The defense appears to be well ahead of the offense in the early stages of spring as players put on their pads for the first time.
Head coach Bob Davie said that’s to be expected, and several of the players are being asked to do different things. He said everyone is out of their comfort zone right now, but the challenging situation is a good thing.
“Right now it’s about as ugly as it can be, honestly,” Davie said. “But the absolute worst thing we can do right now for our offense is make it easy for them.”
Davie said he learned this from former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz. He said sometimes coaches want things to look bad because that’s where they find their “true” players.
Davie said the team now has a lot of depth, especially at running back and along the offensive line. He said they have numbers, but one thing that might be lacking now is experience. The two centers on the team have a combined total of zero offensive snaps in a college game.
The offense had a few miscues on center-quarterback exchanges during practice. Quarterback Lamar Jordan said they are a little bit rusty right now, but there are a lot of new faces on the offensive line. Reno Henderson, who Jordan considers one of the best linemen in the country, has been out due to injury.
The defense seems to have gotten out of the gate quickly, making big hits and swarming to the ball. Jordan said things are a work in progress right now and the offense needs to work hard every day to improve.
Jordan and Austin Apodaca shared time on the field in a two-quarterback system last season, a strategy Davie said he has no problem continuing this season. Jordan said knowing the two are likely to see the field is something that benefits both players.
“We both just try to help each other out, telling each other what we see from the sideline and on game film,” Jordan said. “It’s good to have a second pair of eyes seeing the defense.”
Apodaca, now in his second spring after transferring from Washington State, said this year feels a little different. He said last year he was digesting a lot of new information, but now he feels like he’s doing a better job getting command of the offense.
The quarterback said his relationship with Jordan is a strong one. He said it is still a competition, and the desire to beat each other every day makes them both better quarterbacks.
Apodaca said he’s trying to do a better job this season of not forcing things to make a big play. He said he’ll take what the defense gives, adding that sometimes the best play is going to be a check down to one of the many talented running backs on the squad.
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Even with the departure of running back Jhurell Pressley, he said the team seems to still have a playmaker on the field no matter who is in the backfield. Apodaca said that, right now, the team is just trying to work together to improve every day and find how to fit all the pieces together.
Running back Teriyon Gipson had several huge runs last season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He had rushed the ball about 150 times in each of the last two seasons. Fellow running backs Romell Jordan and Daryl Chestnut also appear to be poised to see plenty of action.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Apodaca said. “We’re just trying to get that cohesiveness together because once everything is one full piece, it’s going to look pretty good.”
Lamar Jordan said the team has plenty of time to work out the kinks and fit all the pieces together. Working on mechanics and eliminating bad habits will be some of the main focal points at this time of the year.
“That’s what spring ball is for,” he said. “It might not look great now, but as long as it looks good in the fall, that’s all that matters.”
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
