2010 Weber State Fall Football Camp Diary

[SWeberCat02]

Surprisingly, someone up at Weber is posting a daily camp diary. You can find it on weberstatesports.com. So far it has provided some good information. For convenience I'll post each day's entry in this topic. Here are the entry's from the first three days of camp.

PRACTICE #1 - Friday, August 6th
Coach Ron McBride and his staff welcomed 90 players (the NCAA Division I FCS allowable number) to the first day of practice. The team was divided up into two groups with the first group going from 8:50-10:10 and the second group going from 10:30 to 11:50.

Friday’s practice session was held on the field in Stewart Stadium due to the 2010 World Archery Cup championships. The preliminary rounds on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are being held on the football practice field and the women’s soccer field. ... Saturday’s practice sessions will also be held in Stewart Stadium.

Temperatures in the mid 80s, combined with high humidity, sent players, coaches and media members searching for water on numerous occasions.

“I liked what I saw today,” said McBride. “Strength wise we are in tremendous shape. Running wise I was a little disappointed, but a lot of new players have come from sea level and it always takes them a week to adjust.”

McBride gave praise to his quarterbacks who looked sharp in the helmet-only drills and liked what he saw in his offensive line. On the defensive side he was impressed how quickly some of the young defensive lineman were staying focused and learning.

PRACTICE #2 - Saturday, August 7th
It wasn’t as hot, or humid, on Saturday morning after over night rains cooled things down a bit. Both practices were again held on the grass in Stewart Stadium so the World Cup Archery personnel could finish cleaning up the practice field.

Clay Ramos (DT), a junior college transfer from Yuba (CA.) JC, missed practice on Saturday. He was taken to a local hospital yesterday after practice for observation. He was experiencing chest pains and the WSU training staff quickly assessed the situation and took him over for treatment. WSU trainer, Joel Bass, says Ramos will have a stress test on Monday to determine what further course of action needs to be taken.

Brett Felton (6-1, 215 Jr. Roverback) picked off a pass and returned it 20-yards for a touchdown in the “B” practice session.

Coach McBride’s Thoughts

On Saturday
“Today was really good. Both the “A” and “B” practices were crisp. Yesterday in the “A” practice, I thought the offense kind of dominated the defense, but today it was give and take on both sides. I liked the decision making of our quarterbacks today. Our young players are opening up the eyes of some of our veterans.:

On the Defensive Secondary
“I have been impressed with the speed, quickness and determination of the secondary. We have a lot of young players in that area, but they have been playing with a lot of spirit, drive and intensity.”

On the players battling at offensive center
“Replacing Kyle Mutcher is a big key for our offense. Tytan Timoteo looks to have the edge at the moment, but Spencer Rangasan and the new freshman, Tyson Tiatia, have both been impressive thus far.”

The Wildcats take Sunday off, then resume “A” and “B” practices on Monday at 8:50-10:10 and 10:20 to 11:50. Players will be able to put the shoulder pads on for the first time for Monday and Tuesday’s practices ... Wednesday will be the first full contact day.

PRACTICE #3 - Monday, August 9th
The date today is 8-9-10 and we won’t see that sequence for another 100 years. Practice was held on the practice field for the first time this season. The weather was much cooler and less humid, but the heating off of the turf still makes for toasty practice conditions. Players added shoulder pads to the helmets today, and tomorrow, preparing for full-contact on Wednesday.

Demetri Enesi (Soph. DT) sustained a knee injury on Saturday and did not practice on Monday. He is being evaluated to find the extent of any damage which may have occurred.
Clay Ramos (DT) had a stress test at McKay-Dee Hospital. The results of that test will determine his practice status.

Coach McBride was on KUTV-TV Sunday night on Talkin’ Sports with David James. ... McBride will be featured every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. on 1280 AM “The Sports Zone” (KZNS).

Coach McBride Thoughts..

ON PRACTICE IN GENERAL
“The “A’ group had a really good practice and looked sharp. In the “B” group, we had way too many missed assignments on the offensive line. The defensive lines in both groups I thought had very good practices.”

