Aug. 14, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Monarchs were excited to play some tackle football on Friday. Their fifth practice of the preseason had the full pads come on.
"The goal today was to accomplish situational football," said head coach Bobby Wilder.
The Monarchs started off working on a fourth down drill putting the ball at different distances throughout, with the coaching staff trying to put a sense of urgency on both sides of the ball.
"You're not playing third down and then saying we're having a punt or field goal attempt," noted Wilder. "You are saying this is it. This is win or lose on fourth down."
The ODU Football Monarchs also worked on a drill which the coaching staff has termed the "coming out" drill. During this segment, the offense is backed up inside the 10-yard line. The offense's goal is to not only look to score, but to at least get two first downs to get the ball outside the 30-yard line and change field position. Meanwhile, the defense's goal was to keep the offense inside the 10-yard line and force the opponent to punt from their own end zone and turn the ball over to the offense inside the opponent's 50.
"That was a good drill," mentioned Wilder. "The offense won the first one, they got it outside the 30. The defense won the second one, they stopped them. We're trying to teach them different down and distances and different areas on the field."
A couple of segments also saw the ball put down on the field and "first and 10" called.
"We let them play," said Wilder, "and it went back and fourth."
MONARCH MOMENTS:
Sudden Change Hero: Wilder and staff had planned for the Monarchs to run 10 60-yard sprints during conditioning today. They were timed sprints looking to really push the Monarchs. After the sixth sprint, Wilder pulled a "Sudden Change" on them. He called out the first field goal unit, put the ball on the right hash and asked redshirt freshman Drew Hareza (McDonald, Pa.) to make a 42-yard field goal. If Hareza made it, the Monarchs were done. If he didn't, there were four more 60-yard sprints in the Monarchs' future. Did he make it? "He nailed it right down the middle," said Wilder. "Probably would have been good from 60. He absolutely drilled it." Then Hareza's Monarch teammates attacked him as he just saved them from running some more.
Two-A-Days: Tomorrow the Monarchs start two-a-day practices.
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