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OGDEN — Week two of spring football practice is in the books at Weber State.
The Wildcats are continuing to install a variety of new plays and work on existing techniques, as Weber adjusts to yet another style of play.
One of the biggest changes for the Wildcats has been the increase in the speed of practice, and the tempo of practice.
Weber coach Jay Hill said there are still guys who are trying to adjust themselves to the tempo at which he wants practice to be at.
“The tempo of what we expect in practice is still a little foreign to these guys,” he said. “From drill-to-drill, and the organization of practice and the detail of what we want to get done, it’s still not quite clean enough. The expectation of running all the way to the football on defense is something we’re still trying to clean up."
Hill did praise a variety of position groups over the course of the week, including the offensive line.
"The tempo of what we expect in practice is still a little foreign to these guys," Weber coach Jay Hill said.
“I really like the way the offensive line is playing right now,” he noted. “That was a little bit of a concern when we first took over, but I think Brent Myers is doing a great job with those guys. The (running backs) are playing hard; they’ve made a bunch of plays.
“And then, our secondary is really playing well right now.”
Offensively, the Wildcats are focusing on trying to execute as a unit this season, and Hill proclaimed the difference in play is noticeable from the product fans saw on the field in the 2013 season.
“I think too many times last year they had good route concepts, or they had good stuff going in, and either the quarterback wasn’t throwing it on time, or wasn’t throwing it to the right guy. Overall, execution of the offense (will) be cleaner.”
Defensively, Hill said it’s easy to see on film why Weber struggled to stop opponents.
“They gave up way too much yardage in the run game,” he said. “We’ve got to be way more stout against the run, and that’s where it all starts. If you can run the ball on offense, you’re going to be successful; if you can stop the run on defense, you’re going to be successful.”
Still, Hill said there were a variety of areas where he sees a need for improvement over the coming weeks, leading up to the spring game April 12.
“We do have to continue to toughen up some guys. Mentally when they get tired, we see guys fading, but that’s at any program. You’re going to see that at any program, where you’ve got freshman that you’ve got to get tougher; you’ve got seniors who still need to buy-in more because it’s a new regime. But, those are the same things that Alabama is facing; that (the University of Southern California) is facing with their new staff. It’s across the board in college football.”
With so many new faces, coaches have tried to evaluate players quickly, including evaluating them on a personal scale.
“I’m trying to figure out who’s trying to get away with something, and who’s just legitimately being honest about situations that arise,” Hill said. “It’s a feeling-out process. They’re pretty much settled in; I’m pretty much settled in, to know who I can and can’t trust, and who’s going hard.”
With the week in perspective, Hill noted the Wildcats are improving as spring practice is moving forward.
“It’s getting better,” said Hill, who is also adjusting to conducting practice as a head coach instead of an assistant. “It was a little more clean on practice four than it was on practice three. Players are continuing to buy-in.”
