Meyer wants sharp Saturday Scrimmage
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:00 am
After a Wednesday practice that was called one of the best he’s had since he’s been at the University of Florida, Urban Meyer wasn’t expecting Friday’s practice to be nearly as sharp and it wasn’t. With a full scrimmage slated for Saturday (9:15 a.m.), he’s expecting to see a team full of energy and flying to the football, not the tired looking team he saw Friday.
The way the Gators practiced Wednesday Meyer felt he had his team right on the schedule he planned out before spring practice even began. If he gets that kind of effort and enthusiasm at the Saturday morning scrimmage, he thinks the Gators will be right on schedule once again.
“Wednesday we were on schedule and we took a step back and I knew we would today,” said Meyer. “It was not a good day today. We were tired and I gave them a day off yesterday. Wednesday was one of the hardest practices we’ve ever had. I think Wednesday was the most important practice and we had to have great energy and we did.
“If we come out tomorrow and we lay an egg then I’m concerned. I don’t think we will and I challenged them. Tomorrow has to be a great scrimmage. I don’t care who wins or loses but I want to see some guys with a little more enthusiasm for the game. I didn’t see that today.”
One thing Meyer did see Friday was a strong effort out of Southern Cal transfer Emmanuel Moody.
“Emmanuel Moody had a good day today,” said Meyer. “I’m not worried about him touching the ball but in pass protection he stuck his nose in there.”
Another player that caught Meyer’s eye was freshman Matt Patchan, who has worked at tackle in pass rushing situations as well as defensive end. Signed as an offensive lineman, Patchan will probably play defensive line this year because it’s the fastest way to get him on the field.
“Matt Patchan … he’s playing [in the fall],” said Meyer. “I don’t know if it’s as a three-technique, as a five technique, as a defensive end or as an offensive lineman. To think he’s doing what he’s doing and has not had an off-season because he’s been hurt, that really tells you what kind of player he is. I’m really impressed with him.”
* * *
Meyer believes the secondary has shown the greatest improvement in the spring of any one area on the team. With Chuck Heater moving back to coach the safeties and the infusion of energy from Vance Bedford coaching the corners, the improvement is seen on an almost daily basis. The corners are breaking on the ball and the safeties are keeping plays in front of them instead of getting beaten deep.
When the Gators had their problems last year, fans were quick to blame the corners but Meyer says the corners weren’t all to blame for the problems the Gators had stopping the pass.
“It’s very easy to just start blaming corners and sometimes people do that,” said Meyer. “I don’t blame the corners. My job is not necessarily to blame but to try to come up with a solution. To sit there in a meeting room and just start blaming corners, that’s not acceptable. We didn’t do that.”
Heater moved to coach the safeties to make room for Bedford, an exceptional teacher who was the position coach at Michigan for Charles Woodson when he became the only defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. The coaching last year, when Heater coached the corners, wasn’t bad, however. Other things factored in Florida’s problems getting opponents off the field last season.
“I think our pass rush was very inadequate and as a result we gave up far too many plays down field,” said Meyer. “The back end (secondary) has improved more [this spring] than the front end (defensive line). The front end still has a long way to go.”
The front end is improving this spring with new defensive line coach Dan McCarney still shuffling players in and out while trying to settle on a depth chart and rotation with which he can start two-a-days in August.
“There’s no All-SEC guy there right now but there’s a lot of potential,” said McCarney. “There’s a lot of talent. We have good competition going. We’re rolling guys frequently because there hasn’t been any one guy that has said, ‘this is my job! This is mine and the rest of you guys take reps behind me!’ We haven’t done that so that’s why you see a lot of guys rolling in and out of the line up out there right now.”
McCarney said he’s not looking for a front four but instead he’s looking to find enough players to keep a rotation going in the game so that he’s always got fresh players ready to go. That’s why he’s working on every aspect of the game with his linemen.
“We need fundamentals,” he said. “We need to build depth. We need to build playmakers. If you’re going to play in the best conference in college football plus you’re going to play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college football so it’s not about four guys. I’m trying to build depth with eight, nine ten guys that can help us next year.”
So right now he’s looking for his group to make the kind of progress that will carry over into August.
“We have to show the most progress and improvement by August when we line up against Hawaii,” he said. “We haven’t gotten there yet but we’ve made positive steps so far.”
And the defensive line isn’t the only place progress has been made. Their progress has something to do with the improvement at the cornerback position although Meyer pointed out there’s another reason for the improvement.
“I think our corners are our most improved area [this spring],” said Meyer. “Is it because of something? Yeah, they were all freshmen and now they’re all sophomores with game experience.”
* * *
Percy Harvin will have surgery on his heel Monday in North Carolina. Dr. Pete Indelicato, the team surgeon, will perform the surgery with assistance from Bob Anderson, a renowned foot specialist who practices medicine in North Carolina.
“They’re having surgery on his heel and it’s not like it’s a career threatening injury,” said Meyer. “It’s very minor surgery. About an eight-week recovery and then it’s full speed for the off-season.”
* * *
Friday’s practice was viewed by Lou Holtz, who was Meyer’s boss when he coached at Notre Dame. Holtz, who works for ESPN as an analyst now, had a chance to speak to the team before practice.
