with the program.

[Jasper]

Once again, does anyone know the mechanics of installing a new offense?? Is it done by playbook/video or is it walkthrough in person? I know all about the personnel, etc. I am looking for x and o stuff.

[Sad Din]

Once again, does anyone know the mechanics of installing a new offense?? Is it done by playbook/video or is it walkthrough in person? I know all about the personnel, etc. I am looking for x and o stuff.

well, its hard to explain. It depends on the complexity. Sometimes you alternate bewteen the X and Os. If its really really complicated it could look like XOXOXOXO. If that happens you end up at the end of the practice wanting to give many hugs and kisses.

[FUPlayer74]

Once again, does anyone know the mechanics of installing a new offense?? Is it done by playbook/video or is it walkthrough in person? I know all about the personnel, etc. I am looking for x and o stuff.

You can install an offense literally in the huddle with a chalkboard. Scout teams do it all the time.
Funny story. Back in the day the FU freshman team was running Davidson's offense as the scout team vs the FU varsity.
When the frosh team went to play their game against Davidson they ran their normal FU offense and were getting killed. At halftime the FU coach decided to change it up and run Davidson's offense, FU came back and won.

[Jasper]

Great story but that is not what I am asking. I am aware that you can install plays with a chalkboard. What is the new OC doing right now to have his players running his system next week? Has anyone who actually played the game experienced the installation of a new system?

[Rokawaylifer]

Great story, btw me and mrs lifer are on our biannual southern swing. About as far south as you can get now on west coast Fla but moseying up to and thru Greenville and Hendersonville in early March. Looking forward to dining at trattoria Giorgio with the judge and his missus. They wanted 400 a night at a hotel we usually stay at down by falls/river. That’s stupid ridiculous. Have these people lost their minds?. I told the bride let’s stay out in tr. it’ll work just swell. btw, Are spring practices open to public these days? I contacted football office but crickets.

Once again, does anyone know the mechanics of installing a new offense?? Is it done by playbook/video or is it walkthrough in person? I know all about the personnel, etc. I am looking for x and o stuff.

You can install an offense literally in the huddle with a chalkboard. Scout teams do it all the time.
Funny story. Back in the day the FU freshman team was running Davidson's offense as the scout team vs the FU varsity.
When the frosh team went to play their game against Davidson they ran their normal FU offense and were getting killed. At halftime the FU coach decided to change it up and run Davidson's offense, FU came back and won.

[The Jackal]

Great story but that is not what I am asking. I am aware that you can install plays with a chalkboard. What is the new OC doing right now to have his players running his system next week? Has anyone who actually played the game experienced the installation of a new system?

The NCAA has rules on "spring practice." I believe there is a 34 day window and 15 "on field" practices with some cap on hours per week. All team activities are not "on field" practices, and I assume that would be meetings, film, etc.

I expect system installation will occur on the field, in meetings, and in the film room over the next 30+ days.

At the same point, buried in your question is the entire purpose of spring practice - evaluating players, working on technique, installing systems, etc. They aren't going to show up day 1 running an offense.

[Jasper]

Thank you for an answer. I appreciate the effort.

[The Jackal]

Thank you for an answer. I appreciate the effort.

There is always going to be install, though. 20% (or so) of the team isn't even on campus this spring (freshmen, etc.)

I don't know Coach Roper, but my guess is he's going to spend a lot of time figuring out who is personnel is and what they can do. Vince Lombardi famously started each season from the absolute basics ("Gentlemen, this is a a football")

[FUBeAR]

REFLECT & RELATE
- Review old ‘system’ / returning Players. Find similarities & incorporate where desired. Assess Players for ‘fit’ within new system.
- Relate ‘big picture’ aspects of new system to Players - especially QB’s and those potentially changing positions. Give them the “why”

TELL
- Terminology (essentially a glossary)
- Procedures (play calls, huddle, audibles, check-with-me’s, snap count, etc.) with visuals in some cases
- Techniques - some will be new, have new names
- Plays/Series (plays that are in the same ‘family’ or paired) with visuals & position-by-position descriptions/rules - Basics/Base Offense 1st and building on new ‘blocks’ of Total System as previous Base & Blocks are mastered.

SHOW
- Film Study (if available) of “Perfect Plays” in new system by Team/Position Group/1-on-1 (particularly w/QB’s)
- Coaches / Ex-Players / GA’s on-field walk-thru techniques by position group (where possible)

DO
- walk-thru procedures until near-perfect. Perfect comes with additional reps
- practice techniques by position group (on air & live (walk, 1/2 speed, full speed))
- practice plays/series by position group using most procedures & all techniques ( same as above)

REVIEW
- on-field Coaching-on-the-fly of all of the above…sight evaluation, correction (tell/show), repeat
- video review of practices by Coaches to assess any tweaks to ‘system,’ Players’ positions, etc.
- video review of practices by Players w/Coaches by Team & Position Group & 1-on-1 - for corrections & for “perfect” examples

APPLY & FLY
- Scrimmages & Spring game (Flying with a net)


REPEAT above with learnings from each Practice, Scrimmage, and Spring Game

….apply these learnings to pre-season tweaks & add additional ‘blocks’ of system in pre-season

[HKB60]

With Roper installing his system, I would bet that he would get about half of the offensive plays in place during the spring. The evaluation process will limit the playbook as there just isn't enough time under new spring practice guidelines. I would imagine that a lot of work will get done later in the spring with "player led" 7 on 7 and O/D line workouts.

