Griz continue spring practice schedule Tuesday
3/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 17, 2014
University of Montana head coach Mick Delaney and his staff will continue to evaluate the crux of their 2014 football team, as they hold practice number three of spring drills on Tuesday evening in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. UM will conduct night practices on Tuesday and Thursday of this week, and hold its first of three scrimmages on Saturday (March 22) morning.
There are 82 players listed on the Grizzlies current spring numerical roster, although a handful of them will be held out of practices due to injury, and another couple of them see only limited action as they recover from off-season surgeries, or from injuries that they sustained last season.
Another 24 players will be joining the team from the high school ranks in early August when fall camp convenes.
Delaney was pleased with the intensity and the anticipation level that the team displayed in its first two practices this past weekend.
"I think our immediate goals are just to continue on where we started on (last) Saturday and Sunday," Delaney said. "I felt like we had two really high-energy practices. I think the players were more anxious probably than I can remember for a long time, in wanting to get out on the field and just get going.
"Man, they just did a great job on Saturday and Sunday," he continued. "We were helmets only, but they didn't back off a lick. We're learning how to practice without pads on; play fast; use our hands; and stay off the ground - all those type of things. I think we accomplished a lot.
"Now, probably our main goal or objective going into tomorrow night's (Tuesday, March 18) practice, is to do those same things we did this past weekend wearing the pads," Delaney continued. "Of course that's a little bit of a different scenario, but we're excited to get out there tomorrow. I tell the guys that we were playing little guy football, and now we start to play big guy football when we put the shoulder pads on.
"We will be ready to go, and do what we always strive to do, and that is to get better every day," he said. "Overall, our early practices have been very positive, with high energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and the guys are also having fun I believe. We're off to a good start."
Four key returnees for the Griz will not be allowed to participate in spring drills as they recovery from off-season procedures. Those players include junior running Joey Counts, senior wide receiver Sean Haynes, junior defensive end Addison Owen, and junior wide receiver Taylor Walcott.
Two other key players who will see limited action this spring as they recover from injuries are junior defensive tackle Caleb Kidder and junior linebacker Jeremiah Kose.
Nine players have been moved to different positions this spring, including Owen, who was moved from linebacker to end this spring. (In the next report we will list all of the players who changes positions this spring).
THIS WEEK'S PRACTICE SCHEDULE (March 18-22)
Tuesday, March 18: Practice 3#, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 20: Practice #4, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 22: Practice #5, SCRIMMAGE, 10:00 a.m.-Noon.
CAMP NOTES: Two of the three players who decided not to return this season are two promising redshirt freshmen: wide receiver Marquin Russell (Lakes HS, Lakewood, Wash.) and tight end Noah Scarver (Washburn HS, Minneapolis, Minn.). Russell joined the military, while Scarver wanted to play somewhere closer to home. Also not coming back is fifth-year senior linebacker Kelsey Lippert from Fort Benton.
There are 15 players in spring football who redshirted last season, and are all freshmen. Montana played just three true freshmen in 2013: tight end Jordan Harper, running back John Nguyen, and kicker Ben Worst.
