• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your WyoNation.com experience today!

Fall Practice News

WYCowboy

Moderator
This is mostly for the UW fans that don't have access to much news about UW football and fall practice. I'll try to put some articles and links here for that purpose.

http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/08/08/sports/uwsports/2997868f1a76486f8725760c0000e00c.txt

By AUSTIN WARD
Star-Tribune staff writer

Saturday, August 8, 2009 7:36 AM MDT

LARAMIE -- Gabe Knapton survived the gauntlet.

That accomplishment was no small feat for anybody at the end of Wyoming's second practice.

But for a linebacker coming back from a knee injury and chasing the kind of shape that helped him emerge as a star last year, Knapton's negotiation of all the laps, pushups and sit-ups on Friday was an encouraging sign for a defense which badly needs him healthy.

And while other Cowboys were dragging themselves off the field, it looked even better for UW when Knapton announced he had enough energy to follow up the grueling workout with another in the weight room.

"I've been doing so much extra stuff trying to get back," Knapton said. "Right now I'm probably going to go back in there and work out a little more. I just want to get [the leg] back up to 110 percent, better than it was.

"I've still got a little bit left in the tank. Not a lot, but a little."

Nobody seemed to have much in reserve after new coach Dave Christensen unveiled another piece of his Winner's Edge conditioning program, though Knapton perhaps had some left over from a spring spent mostly on the sideline.

The sophomore was clearly frustrated at times to be missing the action and a chance to build on his breakout freshman campaign back in April, but now that he's back, Knapton is doing all he can to make up for it.

"He's not 100 percent yet, and he's got to go through this day-to-day grind of practice and stuff to get that leg back into that kind of shape," defensive coordinator Marty English said. "He's good, and when he's running his reps, he knows what he's doing. But as practice goes on his leg kind of fatigues on him a little bit, and that's just going to take time, take days.

"But when he goes, he goes hard. It's just getting that leg to be in shape enough that when we get to Sept. 5 [and the season opener against Weber State], it doesn't fatigue."

If wearing out is still an issue, Knapton has done a good job hiding it.

His physical numbers in the weight room have all improved over the summer.

The ball-hawking ability that produced 92 tackles last season is still plainly evident even without pads on.

And though Knapton has had to add a brace to protect his knee, it hasn't slowed him down a bit -- and like everybody else on the roster, he had plenty of chances to show off his speed on UW's new makeshift track.

"That's just part of our Winning Edge Program, part of our conditioning," Christensen said. "I mean, if you train hard enough all summer, it should be a breeze. Apparently some guys didn't do quite what it took to get ready to go, but we'll get them there. We'll get them there, we have a lot of time still.

"The key now is just getting the practice habits down and making sure everybody understands the speed and the tempo of our practices, that's first and foremost when you have 47 new players out there -- you've got a lot of teaching to do in that area."

The lesson is already sinking in.

Every time a member of a particular unit failed to make the time allotted for a lap, the whole group had to do it over. And unlike Knapton, not all the Cowboys are looking for extra reps.

"It's real tough, it takes a lot of mental toughness, but it's going to help us out tremendously in the season," Knapton said. "It just gives us a good chance, gets us where we need to be to succeed."

"We kind of knew it was going to be tough, and that was a little tougher than I thought it would be, but we've just got to be mentally tough and you can get through anything basically."

Knapton might not be the fittest yet, but he's got the survival part down.

LAUNCH PADS: The Cowboys haven't exactly been shy about getting physical without pads, so the intensity will almost certainly be ramped up this morning.

UW will add shoulder pads to the mix during a workout leading up to the team's annual Media Day, which should improve both the competition and the ability to assess the Cowboys at this point.

'We'll be OK -- two gosh-darn cloth practices, you don't find a whole bunch out," Christensen said. "[Today] we'll put shoulder pads on so we can get a little more physical, and then we'll start to see some things. Obviously, a couple days after that we'll get the pads on.

"That's football, we've got to practice at a certain speed and tempo, and we're going to [hit]. But our practices should be faster now than when we're in full pads because we're lighter."

Not for long.

Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or [email protected].