THE QUARTERBACKS

“Our quarterbacks have made tremendous progress, especially Mike Hoke and Jordan Adamczyk, who are backing up Cameron. They each made some good decisions today.”

THE RUNNING BACKS
“We have five really solid players. Vai Tafuna is running really strong right now, as are Josh Booker and C.J. Tuckett. A couple of freshmen, Alema Key and Tanner Hinds, have played better than maybe I expected they would, but that’s good. It means they are competing and giving 100 percent effort every play.”

THE LINEBACKERS
“The linebackers are our strength right now. Mo Neal, Taylor Sedillo and Nick Webb are as good as anyone in our league. They are showing tremendous leadership and making correct decisions”

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #4 - Tuesday, August 10th

The team practiced together as an entire group for the first time. They were in helmets and shoulder pads. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the first full-contact practice. Practice begins goes from 9:00 to 11:30 at the practice field. Nice, cool morning for a change today. ... Willie Harris (Roverback) had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Coach McBride’s Thoughts on Tuesday

RED ZONE
“We started off with ‘red zone’ practice today with everyone participating. The defense made some really good stops. I was disappointed in our first offense in not being able to get the ball into the end zone, but on the flip side I was really pleased with the effort by our defense in keeping them out.”

HALF LINE INSIDE DRILLS
“There was a lot of give and take on both sides and I liked the intensity. This is the drill where you get down, mean and fight to hold your ground or take ground. I think our second offense line is going to be pretty good. There was some questions there coming into Fall camp, but they’ve really steppead up and accepted the challenge to become better, and Coach Thomas has done a tremendous job of positive motivation with them.”

NINE ON SEVEN
“I thought is was a good, physical period. Tim Farabee at left offensive guard had came to the fore front in this period. He’s becoming a better player everyday.”

ON CAMERON HIGGINS
“Cameron did nice job today of making his reads and delivering the ball. He looks much more relaxed, composed and confident than he did at the end of last season. Mike Hoke also had a good day throwing the ball as well.”

ON THE NEW RECEIVERS
“Dontrell Sanford, a receiver we took late out of Mississippi, is really turning into a good football player for us. He’s really athletic, has a good work ethic and has made some big plays. Erik Walker, a freshman from Park City, has shown some moxy and the ability to catch the ball in traffic. Sheydon Kehano is another freshman whose come in and competed hard.”

 

[wsucatfan]

Thanks SWeber, its great reading the camp notes

 

[SWeberCat02]

Thanks SWeber, its great reading the camp notes

No problem. I guess we should thank the person with the athletic department who finally decided to get off their can and give us some useful info.

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #5 - Wednesday, August 11th - First Day of Full Contact

The Wildcats practiced together as a group in full contact pads. ... It was a beautiful, clear morning but the wind kicked up towards the end of practice. ... Kela Marciel (RsFr.-CB) and Marvin Walker (Jr.-CB) each pass interceptions during passing offense drills. ... Marty Renzhofer, the WSU football beat writer from the Salt Lake Tribune attended practice. He is doing a feature on Cameron Higgins which is set to run in this Sunday’s edition.

Coach Ron McBride’s Thoughts

RED ZONE WORK
“The offense pretty much dominated the red zone today, after being stopped yesterday. They scored five out of seven times and most of the scores came off of runs. I was disappointed in the defense. They were as ready as they needed to be.”

NINE ON SEVEN
“Taylor Sedillo and Willie Harris played really well during this period. They were alive, aggressive and showed a lot of leadership. In fact, I was pleased with the way all the linebackers played in this period.”

“We are getting good play out of our defensive ends but the inside guys at tackle need to get a little more stout. Our combinations need to be a little better along the offensive line.”

RUNNING BACKS
“Josh Booker had a very morning running the ball. He’s been a little behind for some reason in the first couple of practices, but he came to play today. Vai Tafuna also had a good day.”

