Wildcats begin preparation for Arizona State


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OGDEN — With their season-opener against Arizona State just 10 days away, the Weber State Wildcats are starting to get into heavy preparation about their FBS foes.

The Wildcats started Monday’s practice with an emphasis on matching the expected intensity of the Sun Devils, and head coach Jay Hill said they have begun to look more at the exact matchups they will see in Tempe.

“We moved on to some ASU stuff today,” he said. “We’ve got to play good against these guys, so we’ve got to know them inside out.”

With the size and speed the defending Pac-12 South champions are expected to bring to the table, the Wildcats opened Monday with the hopes of building off of last week’s intensity in practice. However, Hill said the morning practice was a step back for the team.


The Wildcats have a live practice open to the public on Saturday.

“This morning was slow,” he said. “I thought we were not sharp mentally; we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be. We were making dumb mistakes, we weren’t crisp out of the huddle, substitutions weren’t as clean as they need to be; bottom line, we were not good mentally.

“Unfortunately, it happens a lot where you give them a day off and mentally they don’t come back the way you think they would. I don’t know if they just hit a lull, or what happens right there, but it’s happened a lot over my career. Bottom line, you don’t want it to ever happen.”

Monday afternoon’s practice was much better, and Hill said the focus is on not letting bad circumstances become habits.

“I thought this afternoon’s practice was much better, cleaner,” he said. “We flew around a little bit more, and they’re a little dead but everyone’s dead right now. I thought it was much cleaner.”

With Weber beginning such earnest preparation for the Wildcats, one of the areas that will face the most scrutiny is the defensive backfield. With only one All-Big Sky honors winner returning to the squad (cornerback Deon’tae Florence), defensive backs coach Lance Hunsaker said it’s important for the Wildcats to focus on their preparation.

“I’ve had some young guys really step up,” he said. “We have two true freshmen that look like they’re going to really play a large role for us this year; senior leadership has been great, and then we have two guys that are sophomores that are going to play huge roles for us.”

Hill, who frequently coached defensive backs while assisting at the University of Utah, said the defensive backs are a group that will be needed throughout the season.

“They’re getting better, and there is some talented guys in that group,” he said. “They’re going to have their hands full with an unbelievable test this first game, and they know it. So, I think they’re preparing accordingly, because they know they’ve got to play their best against these guys.”

The previously mentioned Florence was named to the All-Big Sky preseason honors list at the Big Sky Football Kickoff, and Hunsaker said his leadership is one that will make the different for several young guys on the squad.

“He’s done a great job this year,” he said. “He’s got a lot of experience in a lot of different places, seeing a lot of different things. He’s had a lot of life lessons, and brings that maturity and that experience of being there, done that to this group, and really helps them.”

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Jon Oglesby

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