COWBOYS TRACKER

FRIDAY: Wyoming practiced for the second time since camp opened, working out in the morning and closing the session with a grueling conditioning drill.

ADDED PROTECTION: The Cowboys will add shoulder pads to go with their helmets when they practice today before their annual Media Day.

HE SAID IT: "I've still got a little bit left in the tank. Not a lot, but a little." -- UW linebacker Gabe Knapton after the Winner's Edge workout.



http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/08/08/sports/uwsports/doc4a7ba9b84aea9024625774.txt

Camp opens with QBs jockeying for starting spot

By ERIC SCHMOLDT
Star-Tribune staff writer
Friday, August 7, 2009 7:23 AM MDT


LARAMIE -- All of the options are finally here.

Now Wyoming's first-year coaching staff can finally start sorting through them.

UW kicked off fall practice Thursday inside the Indoor Practice Facility and the start of camp meant the resumption of the Cowboys' quarterback battle -- this time with two former starters and two unfamiliar faces.

"I think all the quarterbacks did some good things today and they all did some bad things," UW coach Dave Christensen said. "The competition's going to be great and we'll see what happens."

The competition is nothing new for senior Karsten Sween and junior Dax Crum.

Crum won the starting gig for the Pokes a year ago before giving way to Sween -- who entered Thursday in the No. 1 spot.

"I'm the number one guy right now," Sween said. "My focus is just to try to get better every day, every practice, and just take it personally. I'm not going to lose my spot. They're raising my level up and I'm just trying to hold on to that spot."

But Crum has edged him for that spot before and now two newcomers -- junior college transfer Robert Benjamin and true freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels -- have arrived trying to do the same.

After tying up some loose ends academically, Benjamin finally arrived in Laramie on July 30.

He's got the shortest amount of time to grasp a new system, but is more of a dual-threat option than any of UW's other choices at quarterback and showed off both his arm and his quickness on the ground during Thursday's padless practice.

"It's a new start for me -- a new team, a new atmosphere -- so it's still taking time for me to get used to the situation, but it's going good," Benjamin said. "I'm just taking it day by day. I can't tell you [if I'll be ready for the season-opener] right now."

Carta-Samuels believes he'll be ready if he's called upon to start against Weber State on Sept. 5.

The San Jose, Calif., native spent the summer learning Christensen's offense and plans on enjoying every minute of the competition.

"I'm going to work as hard as I can and I think that can get me to [start]," he said. "But ultimately, if one of them is better than I am, I trust these coaches to make Wyoming the best football team. And I'll redshirt and do what I have to do.

"My goal is to play, as it is all three of theirs."

Asked if there was any sort of timetable for making a decision on a starting quarterback, Christensen said he'll name a starter on the Thursday before the season opener.

Until then, a new depth chart will be posted in the locker room daily.

"With two guys who have never done anything and two guys who were just here in spring, it's not the ideal situation to make an early decision [on a starter]," UW offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo said. "It's going to develop itself over time. Hopefully a guy will emerge and a second guy will be right on his tail.

"We've got a long ways to go."

Let the battle begin -- again.

Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at (307) 266-0578 or [email protected].
 
Here's another one from the Laramie Boomerang:

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2009/08/07/sports/doc4a7ce5e8a2246701796520.txt

Cowboy's D heals up


By BOB HAMMOND Boomerang Sports Editor

Last spring wasn’t the easiest for University of Wyoming veteran assistant coach, but first-time defensive coordinator, Marty English.

His front seven was so beat up in spring drills that he had to go so far as to recruit a few former Cowboy linebackers just to get through some of the scrimmages.

But that’s all changed this fall. English was all smiles following Wyoming’s second practice of the fall camp on Friday morning.

“Last spring we were so injured that we had guys playing out of position. Now we are four-deep at every position,” English said. “So the guys that got it have time to rest, get their minds right and go hard when they are out there. We’re getting so much more attention to detail accomplished now than we were before.


“It’s fantastic to have the amount of numbers and depth that we have right now,’ he added.

English said his defense is now primed and ready to move forward.

“They had a great summer of training; they had a great offseason,” he continued. “They got in and studied some film and did well in their skill development sessions. Yeah, they are pretty sharp right now.