PRACTICING THIRD DOWN SITUATIONS
“Our quarterbacks had a tough day because the secondary did an excellent job of making their reads and reacting to the football. We had two really nice interceptions during this drill as well. Our guys in the back end are playing better coverage responsibility. The underneath coverage has been much better and they are making harder for the quarterbacks to find holes.”

GENERALLY
“Overall we gained some ground today. The players were excited about getting in full gear and getting physical. The defense was a bit disappointing at the first of practice, so we had to do a little motivation and they responded in a positive manner. We need to be more mentally tough if we are going to make improvement.”

 

[SWeberCat02]

Article from the Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/50094374-77/mcbride-weber-mistakes-season.html.csp

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICES #6 / #7 - Thursday, August 12th

The coaching staff changed up practice on Thursday, deciding to have two practices instead of one. The first two-a-day practice was scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 13th). .. Weather was nice all day, temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s.

The Wildcats sustained their first serious injury of the season during the morning practice. Tyrell Francisco (6-3, 245 Sr. TE / Kelowna, British Columbia) ruptured his right Achilles tendon, running a simple pattern. He will most likely be lost for the season and will red-shirt the 2010 campaign. Francisco had 12 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns last season as a junior. He came into Fall camp as the projected starter at the tight end spot. In the Spring of 2008, Francisco ruptured his left Achilles tendon but came back to play in the last third of that season.

The morning practice was full pads, while the afternoon session was shorts, shoulder pads and helmets. ... Friday’s practice will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ... On Saturday (Aug. 14) the team will have its first full scrimmage, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the practice field.


Coach McBride’s Thoughts on Thursday

ON THE LOSS OF TYRELL FRANCISCO
“He’s a hard one to replace because so much experience and playing time. Unfortunately, that is part of the game. It’s now time for those in the backup roles to step up and contribute. Brian Jankowski, Jake Rogers and Will Fahrenbach have all worked hard this Summer to prepare themselves and they now have the opportunity to play. Kevin Halfhill, our starting right tackle, played there for three years, so there’s a possibility he could see some time on certain occasions.”

MORNING PRACTICE
“It was really physical and that’s what it is all about. Both sides got after each other pretty good. I think we showed improvement in both fronts. I thought the running backs played very well. All four of those guys, Tafuna, Booker, Tuckett and the freshman, Alema Key, showed some spunk and tenacity in hitting the holes. Our fullbacks go a bit unnoticed at times, but they all blocked very well this morning.”

OFFENSIVE LINE
“Alex Land, a freshman from Oklahoma City, has been an eye opener at offensive guard. He’s has some tremendous skills and doesn’t get pushed around very often. I have been please with our second unit, the way they have responded. They go up against the first defensive front everyday and they have held their own.”

DEFENSIVE LINE
“Sam Fenn had a good day at defensive end and think he’s going to surprise a lot of our opponents this season. Faifo (Alofaifo Levale) did some good things and showed some improvement. We still need to get more productivity out of our ‘three technique tackle” spot.”

AFTERNOON PRACTICE
“We worked on the throw game and I thought Cameron had a real good afternoon throwing the ball, as did Mike Hoke."

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #8 - Friday, August 13th

Another nice warm morning for practice on Friday the 13th. ... No serious injuries to report. ... Tim Farabee (6-5, 290 Jr. OG / St. George, Utah) tweaked a knee in Thursday’s practice. He was limited to a few non-contact drills on Friday. .... C.J. Tuckett (5-10, 195 Soph. RB / Malta, Idaho) sustained a slight concussion and was held out of hard contact drills.

Saturday’s scrimmage will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the practice field. ... The public is invited to attend.


Coach McBride’s Thoughts on Friday Morning.

FOUR MINUTE DRILL
“In the four minute drill at the end of practice, I thought the defense stepped up and made some big plays. The offense had a third and two situation and had to make first down for the game to be over. The defense stopped the offense twice. Taylor Sedillo made a great play, squaring up to the gap and knocking the running back for a loss, so I was really pleased with the way they responded to adversity. It was a big step forward for the defense.”

