Colorado State University Athletics
Rams start process of utilizing enhanced tools
8/1/2019 11:17:00 AM | Football
Bobo stressing on-field action
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The tape measure looks good. So does the stopwatch. Those improvements alone – made in the offseason under the guidance Colorado State football strength and conditioning coach Joey Guarascio – are not enough.
Stronger players can hold their ground better, push through and create chaos. Faster means they can get to the ball quicker as a defender or pull away from an opposing one. Still, even the Rams know it won't guarantee success on the field if they aren't approaching their tasks correctly, and Thursday's practice was the first of 25 chances to make those corrections.
"I thought we had a great offseason, but we talked about it last night, that's just kinda laying the foundation for us to become better football players," quarterback Collin Hill said. "I think everybody got faster and stronger, but at the end of the day, you have to make that correlate on the field."
After a 3-9 season, the physical improvements Bobo and his staff targeted were clear. There needed to be more beef and strength along both fronts. Speed was a necessity across the board. But it does little if it is not coupled with a knowledge of the playbook, being disciplined to the task on and off the field and having more than a passing grasp of being assignment sound.
"The next phase is what we're going to do now," head coach Mike Bobo said. "They're a confident football team right, a confident group of guys because of the preparation they put into this point, but again those are words that we talked about last night. Our action has still got to be improve on a daily basis, and we talked about 25 days and making the most of each opportunity, being a man, make sure you're still handling your business that we're still in school.
"We have a lot of improvement to make. Working out's one thing, and running from cone to cone. We've got to play football."
Defensive end Emmanuel Jones brought up confidence, as well. For the junior, that has to be step one each individual on the team tackles. From there, growth can take off exponentially as a team, especially a defensive unit still learning defensive coordinator John Jancek's system.
Last year the knowledge came under fire, taught by a new defensive staff. The spring gave a chance to deepen the education without being under a microscope. The system isn't easy, but Jones said it's not all that hard, either.
"They made the plays where they're complicated, but the chemistry is so good, it's more reaction than thinking about the actual plays," he said. "It's a better pace because we don't have to sit there and ponder over where each player is supposed to be. We've simplified it between ourselves and have gone from there."
There will be a lot of watchful eyes when it comes to defensive progress in camp, but none of them are shying away from the challenge. What offseason conditioning gave them has to be utilized, but it is of no help if not coupled with technique.
There is no player on the roster who more epitomizes the work which was done than cornerback Rashad Ajayi. He started all 12 games as a true freshman last year, one who was undersized. Now he's added 17 pounds, dropped his 40-yard time to 4.4 and can bench press 305; pound for pound, he's one of the five strongest guys on the roster to Guarascio.
Again, he knows it is not enough.
"We have to use everything we got from Joey in the summer to our advantage. We have to fly around to the ball on defense and make plays on offense," Ajayi said. "We need to be more energized as a whole team and compete. That's the biggest thing. Everybody is good, but if everybody competes, everybody gets better.
"Everybody is not just trying to master their potion, but other positions as well, just in case they get thrown into the fire. I want to be able to know nickel and safety and not be surprised if my number is called. It's a big emphasis on knowing the whole defense and why we're making the call, not just that we're doing it."
Position changes – Corte Tapia has moved from linebacker to fullback, while Braylin Scott jumped from the secondary to wide receiver. Bobo said it is not an experiment.
"I like it. He looked good out there," Hill said.
Bobo said the move was made due to the depth at safety and the lack of it at wide receiver, especially with so much inexperience and E.J. Scott being down with an injury right now. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, Scott provides a length and speed to the outside, and his ball skills translated well the first day of practice.
Training room – Bobo announced defensive lineman Richard King was not medically cleared to play (neck), thus ending his career a season short. King started the first two games of the 2018 season, but was unable to come back from the injury he sustained in the Colorado game.
As Jones told reporters after practice, it was hard to see a teammate not be able to play when he still wanted, but it was a decision made more about life in the future than playing in the present.
Linebacker Anthony Giusti is still out, recovering from ankle surgery, Bobo said.
On the other side of the ledger, defensive lineman Toby McBride is fully cleared, though Bobo said they will still be cautious with him, giving him "a pitch count" in camp.