“The big thing now is that we keep it going. They have to understand if they want to get at a certain place, then how hard do they have to go on every play, and those types of things.”

And what does the Cowboy defense have to get done between now and the season opener against Weber State on Sept. 5?

“We just need reps, the technician of the reps, of having guys missing in the spring,” English said. “This involves things like the down-in, down-out technique, of ball leverage, keeping things underneath … doing all the little important things that they missed from being off the field. Those are the things we are picking up now that we need to get better at each day before Sept. 5.”

Two days in the books — The Cowboys were chased indoors for their first fall practice on Thursday due to a strong mid-afternoon rainstorm.

It was a lot different for the early-morning second session on Friday. A blue sky, temperatures in the low 70s and no wind greeted the Cowboys.

“That’s why we are enjoying it so much here,” Susie Christensen, the wife of head Cowboy coach Dave Christensen and one of several interested spectators in attendance, said. “This is something we couldn’t do (comfortably) at Missouri because of the heat and humidity.”

The Cowboys worked their way through an up-tempo, two-hour session.

“The key now is just getting the practice habits down … making sure everybody understands the speed and the tempo of our practices,” Dave Christensen said. “That’s first and foremost because we have 47 new players out there, and we have a lot of teaching to do in that area.

“I’m happy for the most part with our returning players. They have kind of picked up where they left off in the spring. They have started to develop those habits.”

Christensen said he was pleased with the first couple of days for the most part, but he qualified that by saying there was not much that can be evaluated with the players decked out in just shorts, T-shirts and helmets.

“I think our defense is doing a good job, particularly the older guys, pursuing to the ball. Offensively, we’re still trying to figure a lot of things out,” Christensen said.

“There are some good signs we’re OK. Like I said, it’s still early. You don’t find out a lot through two cloth practices. We’ll put on shoulder pads on Saturday, so it will get a little more physical and we will start to see some things. Two days after that, we’ll put some pads on.”

A grueling ending — The UW football team concluded Friday’s practice session with a conditioning segment that left several Cowboys dragging and gasping for air.

The segment, with players running in their respective groups at several different starting points, consisted of four laps around orange cones set up in a rectangular pattern. It’s a distance of approximately 320 yards per lap. There was a short pause between laps, and each group was required to complete each lap in a certain amount of time.

Naturally, it was the bigger Cowboys, the offensive line in particular, who struggled the most. In fact, the O-line ended up taking three additional laps.

“It’s just part of our ‘Winning Edge’ program … part of our conditioning at the end of practice,” Christensen said.

“If you train hard enough all summer, it should be a breeze. Apparently, some guys didn’t do quite what it took to get themselves ready, but we will get them there. There’s a lot of time still.”

Wiley veterans — On the first lap of the conditioning sequence, quarterback newcomers Robert Benjamin and Austyn Carta-Samuels led the way around the field while veterans Karsten Sween and Dax Crum finished in the middle of the pack. But in the fourth and final lap, it was Sween and Crum leading the way.

There’s a lot that can be said for experience.

Finally … a little respect — Mountain West Conference football is finally getting a little respect.

The Preseason USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 is out and three MWC teams are ranked, marking the first time in the Bowl Championship Series era that three teams from a non-automatic-qualifying conference have appeared in the preseason Coaches’ poll.

TCU is the MWC’s highest-ranked team at No. 17, followed by Utah at No. 18 and BYU at No. 24. Florida, as expected, was voted as the preseason No. 1.

In other interesting poll notes, MWC wannabe Boise State was ranked No. 16, while Texas, which will travel to Wyoming on Sept. 12 to face the Cowboys, is ranked No. 2 behind the Gators.

Up next — The Cowboys will have another single practice today at 8:45 a.m. on the south practice field. Media Day begins at noon with a luncheon. The Cowboys will then take part in an autograph session with fans at 3:30 p.m. in War Memorial Stadium.

Bob Hammond’s e-mail address is [email protected]
 
Here is one from the Wyoming Tribune/Eagle:

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2009/08/08/sports/19sports_08-08-09.txt

MISSION: POSSIBLE


After several dropped passes by UW receivers in the spring game, coach Dave Christensen challenged them to catch the ball or find a new position to play.