OFFENSIVE LINE COMBINATIONS
“I thought the combinations in the offensive were really good today. Both sets of linemen are very good players. I am certainly impressed with our young freshmen. They haven’t back down from anyone. They are mature beyond their age as far as learning combination blocks and responding to the line calls, keeping their feet moving and finishing the play. Jiniki Timoteo (6-3, 300 Fr. OG) is going to be a special player. Cash Knight (6-3, 275 Fr. OG), Shelton Robinson (6-3, 265 Fr. OT) and Austin Butler (6-2, 280 Fr. OG) have all played well this week, and played particularly well today.”

THE KICKING GAME
“Shaun McClain (6-3, 210 Fr.) is left-footer with a great leg. Josh Kealamakia (6-1, 195 Fr.) has a really strong leg, but sometimes he gets a little anxious and over kicks. When just kind of strokes, like a good wedge shot in golf, he does some good things. At this point, Shaun is probably more of a complete kicker, but Josh has the stronger leg. Both are going to be excellent collegiate kickers. We need to replace Mike Snoy as the punter. Being left-footed, Shaun’s kicks are hard to catch because they spin the other way and most punt returners aren’t used to that. Tony Epperson, a safety from Park City, has worked all Summer and he will be in the mix as well.”

“Right now, I am not sure who are kick returners are going to be. We have five or six right now working out each day on both the punt and kickoff return teams. Hopefully we can sort that out over the next week and narrow it down to two or three.”

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICES # 10 / #11 - Monday, August 16th

Beautiful morning and afternoon practice conditions. ... Two players, Dontrelle Sanford (5-8, 180 Jr. Wide Receiver / Hattiesburg, Mississippi) and Misi Tafaoialii (6-4, 290 Jr. Defensive End / Magna, Utah) decided to leave the team. Both players came aboard this past Summer. ... Tim Farabee (6-5, 290 Jr. Offensive Guard / St. George, Utah) continues to improve after tweaking his right knee last week. He is expected to be back in practice in another week.

Coach Ron McBride’s Thoughts on Monday’s practices

THE MORNING SESSSION
“The offense bounced back after a poor showing in the scrimmage on Saturday and played with a great deal of poise and effort. We went into our red zone session and I thought the offense came away the winner. We had a sudden change situation when Jordan Brown made a nice interception.”

“We put the ball on the two yardline of the offense to see how they would react with their backs to the ball and the offensive line made a great read on a blitz by the defense and Vai Tafuna went the distance for a touchdown, so that was a positive for the line.”

THE AFTERNOON SESSION
“After we got after the defense at the end of the morning practice, they came back and pretty much dominated all the drills in the afternoon. We ended with the quarterback and receivers going against the linebackers and defensive backs in the best of five from the 10-yardline. The offense scored on the first two plays but the defense came up big on the next three to win.”

ON HEARING THE WILDCATS WERE PICKED 19TH IN THE SPORTS NETWORK
PRE-SEASON NCAA DIVISION I FCS POLL

“It’s nice that our program is now being recognized as one of the best on our level and in our conference. Now we need to work our way up that ladder.”

 

[SWeberCat02]

ON HEARING THE WILDCATS WERE PICKED 19TH IN THE SPORTS NETWORK
PRE-SEASON NCAA DIVISION I FCS POLL

“It’s nice that our program is now being recognized as one of the best on our level and in our conference. Now we need to work our way up that ladder.”

Idaho St got 15 points in this poll. LOL!!

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/TSN-DIV-1AA-POLL.htm

 

[n.ogdencat]

That had to be a typo... I think they meant Sacramento State. HILARIOUS though that those two schools are interchangeable.

Why did Sanford and Misi leave the team? I know Misi is a walkon, but Sanford was coming along great, from what I heard. Was he home sick? Was he not getting along with the other players? Was his time getting cut for other players?

