Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: CSU Athletics Communications
Energy impressive as fall camp starts at dawn
8/3/2019 11:25:00 AM | Football
Bobo challenges defensive front after third practice
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – As they arrive at Canvas Stadium, the first hints of the sun sneak up from behind Canvas Stadium, meaning the coaches and players set the alarm somewhere in the vicinity of negative dawn.
Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo had a sensation Saturday morning most folks can relate to where dreams and reality collide.
"Today I woke up feeling a little sorry for myself, tired, the alarm's going off and then the alarm kinda sometimes gets in your dream and you don't even realize what's going on," he said. "I had me a Monster, then I had me two Spark (Energy drinks). I probably drank them a little late, because it took me about 30 minutes to get going, but I got going."
The schedule will run this way for the first eight practices of camp as Bobo was trying to avoid class schedules for some players, and even though there are no classes on Saturday and Sunday, the Rams were out early for the sake of consistency.
Truth be told, this is nothing new to any of them. Summer conditioning started at 6 a.m.
"We were excited about getting up early and getting our day started with football," fullback Adam Prentice said. "We love going out there and practicing, and it's been a great three days so far.
"It's nice to be out there when the sun is rising and start our day with football. We all love football."
The energy on the field has not lacked in Bobo's estimation, at least not during practice. While the players were sent home Saturday to take a nap (with meetings not scheduled until 2:45), the coaches went back to their offices.
Coffee and energy drinks are the norm, depending on personal preference.
"I think it's a strain for the coaches, I really do, because we don't stop all day, all the way to about 10 o'clock," Bobo said. "That's 6 to 10, so that's about a 16-hour day and we're not even in season yet."
Stretching may begin at 6:15 in the morning, but the preparation for the 2-plus hour workout begins well before for most, which makes director of sports nutrition Julie Sinkovitz happy. She wants the players drinking at least 16 ounces of water before practice starts, then 16 more ounces for each pound they lose during a workout, part of her push to keep them properly hydrated.
She also wants them to eat a little something before they start. If the last fuel for the players was dinner then night before, she said they will not practice effectively. For the most part, she said, the players are following instruction.
"I'm in by 5 to get taped, because the lines get long," Prentice said. "I get dressed around 5:20-5:30, get in the training room, get rolled out and get something to eat."
Eventually, Bobo will get back to the schedule he prefers, when the team works out in the afternoon, making the task of pushing through the heat of the day an additional challenge. For one, Prentice will miss the morning workouts. He figures his alarm will still go off early, and he'll be disappointed he still has a few more hours to sleep.
The morning starts run through the first scrimmage of fall camp, and after then, Bobo will reassess what he feels has been a benefit of waking up before the sun.
"I thought today, just the energy of practice, if you wanted to take it easy or kinda survive practice, you couldn't," he said. "The coaches did a great job, and the players, of pushing energy. Practices are flying by because of the tempo."
A little more – Bobo praised the execution offensively, which naturally led to an area of need.
"I believe we have some talent up front, but I challenged them today," he said of the defensive line. "We've got to be kicking the offensive line's ass, and we're not doing it. That's a disappointment from today's practice."
The defensive front has built up some depth, but he wants more production, particularly from a pass rush which produced just 15 sacks in 2018. The effort is needed, not just for them, but for a young offensive line in need of a challenge.
Bobo noted his best offenses have been the ones where he came out of camp wondering if they were any good because the defensive unit had made life so difficult.
Dividing lines –- Every fall camp comes with the addition of players to the roster, with the signing class on hand, a few transfers and even select walk-ons sprinkled in to the mix. In order to keep the flow productive, they go with what they call two-spotting. The top of the depth chart is at one end of the field, the lower layers at the other, all running through the same script of install. That way progress can be made at the same time another group is learning.
"We're not letting them try to hold up the pace. We're continuing to push," Bobo said. "Sometimes you get worried a little bit, two-spot, you get a little thin, a little tired, but every time I go back and watch the film, it's just valuable reps these guys are getting.
"You're giving those 3s and 4s … Sometimes a transfer isn't ready, but now he's getting those valuable reps. It's a lot easier to learn when you're out there making your own mistakes. Very few guys can learn from another guy when they're sitting in a film room and watching that other guy make a mistake. Those guys are out there making good plays, but also learning from your mistakes is beneficial when you're getting reps in practice."
Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo had a sensation Saturday morning most folks can relate to where dreams and reality collide.
"Today I woke up feeling a little sorry for myself, tired, the alarm's going off and then the alarm kinda sometimes gets in your dream and you don't even realize what's going on," he said. "I had me a Monster, then I had me two Spark (Energy drinks). I probably drank them a little late, because it took me about 30 minutes to get going, but I got going."
The schedule will run this way for the first eight practices of camp as Bobo was trying to avoid class schedules for some players, and even though there are no classes on Saturday and Sunday, the Rams were out early for the sake of consistency.
Truth be told, this is nothing new to any of them. Summer conditioning started at 6 a.m.
"We were excited about getting up early and getting our day started with football," fullback Adam Prentice said. "We love going out there and practicing, and it's been a great three days so far.
"It's nice to be out there when the sun is rising and start our day with football. We all love football."
The energy on the field has not lacked in Bobo's estimation, at least not during practice. While the players were sent home Saturday to take a nap (with meetings not scheduled until 2:45), the coaches went back to their offices.
Coffee and energy drinks are the norm, depending on personal preference.
"I think it's a strain for the coaches, I really do, because we don't stop all day, all the way to about 10 o'clock," Bobo said. "That's 6 to 10, so that's about a 16-hour day and we're not even in season yet."
Stretching may begin at 6:15 in the morning, but the preparation for the 2-plus hour workout begins well before for most, which makes director of sports nutrition Julie Sinkovitz happy. She wants the players drinking at least 16 ounces of water before practice starts, then 16 more ounces for each pound they lose during a workout, part of her push to keep them properly hydrated.
She also wants them to eat a little something before they start. If the last fuel for the players was dinner then night before, she said they will not practice effectively. For the most part, she said, the players are following instruction.
"I'm in by 5 to get taped, because the lines get long," Prentice said. "I get dressed around 5:20-5:30, get in the training room, get rolled out and get something to eat."
Eventually, Bobo will get back to the schedule he prefers, when the team works out in the afternoon, making the task of pushing through the heat of the day an additional challenge. For one, Prentice will miss the morning workouts. He figures his alarm will still go off early, and he'll be disappointed he still has a few more hours to sleep.
The morning starts run through the first scrimmage of fall camp, and after then, Bobo will reassess what he feels has been a benefit of waking up before the sun.
"I thought today, just the energy of practice, if you wanted to take it easy or kinda survive practice, you couldn't," he said. "The coaches did a great job, and the players, of pushing energy. Practices are flying by because of the tempo."
A little more – Bobo praised the execution offensively, which naturally led to an area of need.
"I believe we have some talent up front, but I challenged them today," he said of the defensive line. "We've got to be kicking the offensive line's ass, and we're not doing it. That's a disappointment from today's practice."
The defensive front has built up some depth, but he wants more production, particularly from a pass rush which produced just 15 sacks in 2018. The effort is needed, not just for them, but for a young offensive line in need of a challenge.
Bobo noted his best offenses have been the ones where he came out of camp wondering if they were any good because the defensive unit had made life so difficult.
Dividing lines –- Every fall camp comes with the addition of players to the roster, with the signing class on hand, a few transfers and even select walk-ons sprinkled in to the mix. In order to keep the flow productive, they go with what they call two-spotting. The top of the depth chart is at one end of the field, the lower layers at the other, all running through the same script of install. That way progress can be made at the same time another group is learning.
"We're not letting them try to hold up the pace. We're continuing to push," Bobo said. "Sometimes you get worried a little bit, two-spot, you get a little thin, a little tired, but every time I go back and watch the film, it's just valuable reps these guys are getting.
"You're giving those 3s and 4s … Sometimes a transfer isn't ready, but now he's getting those valuable reps. It's a lot easier to learn when you're out there making your own mistakes. Very few guys can learn from another guy when they're sitting in a film room and watching that other guy make a mistake. Those guys are out there making good plays, but also learning from your mistakes is beneficial when you're getting reps in practice."
Players Mentioned
FB
/ FootballThursday, May 14
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28