GETTING THROUGH THE GRIND
8/13/2019 5:35:00 PM | Football
Football Goes Through 10th Practice in 12 Days of Fall Camp.
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Call it the "dog days of summer," or maybe just the grind of camp, but that's what Baylor football is trying to survive as it prepares for the Aug. 31 season opener against Stephen F. Austin.
"This is the grind, there is no end in sight," coach Matt Rhule said after Tuesday morning's workout, the Bears' 10th practice in the first 12 days of fall camp. "Next week is when you see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, you just have to keep working through it, grinding through it and continuing heavy install."
Trying to get everything installed, and working at times in the heat of the day, Rhule said the coaches are "pushing things on them football intelligence-wise, situationally, that we haven't pushed on them before."
"Sometimes, you don't want all that on your brain," he said. "You get decision fatigue, you get studying fatigue. But, if you're going to eat the training table meals and wear the gear we're going to give you, make sure you're also studying football. That's the grind right there. It's tiring for me, I'm tired. It's tiring for them. But, if we weren't tired, we wouldn't be doing anything. So, that's where we are right now."
In Saturday's scrimmage, the defense was "significantly ahead" of the offense, but that's to be expected with a defense loaded with veteran players, Rhule said.
"We have a lot of vets on defense, and they're flying around and playing hard," he said. "I don't know if I've ever been around a team where the defense isn't ahead of the offense. Typically, on defense you can really survive by putting in one or two defenses that guys are really comfortable with. On offense, you have to get a bunch a stuff in to rep situationally."
Junior quarterback Charlie Brewer has a "great rapport throwing the ball" to a group of veteran receivers that includes seniors Denzel Mims, Chris Platt and Marques Jones, Rhule said.
"I'd like to see that continue across the board with tight ends involved and the backs involved and get the younger receivers involved," he said, along with developing freshman quarterbacks Gerry Bohanon and Jacob Zeno.
The tight ends, in particular, "have a long way to go." Christoph Henle and Ben Sims are the only tight ends with any experience on the college level. Junior fullback Koby Bullard was actually running with the first-team offense on Tuesday and has impressed the coaches, "but it's really that consistency at that position to warrant being on the field."
With Baylor's offense loaded at running back and receiver, "you're not just trying to be the top tight end, you're fighting to have the tight ends on the field over another running back."
"There is no position that's harder to master than tight end," Rhule said, "because you have to be a receiver and you have to be an offensive lineman. There is so much being asked of you to do. I'm just hopeful that by the end of the week, at (Saturday's) scrimmage, that I can see them continue to elevate."
One of the problems, albeit a good one, is the depth at running back with Trestan Ebner, John Lovett, JaMycal Hasty, Abram Smith, Craig "Sqwirl" Williams and freshman Qualan Jones.
"I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I don't feel like having those guys standing right next to me," Rhule said. "I want those guys on the field when we can. It doesn't mean that we're going to just go to (two-back sets) full-time. But, it means that we have to be creative with the different things that we do. Not necessarily preseason, when you're installing concepts. But as we get into games weeks, I'd like to see us be multiple with our looks."
Former Baylor receiver Jalen Hurd, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, had an impressive preseason debut with two touchdown receptions in a 17-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
"I'm proud of Jalen, because he went out there and showed the whole country what it means to come out of this program," Rhule said. "Not just the touchdowns, but he caught the ball and tried to run someone over on the goal. He tried to dominate blocking.
"What it means is that there's a brand out there where people know, 'Hey, if I take a kid from Baylor, he's going to be tough, he's going to be hard-working, he's going to be competitive. He's going to go out there and do everything he can to help the team win.'''
After a day off Wednesday, the Bears will resume camp with morning practices on Thursday and Friday and wrap up the week with a scrimmage on Saturday. For single-game and season tickets, go to www.baylorbears.com/bthere.
Baylor Bear Insider
Call it the "dog days of summer," or maybe just the grind of camp, but that's what Baylor football is trying to survive as it prepares for the Aug. 31 season opener against Stephen F. Austin.
"This is the grind, there is no end in sight," coach Matt Rhule said after Tuesday morning's workout, the Bears' 10th practice in the first 12 days of fall camp. "Next week is when you see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, you just have to keep working through it, grinding through it and continuing heavy install."
Trying to get everything installed, and working at times in the heat of the day, Rhule said the coaches are "pushing things on them football intelligence-wise, situationally, that we haven't pushed on them before."
"Sometimes, you don't want all that on your brain," he said. "You get decision fatigue, you get studying fatigue. But, if you're going to eat the training table meals and wear the gear we're going to give you, make sure you're also studying football. That's the grind right there. It's tiring for me, I'm tired. It's tiring for them. But, if we weren't tired, we wouldn't be doing anything. So, that's where we are right now."
In Saturday's scrimmage, the defense was "significantly ahead" of the offense, but that's to be expected with a defense loaded with veteran players, Rhule said.
"We have a lot of vets on defense, and they're flying around and playing hard," he said. "I don't know if I've ever been around a team where the defense isn't ahead of the offense. Typically, on defense you can really survive by putting in one or two defenses that guys are really comfortable with. On offense, you have to get a bunch a stuff in to rep situationally."
Junior quarterback Charlie Brewer has a "great rapport throwing the ball" to a group of veteran receivers that includes seniors Denzel Mims, Chris Platt and Marques Jones, Rhule said.
"I'd like to see that continue across the board with tight ends involved and the backs involved and get the younger receivers involved," he said, along with developing freshman quarterbacks Gerry Bohanon and Jacob Zeno.
The tight ends, in particular, "have a long way to go." Christoph Henle and Ben Sims are the only tight ends with any experience on the college level. Junior fullback Koby Bullard was actually running with the first-team offense on Tuesday and has impressed the coaches, "but it's really that consistency at that position to warrant being on the field."
With Baylor's offense loaded at running back and receiver, "you're not just trying to be the top tight end, you're fighting to have the tight ends on the field over another running back."
"There is no position that's harder to master than tight end," Rhule said, "because you have to be a receiver and you have to be an offensive lineman. There is so much being asked of you to do. I'm just hopeful that by the end of the week, at (Saturday's) scrimmage, that I can see them continue to elevate."
One of the problems, albeit a good one, is the depth at running back with Trestan Ebner, John Lovett, JaMycal Hasty, Abram Smith, Craig "Sqwirl" Williams and freshman Qualan Jones.
"I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I don't feel like having those guys standing right next to me," Rhule said. "I want those guys on the field when we can. It doesn't mean that we're going to just go to (two-back sets) full-time. But, it means that we have to be creative with the different things that we do. Not necessarily preseason, when you're installing concepts. But as we get into games weeks, I'd like to see us be multiple with our looks."
Former Baylor receiver Jalen Hurd, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, had an impressive preseason debut with two touchdown receptions in a 17-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
"I'm proud of Jalen, because he went out there and showed the whole country what it means to come out of this program," Rhule said. "Not just the touchdowns, but he caught the ball and tried to run someone over on the goal. He tried to dominate blocking.
"What it means is that there's a brand out there where people know, 'Hey, if I take a kid from Baylor, he's going to be tough, he's going to be hard-working, he's going to be competitive. He's going to go out there and do everything he can to help the team win.'''
After a day off Wednesday, the Bears will resume camp with morning practices on Thursday and Friday and wrap up the week with a scrimmage on Saturday. For single-game and season tickets, go to www.baylorbears.com/bthere.
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