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #12 - Tuesday, August 17th

Some threatening clouds were about at the beginning of practice, but sunshine prevailed at the end. ... Just one practice session this morning. ... Highlight of the morning was the offense vs. defense on third and two. The offense got first downs twice, but the defense made three stops, so the offense had the opportunity to do 40 “Up Downs”


Coach McBride Thoughts

ON THE THIRD AND TWO DRILL
“The offense played a little better today than yesterday. The third and two drill was really spirited on both sides. I like the intensity and desire both sides had in wanting to get those yards or prevent those two yards.”

ON WEDNESDAY’S SCRIMMAGE
“We have had two days to work on our mistakes from last Saturday’s scrimmage, so that is what we as a staff will be looking for. I want to see some fire and enthusiasm from the offense and better execution. Defensively, our front four are getting better each day but they need to flex their muscles tomorrow as well.”

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #13 - Wednesday, August 18th

Weber State’s football team scrimmaged for 90 minutes, Wednesday morning. Both sides of the ball found success and improvement was noticeable on both sides as well.

“I’d probably call this one a draw,” said WSU head football coach, Ron McBride. “Early on the defense kind of controlled the tempo and the offense had too many silly penalties. But I thought the offense picked it up and made some good plays in the middle part and did some nice things. In the final third and seven battles, the defense won six out of 10 times to kind of redeem themselves.”

Cameron Higgins guided the number one offense for most of the scrimmage, completing 19-30 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown.

“The offensive line took a step forward today,” said McBride. “Our young freshmen are beginning to understand. They gave the quarterbacks time to make some good reads and they had a pretty high percentage rate.”

High percentage, as in 34-46 (.734) for 299 yards total in all of the plays and situational periods. Sophomore Mike Hoke was 7-8 for 88 yards and red-shirt freshman Jordan Adamczyk was 6-8 for 53 yards.

The defense made several big plays. The biggest came with the number one defense going against the number one offense in the “Length of the Field” situation. The offense got the ball at their own two yard line and marched to mid field on a couple of nice runs by Vai Tafuna and Josh Booker. On first and ten at their own 47, Cameron Higgins had a pass batted by linebacker Nick Webb, which was then picked out of the air by defensive tackle Alofaifo Levale, and returned for a touchdown.

The ball was then returned back to the two-yard line to begin another series, but on the first play Tafuna was tackled in the end zone by defensive end Pete Rolf for a safety.

“The defense made two great plays in a row to kill the momentum the offense had been building,” McBride said. “We didn’t have enough of those ‘sudden change’ situations last season and that’s been a point of emphasis on the defensive side - get turnovers.”

Faron Creighton, senior cornerback, knocked down a pass in the end zone which appeared to be a touchdown pass thrown by Jordan Adamczyk, and freshman cornerback Devin Pugh made two solid pass break ups which ended scoring drives by the offense.

The offense ran the ball 34 times for 113 yards, scoring two times. Josh Booker, a red-shirt freshman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, carried 11 times for 48 yards and scored on a two-yard run. The other score was by first-year freshman Haini Moimoi, who scored on a one-yard run during the Goal to Goal situation period.

Vai Tafuna was the recipient of a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Higgins. He had four catches for 34 yards. Shaydon Kehano, a freshman from Hawai’i, had five catches for 68 yards. Fullback Derek Cosper had four catches for 47 yards, but three of his receptions came on third down, giving the offense new life each time.

The Wildcats wrap up Fall camp this coming Saturday, August 21st with the “Fall Football Scrimmage” in Stewart Stadium beginning at 10:00 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., Coach Ron McBride will hold a “Chalk Talk” with Wildcat football fans on the 4th Floor of the Stewart Stadium complex. McBride will preview the 2010 Wildcats and answer questions. The talk and game are free to the public.

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #14 - Thursday, August 19th

The fury of "mother nature" made its first appearance during 2010 Fall camp. With about 45 minutes left, a severe thunderstorm engulfed the Ogden region, complete with thunder and lots of lightning. Because of the close proxmity of those strikes, practice was cut short and everyone returned to Stewart Stadium.

