RUSTON, La. (Aug. 9, 2013) – Louisiana Tech had a spirited practice Friday despite extremely hot and humid conditions as the team wore full pads for the first time this fall.
Friday's practice marked the most spirited the team has been through the first week of camp according to the coaches as the players continue to bear down in their preparations for the 2013 season, the inaugural year in Conference USA.
"We had some energy about us and we understand that everybody is tired and hurt and sore but everybody is pushing through it," said head coach Skip Holtz. "We need each other to get through this and I thought here was a lot of energy, a lot of leadership today, a lot of the intangibles of those things we talk about looking for that the great football teams possess. We just have to keep pushing."
Through the first five days in camp, the defense continues to improve with the defensive groups showing impressive athleticism. The linebackers, in particular, have made the most improvement in the short time from the end of spring practice to today with several newcomers contributing to that.
"I think our linebackers are the biggest surprise. There have been a lot of new additions that give us a lot more people to work with. The addition of Daniel Cobb, Tony Johnson, Nick Thomason, [Mitch] Villemez, [Mike] Schrang, [Beau] Fitte and Ty Hook, I look at all of a sudden what was two or three linebackers when we got here to now having seven or eight of them running around. That is probably the position that has made the most improvement since we got here."
Offensively it is still too early to evaluate the receivers but one newcomer making a quick impact is Shreveport native Trent Taylor. The all-state receiver from Evangel Christian Academy won a pair of 2-A state titles in high school and is trying to aid the Bulldogs in winning a conference championship in college.
"He has had a big day almost every day," Holtz said of Taylor. "It is almost to the point where even a lot of the older players out here are talking about how he is going to be pretty special. He can make some plays, do some things but I just think he is a football player. That is the best thing you can say about him; he is tough, he is physical, he runs great routes, he has great little fundamentals, he catches the ball, he competes his tail off and he has athleticism. I think Trent has a chance to be a really good football player for us."
Meanwhile one of the strongest groups overall has been the running backs. Kenneth Dixon is working hard on improving on his Freshman All-America season while Tevin King is working hard to recover from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the 2012 campaign. The other three backs are just working hard.
"We know what Kenneth Dixon can do on the field," said Holtz. "We have seen what Kenneth Dixon can do on the field. What has impressed me the most about him are the work habits he has come into this season with. It would be easy for him to be pretty comfortable at this point and say look at what I've done and yet he is coming out here and working extremely hard. I don't think there is any doubt that Tevin King is full speed just coming out here and watching him running. I think [Marlon] Seets and [Blake] Martin are both doing a good job and [Boston] Scott – it has been nice to see him out here. I think he has been a nice addition."
While Friday was Louisiana Tech's last open practice of fall camp to the fans, the Bulldogs will host the program's annual Fan Fest on Saturday, Aug. 17 with an added bonus. This year's event has added a preseason tailgating event beginning at 4 p.m. and fans are invited to claim their regular season tailgating spots and fire up the grills in preparation for the 2013 season. Free food will also be available courtesy of some of Louisiana Tech's most loyal sponsors, including Brennan Dodge and Super 1 Foods. Free popcorn and drinks will be provided by Aramark.
Schedule posters, schedule cards and other material will be handed out while supplies last while fans can also purchase their season tickets or single game tickets during the event. The Louisiana Tech Barnes and Nobles Bookstore will also be set up selling merchandise.
Louisiana Tech opens the season on Aug. 31 at North Carolina State while the Bulldogs home opener is Sept. 7 against Lamar. To purchase tickets please call the LA Tech Ticket Office at 318-257-3631, email techtickets@latech.edu or visit LATechSports.com. The Tech Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, please follow @LATechFB on Twitter or visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.
QUOTES
Head Coach Skip Holtz
"When you go through your five day acclimation period I don't know if it can be any warmer for the first five days, not just for one single day but for the residual effect. It has been really hot out here for five days and [hot as we were] coming out here in full pads."
"I thought today was the most energy we had. We had some energy about us and we understand that everybody is tired and hurt and sore but everybody is pushing through it. We need each other to get through this and I thought here was a lot of energy, a lot of leadership today, a lot of the intangibles of those things we talk about looking for that the great football teams possess. We just have to keep pushing. It is still way too early to evaluate but I really like the way they came out here and practice today and the way they are pushing through the heat and helping each other through it."
On any groups standing out:
"Our defensive line has a chance to be pretty decent. I think our linebackers are the biggest surprise. There have been a lot of new additions that give us a lot more people to work with. The addition of Daniel Cobb, Tony Johnson, Nick Thomason, [Mitch] Villemez, [Mike] Schrang, [Beau] Fitte and Ty Hook, I look at all of a sudden what was two or three linebackers when we got here to now having seven or eight of them running around. That is probably the position that has made the most improvement since we got here. I like the secondary. They just have to keep getting better; they are young."
"As far as the wide receivers are concerned, it is still too early. We are rolling a lot of guys at this point. It is going to come down to who can make some plays one-on-one and who can block. The quarterback is a tight two-man race right now though I think Paul Harris [at No. 3] is doing some good things. The offensive line is still like the receivers – a lot of names right now but who those five are going to be, I am not sure at this point. Right now we have some good competitions going on but it is still way too early to make evaluations and say who is at what position. We do have some competition across the board."
On the defensive backs:
"They are talented. They have a chance to be pretty good when I look at those young guys but they are young. The best thing about freshmen and sophomores is that they become juniors and seniors one day. That is what scares you the most about having young players back there – the lack of experience and game experience of being out there. The first time they have a chance to do that is going to be at NC State on television. From that standpoint it is a little bit scary but all you can do is train them the best you can and make sure that they can be as good as they can be by the time we get to the first game."
On Trent Taylor:
"He has had a big day almost every day and it is almost to the point where even a lot of the older players out here are talking about how he is going to be pretty special. He can make some plays, do some things but I just think he is a football player. That is the best thing you can say about him; he is tough, he is physical, he runs great routes, he has great little fundamentals, he catches the ball, he competes his tail off and he has athleticism. I think Trent has a chance to be a really good football player for us."
On Scott Cathcart:
"Scott has done a nice job. [Jon] Greenwalt and Cathcart both went through spring practice and have done a nice job for us. They really have to stand up for us now that Eddie Johnson has gone down. But they have less guys at that position and they are getting more reps and more opportunities. Instead of complaining about it, they are making the most of it and doing a good job and getting better."
On how much time Eddie Johnson could miss (ankle):
"I don't know. I just know it is not broken and we are just going to wait and see. We will wait and see how he responds to treatment."
On the running backs:
"We know what Kenneth Dixon can do on the field. We have seen what Kenneth Dixon can do on the field. What has impressed me the most about him are the work habits he has come into this season with. It would be easy for him to be pretty comfortable at this point and say look at what I've done and yet he is coming out here and working extremely hard. I don't think there is any doubt that Tevin King is full speed just coming out here and watching him running. I think [Marlon] Seets and [Blake] Martin are both doing a good job and [Boston] Scott – it has been nice to see him out here. I think he has been a nice addition."