“I think the players enjoyed talking to someone and listening to someone who’s won a national championship who witnesses and watches football all the time,” said Meyer. “His final thought was for us to have a chance, our seniors have to play their best year of football. If they do that, we have a chance.”
The way the Gators practiced Wednesday Meyer felt he had his team right on the schedule he planned out before spring practice even began. If he gets that kind of effort and enthusiasm at the Saturday morning scrimmage, he thinks the Gators will be right on schedule once again.
“Wednesday we were on schedule and we took a step back and I knew we would today,” said Meyer. “It was not a good day today. We were tired and I gave them a day off yesterday. Wednesday was one of the hardest practices we’ve ever had. I think Wednesday was the most important practice and we had to have great energy and we did.
“If we come out tomorrow and we lay an egg then I’m concerned. I don’t think we will and I challenged them. Tomorrow has to be a great scrimmage. I don’t care who wins or loses but I want to see some guys with a little more enthusiasm for the game. I didn’t see that today.”
One thing Meyer did see Friday was a strong effort out of Southern Cal transfer Emmanuel Moody.
“Emmanuel Moody had a good day today,” said Meyer. “I’m not worried about him touching the ball but in pass protection he stuck his nose in there.”
Another player that caught Meyer’s eye was freshman Matt Patchan, who has worked at tackle in pass rushing situations as well as defensive end. Signed as an offensive lineman, Patchan will probably play defensive line this year because it’s the fastest way to get him on the field.
“Matt Patchan … he’s playing [in the fall],” said Meyer. “I don’t know if it’s as a three-technique, as a five technique, as a defensive end or as an offensive lineman. To think he’s doing what he’s doing and has not had an off-season because he’s been hurt, that really tells you what kind of player he is. I’m really impressed with him.”
* * *
Meyer believes the secondary has shown the greatest improvement in the spring of any one area on the team. With Chuck Heater moving back to coach the safeties and the infusion of energy from Vance Bedford coaching the corners, the improvement is seen on an almost daily basis. The corners are breaking on the ball and the safeties are keeping plays in front of them instead of getting beaten deep.
When the Gators had their problems last year, fans were quick to blame the corners but Meyer says the corners weren’t all to blame for the problems the Gators had stopping the pass.
“It’s very easy to just start blaming corners and sometimes people do that,” said Meyer. “I don’t blame the corners. My job is not necessarily to blame but to try to come up with a solution. To sit there in a meeting room and just start blaming corners, that’s not acceptable. We didn’t do that.”
Heater moved to coach the safeties to make room for Bedford, an exceptional teacher who was the position coach at Michigan for Charles Woodson when he became the only defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. The coaching last year, when Heater coached the corners, wasn’t bad, however. Other things factored in Florida’s problems getting opponents off the field last season.
“I think our pass rush was very inadequate and as a result we gave up far too many plays down field,” said Meyer. “The back end (secondary) has improved more [this spring] than the front end (defensive line). The front end still has a long way to go.”
The front end is improving this spring with new defensive line coach Dan McCarney still shuffling players in and out while trying to settle on a depth chart and rotation with which he can start two-a-days in August.
“There’s no All-SEC guy there right now but there’s a lot of potential,” said McCarney. “There’s a lot of talent. We have good competition going. We’re rolling guys frequently because there hasn’t been any one guy that has said, ‘this is my job! This is mine and the rest of you guys take reps behind me!’ We haven’t done that so that’s why you see a lot of guys rolling in and out of the line up out there right now.”
McCarney said he’s not looking for a front four but instead he’s looking to find enough players to keep a rotation going in the game so that he’s always got fresh players ready to go. That’s why he’s working on every aspect of the game with his linemen.
“We need fundamentals,” he said. “We need to build depth. We need to build playmakers. If you’re going to play in the best conference in college football plus you’re going to play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college football so it’s not about four guys. I’m trying to build depth with eight, nine ten guys that can help us next year.”
So right now he’s looking for his group to make the kind of progress that will carry over into August.
“We have to show the most progress and improvement by August when we line up against Hawaii,” he said. “We haven’t gotten there yet but we’ve made positive steps so far.”
And the defensive line isn’t the only place progress has been made. Their progress has something to do with the improvement at the cornerback position although Meyer pointed out there’s another reason for the improvement.
“I think our corners are our most improved area [this spring],” said Meyer. “Is it because of something? Yeah, they were all freshmen and now they’re all sophomores with game experience.”
* * *
Percy Harvin will have surgery on his heel Monday in North Carolina. Dr. Pete Indelicato, the team surgeon, will perform the surgery with assistance from Bob Anderson, a renowned foot specialist who practices medicine in North Carolina.
“They’re having surgery on his heel and it’s not like it’s a career threatening injury,” said Meyer. “It’s very minor surgery. About an eight-week recovery and then it’s full speed for the off-season.”
* * *
Friday’s practice was viewed by Lou Holtz, who was Meyer’s boss when he coached at Notre Dame. Holtz, who works for ESPN as an analyst now, had a chance to speak to the team before practice.
“I think the players enjoyed talking to someone and listening to someone who’s won a national championship who witnesses and watches football all the time,” said Meyer. “His final thought was for us to have a chance, our seniors have to play their best year of football. If they do that, we have a chance.”