By Robert Gagliardi
[email protected]

LARAMIE -- Dan Hammerschmidt first said 12.

He then said it might have been 13.

That was the number of dropped passes his receivers had in the University of Wyoming spring football game on April 25.

In a spread offense -- or any offense for that matter -- that many drops are not good.

It prompted first-year coach Dave Christensen to issue a challenge to his pass-catchers.

"That's going to get corrected, or somebody is going to have to find another position to play," he said.

The Cowboys began fall camp Thursday, and Christensen still isn't sure if his receivers got his message from the spring.

"I guess my point hasn't got across yet, but it certainly will," he said. "We'll work on it. We have plenty of drills. We'll put a lot of time and effort into catching the ball."

Hammerschmidt, UW's assistant head coach, along with receivers and tight ends coach, agreed with Christensen. He also said it's difficult to gauge whether dropped passes will be the exception or the norm after one or two practices in fall camp. Many players are just trying to get used to the tempo of practices or get acclimated to their first college practices.

Hammerschmidt enters his 24th year as a college coach, and more than half of that experience has been on the offensive side of the ball. He has been through times where his receivers get the drops.

And the one thing he's learned: "Don't overreact," he said.

Hammerschmidt used an example of when he was the receivers coach last year at Rice. The Owls were playing at Memphis early in the season and won the game in overtime.

But his receivers dropped eight passes, and All-American Jarett Dillard had two drops.

The team had just 19 drops on the season, and Dillard had only one more drop the entire season.

Rice finished 10-3 and won the Texas Bowl 38-14 over Western Michigan.

"I didn't overreact," he said. "We did some extra ball drills. You let them know by doing some extra drills after practice that 'hey boys, we've got to catch the ball.'

"You also let them know this offense is all about pitching and catching. We can't run this thing if you can't catch the ball."

Junior receiver David Leonard earned a reputation as one of the Cowboys' more sure-handed receivers during his first two years (29 catches, 321 yards, two touchdowns), but even he wasn't immune to the drops in the spring game.

"Whenever you have a bad game like that, you want to have a short memory," he said. "But at the same time, it was a motivational thing. As a group, we knew we didn't perform, and there are no excuses for how we did.

"It was something we thrived on all summer. ... Everyone talks that this offense is built for playmakers. You always want to be a playmaker once you get to this level. If you haven't thought of yourself as a playmaker at this point, I don't exactly know how you got this far.

"I know all the guys we have would do anything for this team to be successful. If that means someone stepping up to be a playmaker, then that's what we will try to do."

Leonard is one of eight returning receivers from last season hoping to emerge as a playmaker. He was third on the team in catches last season (16).

UW's leading receiver was Greg Bolling, who as a junior caught 26 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Bolling will miss the first two games this season for violating team rules. Senior Donate Morgan, who caught nine passes and a touchdown last season, will miss the first game for the same reason.

There are six new receivers and tight ends who are true freshmen that the coaches are high on. But no proven playmakers.

"We've got a lot of depth now. We'll see what kind of depth it is," Hammerschmidt said. "I think there will be competition at positions, which always helps. If a guy drops a ball, he's out and the next guy rolls in. If he keeps catching the ball, the other guy may never see the field."

One UW receiver said part of the pass-catching problem might have something to do with the change of offensive schemes.

"We're really good at catching the ball when we're out there fresh," said sophomore Brandon Stewart, who caught 13 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown last season.

"I struggle a little bit when we get quite a few plays into a practice session and get a little tired. It's about maintaining that focus. I think we're learning every time we come out here to stay more focused when we're tired.

"In the spring game, we were catching a lot of passes early, but later we started dropping them. I think that has to do with being tired and (not) focused."

UW only threw for 1,412 yards with eight touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season in an offense that was based on a power-run game. Christensen's spread offense is faster-paced and relies more heavily on the pass, with as many as five receivers involved with each play.

"We're focusing more on catching the ball instead of worrying about getting hit," Stewart added. "I think we're coming in here a little more mentally prepared."
 
Back
Top