8/13/2001 - Football
COMMENTS FROM DEFENSIVE LINE COACH DALE PEHRSON

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On the defensive line-"We are playing hard and I am pretty pleased with

them. They are doing some good things. We have a lot of improvements still

to make, but they are practicing hard. I think we will find four or five

really good ones out of that group. I am really happy with some of the

young kids. Nate Chase and Kevin Schwind are really playing well right now

and they have the size to help us out."

On guys stepping up, because of the loss of Michael Wagoner for an

undetermined number of games-"We moved Josh Brindel out to Defensive End and

he is coming along, he still has a lot to learn, but he is doing a good job.

Henry is doing a great job out at end and Person has some experience out

there and he is picking up some of the slack. When you lose somebody for

whatever amount of time that might be, someone else will step up."

COMMENTS FROM SLOT BACKS COACH SAMMY STEINMARK

On the play of the slot backs during two-a-days-"I think I am at the point

right now that the biggest thing that I am pleased in is the retention that

we carried over from the spring. That has enabled us to put more things in,

they have grasped the packages that we are trying to get installed in a more

rapid pace than I expected. We are ahead of the game as far as installation

of the offense and understanding where we are going, now all we have to do

is play ourselves into shape and get our techniques down and hone into the

intricacies of the blocking techniques and the route running, because they

haven't done a whole lot of route running in the past."

On who has been the most impressive-"Donnie Fricks came back in great shape

and has had a great camp and Gene Reese has been 100 percent as far as every

ball that has touched his hands he has caught. That's excellent. Brad

Tepper is really catching on to what we want done. Tony Lane has improved;

he is running much better routes. He is catching on to being a guy who can

go out wide and catch the ball, catch a pitch and be a tough guy inside when

we have to run the option. Those are the guys that have really jumped up and

done great things."

On how things have changed for the slot backs from last year to this

year-"They have had to make the transition from being able to block 245-255

outside linebackers to having to get outside and run routes past a safety.

That transition you have to make now is play-to-play, where before it was

group-to-group. We switch the plays up more often in this offense, there

are move pass plays interspersed with the option, which I think is working

out really well. Also there are a lot more formations and we are running a

lot of no huddle, which is a change."

PRACTICE SCHEDULE

The Mids will practice from 6-8:15 p.m. Monday night and will finish up

two-a-days on Tuesday with practices from 8 a.m.-10:30 and from 6-8:15 p.m.

The team will hold a scrimmage on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Navy-Marine

Corps Memorial Stadium. The team will practice on Thursday and Friday at

3:30 p.m. and will scrimmage on Saturday at 12 noon. SATURDAY'S SCRIMMAGE

IS CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.