"We're not two-a-days anymore, so there's a lot of space, so we're going to be careful with him," Bobo said.
Stronger players can hold their ground better, push through and create chaos. Faster means they can get to the ball quicker as a defender or pull away from an opposing one. Still, even the Rams know it won't guarantee success on the field if they aren't approaching their tasks correctly, and Thursday's practice was the first of 25 chances to make those corrections.
"I thought we had a great offseason, but we talked about it last night, that's just kinda laying the foundation for us to become better football players," quarterback Collin Hill said. "I think everybody got faster and stronger, but at the end of the day, you have to make that correlate on the field."
After a 3-9 season, the physical improvements Bobo and his staff targeted were clear. There needed to be more beef and strength along both fronts. Speed was a necessity across the board. But it does little if it is not coupled with a knowledge of the playbook, being disciplined to the task on and off the field and having more than a passing grasp of being assignment sound.
"The next phase is what we're going to do now," head coach Mike Bobo said. "They're a confident football team right, a confident group of guys because of the preparation they put into this point, but again those are words that we talked about last night. Our action has still got to be improve on a daily basis, and we talked about 25 days and making the most of each opportunity, being a man, make sure you're still handling your business that we're still in school.
"We have a lot of improvement to make. Working out's one thing, and running from cone to cone. We've got to play football."
Defensive end Emmanuel Jones brought up confidence, as well. For the junior, that has to be step one each individual on the team tackles. From there, growth can take off exponentially as a team, especially a defensive unit still learning defensive coordinator John Jancek's system.
Last year the knowledge came under fire, taught by a new defensive staff. The spring gave a chance to deepen the education without being under a microscope. The system isn't easy, but Jones said it's not all that hard, either.
"They made the plays where they're complicated, but the chemistry is so good, it's more reaction than thinking about the actual plays," he said. "It's a better pace because we don't have to sit there and ponder over where each player is supposed to be. We've simplified it between ourselves and have gone from there."
There will be a lot of watchful eyes when it comes to defensive progress in camp, but none of them are shying away from the challenge. What offseason conditioning gave them has to be utilized, but it is of no help if not coupled with technique.
There is no player on the roster who more epitomizes the work which was done than cornerback Rashad Ajayi. He started all 12 games as a true freshman last year, one who was undersized. Now he's added 17 pounds, dropped his 40-yard time to 4.4 and can bench press 305; pound for pound, he's one of the five strongest guys on the roster to Guarascio.
Again, he knows it is not enough.
"We have to use everything we got from Joey in the summer to our advantage. We have to fly around to the ball on defense and make plays on offense," Ajayi said. "We need to be more energized as a whole team and compete. That's the biggest thing. Everybody is good, but if everybody competes, everybody gets better.
"Everybody is not just trying to master their potion, but other positions as well, just in case they get thrown into the fire. I want to be able to know nickel and safety and not be surprised if my number is called. It's a big emphasis on knowing the whole defense and why we're making the call, not just that we're doing it."
Position changes – Corte Tapia has moved from linebacker to fullback, while Braylin Scott jumped from the secondary to wide receiver. Bobo said it is not an experiment.
"I like it. He looked good out there," Hill said.
Bobo said the move was made due to the depth at safety and the lack of it at wide receiver, especially with so much inexperience and E.J. Scott being down with an injury right now. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds, Scott provides a length and speed to the outside, and his ball skills translated well the first day of practice.
Training room – Bobo announced defensive lineman Richard King was not medically cleared to play (neck), thus ending his career a season short. King started the first two games of the 2018 season, but was unable to come back from the injury he sustained in the Colorado game.
As Jones told reporters after practice, it was hard to see a teammate not be able to play when he still wanted, but it was a decision made more about life in the future than playing in the present.
Linebacker Anthony Giusti is still out, recovering from ankle surgery, Bobo said.
On the other side of the ledger, defensive lineman Toby McBride is fully cleared, though Bobo said they will still be cautious with him, giving him "a pitch count" in camp.
"We're not two-a-days anymore, so there's a lot of space, so we're going to be careful with him," Bobo said.
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