[Furmanoid]

REFLECT & RELATE
- Review old ‘system’ / returning Players. Find similarities & incorporate where desired. Assess Players for ‘fit’ within new system.
- Relate ‘big picture’ aspects of new system to Players - especially QB’s and those potentially changing positions. Give them the “why”

TELL
- Terminology (essentially a glossary)
- Procedures (play calls, huddle, audibles, check-with-me’s, snap count, etc.) with visuals in some cases
- Techniques - some will be new, have new names
- Plays/Series (plays that are in the same ‘family’ or paired) with visuals & position-by-position descriptions/rules - Basics/Base Offense 1st and building on new ‘blocks’ of Total System as previous Base & Blocks are mastered.

SHOW
- Film Study (if available) of “Perfect Plays” in new system by Team/Position Group/1-on-1 (particularly w/QB’s)
- Coaches / Ex-Players / GA’s on-field walk-thru techniques by position group (where possible)

DO
- walk-thru procedures until near-perfect. Perfect comes with additional reps
- practice techniques by position group (on air & live (walk, 1/2 speed, full speed))
- practice plays/series by position group using most procedures & all techniques ( same as above)

REVIEW
- on-field Coaching-on-the-fly of all of the above…sight evaluation, correction (tell/show), repeat
- video review of practices by Coaches to assess any tweaks to ‘system,’ Players’ positions, etc.
- video review of practices by Players w/Coaches by Team & Position Group & 1-on-1 - for corrections & for “perfect” examples

APPLY & FLY
- Scrimmages & Spring game (Flying with a net)


REPEAT above with learnings from each Practice, Scrimmage, and Spring Game

….apply these learnings to pre-season tweaks & add additional ‘blocks’ of system in pre-season

Once everything is installed and you start regular practice, what do those look like? We had a HS coach a some years ago who broke practice into position groups doing drills (no more than 5-10 mins each) with a pretty brief, maybe 20 min team session at the end. Seemed crazy but we started killing everybody. I guess everybody got really good at their specific task. Seemed like executing plays would have been screwed up but it wasn’t.

[FUBeAR]

REFLECT & RELATE
- Review old ‘system’ / returning Players. Find similarities & incorporate where desired. Assess Players for ‘fit’ within new system.
- Relate ‘big picture’ aspects of new system to Players - especially QB’s and those potentially changing positions. Give them the “why”

TELL
- Terminology (essentially a glossary)
- Procedures (play calls, huddle, audibles, check-with-me’s, snap count, etc.) with visuals in some cases
- Techniques - some will be new, have new names
- Plays/Series (plays that are in the same ‘family’ or paired) with visuals & position-by-position descriptions/rules - Basics/Base Offense 1st and building on new ‘blocks’ of Total System as previous Base & Blocks are mastered.

SHOW
- Film Study (if available) of “Perfect Plays” in new system by Team/Position Group/1-on-1 (particularly w/QB’s)
- Coaches / Ex-Players / GA’s on-field walk-thru techniques by position group (where possible)

DO
- walk-thru procedures until near-perfect. Perfect comes with additional reps
- practice techniques by position group (on air & live (walk, 1/2 speed, full speed))
- practice plays/series by position group using most procedures & all techniques ( same as above)

REVIEW
- on-field Coaching-on-the-fly of all of the above…sight evaluation, correction (tell/show), repeat
- video review of practices by Coaches to assess any tweaks to ‘system,’ Players’ positions, etc.
- video review of practices by Players w/Coaches by Team & Position Group & 1-on-1 - for corrections & for “perfect” examples

APPLY & FLY
- Scrimmages & Spring game (Flying with a net)


REPEAT above with learnings from each Practice, Scrimmage, and Spring Game

….apply these learnings to pre-season tweaks & add additional ‘blocks’ of system in pre-season

Once everything is installed and you start regular practice, what do those look like? We had a HS coach a some years ago who broke practice into position groups doing drills (no more than 5-10 mins each) with a pretty brief, maybe 20 min team session at the end. Seemed crazy but we started killing everybody. I guess everybody got really good at their specific task. Seemed like executing plays would have been screwed up but it wasn’t.

Not sure exactly what you are saying/asking, but I did notice I omitted the Team part of “DO” which should have been after practice plays/series in Position Groups.

Anyway…In general…3 practice component ‘groupings’
1) Individual - WR’s /TE’s / C’s / OG’s / OT’s / QB’s / RB’s - mostly technique work /“drills”…some play-specific work
2) Group - OL / OB’s / Retrievers (TE’s split time with Retrievers & OL) - 50/50 technique/drills & play-specifics
3) Team - Bring it all together - Play-specific work / technique Coaching on-the-fly

…varies, but about 1/3rd of time for each ‘grouping’ - with “Pre-Practice” (stretch & maybe some onfield-skull work) and “Post-Practice” (conditioning & remedial drills /work) not counting in the timing of those 1/3rds.

[The Jackal]

It was a year ago Saturday (3rd Saturday in February) Furman kicked off their 2020 season against Western Carolina.

What a wild 12 months.