Coach McBride's Thoughts
"We were having a pretty good practice until the storm hit, and obviously the safety of the players and ourselves comes first, so we cut it short and resume it again this evening. We will have just a light walk through type of practice tonight, and we will be going a little later, probably around 7:00. We are a little banged up right now, so we will be backing off tonight and probably in tomorrow morning's practice as well, before we finish up with the scrimmage on Saturday."

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #15 - Friday, August 20th

The weather turned back to Summer like conditions after a cooling down on Thursday. ... The offense and defense got after each other in the final "Third and Seven" situational period. The offense scored three times and the defense held three times. On the final play, a pass from Cameron Higgins was batted down in the secondary and the offense ended up doing the "50 up downs".

Coach McBride's Thoughts

OVERALL
"We accomplished some good things today, especially on the defensive side. I thought we played more aggressively than we did on Thursday. Our front line guys are coming around. We have some good freshmen in there who are learning everyday and getting better each practice."

 

[SWeberCat02]

PRACTICE #16 - Saturday, August 21s - 10:00 a.m. Scrimmage at Stewart Stadium

Weber State finished its 2010 Fall camp with a 90 minute, 63 play scrimmage on Saturday morning on the field inside Stewart Stadium. Both sides made some key plays, but it was the running game which got most of the attention.

“We held Vai Tafuna and Josh Booker out today,” said WSU head football coach Ron McBride. “They both played very well in the first two scrimmages and there wasn’t any need to get them banged around any more. We obviously wanted to see what kind of playing shape Bo Bolen was in, along with C.J. Tuckett who has missed the last week with a slight concussion.”

Bolen returned to the team last Monday. He received his two-year LDS Church mission call to the Philippine Islands in late July, but won’t leave until December 8, so he decided to return and play the 2010 season.

His debut probably went better than expected. He carried 14 times for 118 yards and scored one touchdown. He set up his one-yard scoring run with a 56-yard jaunt around the right side.

“I felt ok,” said Bolen. “It’s not like I have been away from it a long time. It felt comfortable out there and the line did a nice job of blocking. I am probably 80 percent back, physically.”

The offense showed balance, throwing 33 times and rushing 30. The quarterbacks were a combined 17-33 for 178 yards, while the running game produced 241 yards.

“That was good balance,” said McBride. “A couple of times the offense imposed their will on the defense. In that last period where we have ‘third and seven’, we ran it seven times and the offense won four of them, so the defense had to do 50 up downs and that’s the first time that’s happened this week in that drill.”

Cameron Higgins completed 11-20 passes for 114 yards and Kamana Kaimikaua, who has missed a majority of Fall camp, led all receivers with four catches for 52 yards but sprained his knee. His status for the season opener is questionable at this point.

Besides the one-yard TD run by Bolen, C.J. Tuckett scored on a 14 yards run and freshman Haini Moimoi scored on a 20-yard run.

David James, a sophomore transfer from Wyoming, had two unassisted tackles from his cornerback spot. Josh Tenove, a freshman defensive end, also had two unassisted stops. Another freshman, Robbie Diamond, had two pass break ups and a nifty cornerback blitz which resulted in a quarterback sack for a minus five yards. Nick Webb also had a quarterback sack for the defense.

“I was disappointed the defense didn’t force any turnovers,” said McBride, “But on the other hand I was really happy the offense didn’t have any turnovers. Overall, I thought it was a good scrimmage but there’s always room for improvement. Next week we will settle the depth chart and sort out our scout team.”

The 2010 Fall semester at Weber State begins this coming Monday, August 23rd. The team now reverts back to their one-a-day practice sessions from 3:00-5:30 p.m. daily at the practice field. The Wildcats open the 2010 season in two weeks on Saturday, September 4 at Boston College.

 

[Wildcatchafire]

GO WILDCATS,

One play, one down, one snap at a time....consistency wins games.

BEAT BC