Each spring practice session at Robert Morris brings a little something different when it comes to conditioning.
As we've mentioned in a prior update, most of Robert Morris' previous in-practice conditioning came at the end of practice under Joe Walton. Whether it was spring ball, training camp or a mid-season practice, conditioning was routinely a stretch of striders at the very end of practice.
That's changed under John Banaszak, and we're getting a better sense of why it changed as the spring sessions go on. A major reason was the offense. When you run a high-powered, up-tempo offense that is designed to completely wear opposing defenses out with its speed and relentless nature, you can't have your own tongues wagging. But there's also the defensive side of the ball. If the offense is as productive as Robert Morris hopes, opposing offenses will get a few extra possessions in the normal course of a game. The defense needs to be able to have the stamina to handle those opportunities.
So the offseason conditioning changed. But the in-practice conditioning is also radically different, and it seems to change on a regular basis. For one, it's moved from the end of practice to the middle. Those who had night class in years prior sometimes were gone before RMU got to the conditioning period. That won't happen now. Two, it's not just striders. Last week it was a series of stations involving various workouts, from sprints to up-downs to full-field runs. Tuesday featured a series of 100s. Today it was a series of 53s (sideline to sideline).
And when it's all done, the team goes right back to practice. Today that meant jumping right back into 11-on-11 drills.
The purpose? To be the best conditioned team in college football. Maybe they'll run across a team with more talent or strength or speed, but Robert Morris is trying to ensure that no one will wear them down.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones, Marcus Prather
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil
H-Back - Justin Kempka, Mike Woltz
WR - Duane Mitchell, Chaq Nettles
WR - Sean Gavin, Luke Centofanti
WR - Kyle Buss, Jordan Blackmon
LT - Riley Feenan, Chris O'Connor
LG - Blake Chambliss, Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucian
RG - Josh Thiel, Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight
DE - Forrest Mason, Austin Trgovcich
DT - Zac Bennett, Zack Zamiska
DE - Ryan Lewis, Austin Trgovcich
OLB - Nic Lamica, Zach Cooper
MLB - Jake Tkach, T.J. Waters
MLB - Jimmy Masson, Nelson Lucas-Murphy
OLB - Luke Mueller, Zach Cooper
CB - Antwan Eddie, Jones Twenefor
S - Logan Kelleher, Codi Casper
S - Andy Smigiera, Sam Woods
CB - David Taylor, Keith O'Kelly
Depth chart notes:
A few adjustments to note.
OL Jonah Tyus, OL Max Robertson, OL Drew Garbenis, DL Henry Jartu, DL Steve Fiadewornu and LB Mike Stojkovic did not take part in practice.As mentioned in our last update, Phil Peckich and Ryan Thermil have had their positions slightly tweaked. Peckich is working with the receivers while Thermil is working at tailback.ADDITIONAL NOTES
A few key things to get to today...
One of the biggest challenges in installing a new offense is figuring out how the holdovers fit. That's led to some of the changes we've mentioned, such as Peckich and Thermil. When it comes to Thermil, I think Robert Morris realizes that as good of a blocker he is, he's at his best with the ball in his hands. Thermil's legs are so strong and he builds up such a head of steam that he can be a major asset as a runner.Likewise, Peckich has a history of playing in a more spread offense at Montour years ago. His versatility really plays into what Robert Morris is doing on offense, so the shift to the receiver spot makes sense.We're getting a sense at how the job duties are being handled in the Banaszak era, as well. A lot of the coaching positions are the same. There are a few adjustments, though, including a new addition. Nick McVay, an intern last year, has been working with the new H-Backs. With Pat Shepard coaching the receivers and Myles Russ working with the tailbacks, that position group needed someone to oversee their development. McVay is an Otterbein graduate and is likely going to be listed as a graduate assistant. Banaszak is also roaming between position groups quite a bit, though he does make sure to stop in on the defensive line. Otherwise, he's letting Cornelius Coleman and Alex DiMichele handle the defensive linemen.Temperatures have been pretty low for the first few practice sessions, and today featured something new: A university mandated 15-minute intermission that had the players off the field mid-practice. Robert Morris hasn't had many practices in sub-30 temperatures, so it was definitely a new experience. And appreciated. Our fingers only last so long in the cold...With the brand new offense, the defense has been way behind the offense in its progression for the first practices. The running game consistently found holes while the passing game had the time to get into rhythm. Not today. For the first time, the defense carried the run of play throughout a large portion of 11-on-11 drills. That was especially true when it came to pressure on the quarterback. No matter who was on the offensive line or who lined up on defense, the pocket was in jeopardy on nearly every snap. Considering the number of guys in new roles on defense (at times there are only three returning starters on the field) and the new offense, it was all a matter of time. Now it's a chance for the offense to respond.The defense had a few chances to capitalize on that pressure and couldn't get it done, though. Ryan Lewis batted a pass into the air, but Zac Bennett couldn't hold on for the interception. Andy Smigiera got a hand on a deep pass but couldn't bring it in. Even Antwan Eddie couldn't come through, as he couldn't hang on to a pick despite jumping the route. The offense did have some moments. Paul Jones and Marcus Prather each connected on a couple of deep passes. Thermil and Kenny Davis broke through a couple of times. But the top highlight that we saw might have come from the arm of Derik Abbott. He went up and over the coverage to hit Luke Centofanti, who made a nice leaping grab in stride to haul it in. That's all for now. Our next update will come on Thursday, and we'll be focusing quite a bit on a few individual positions.
As we've mentioned in a prior update, most of Robert Morris' previous in-practice conditioning came at the end of practice under Joe Walton. Whether it was spring ball, training camp or a mid-season practice, conditioning was routinely a stretch of striders at the very end of practice.
That's changed under John Banaszak, and we're getting a better sense of why it changed as the spring sessions go on. A major reason was the offense. When you run a high-powered, up-tempo offense that is designed to completely wear opposing defenses out with its speed and relentless nature, you can't have your own tongues wagging. But there's also the defensive side of the ball. If the offense is as productive as Robert Morris hopes, opposing offenses will get a few extra possessions in the normal course of a game. The defense needs to be able to have the stamina to handle those opportunities.
So the offseason conditioning changed. But the in-practice conditioning is also radically different, and it seems to change on a regular basis. For one, it's moved from the end of practice to the middle. Those who had night class in years prior sometimes were gone before RMU got to the conditioning period. That won't happen now. Two, it's not just striders. Last week it was a series of stations involving various workouts, from sprints to up-downs to full-field runs. Tuesday featured a series of 100s. Today it was a series of 53s (sideline to sideline).
And when it's all done, the team goes right back to practice. Today that meant jumping right back into 11-on-11 drills.
The purpose? To be the best conditioned team in college football. Maybe they'll run across a team with more talent or strength or speed, but Robert Morris is trying to ensure that no one will wear them down.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones, Marcus Prather
RB - Kenny Davis, Ryan Thermil
H-Back - Justin Kempka, Mike Woltz
WR - Duane Mitchell, Chaq Nettles
WR - Sean Gavin, Luke Centofanti
WR - Kyle Buss, Jordan Blackmon
LT - Riley Feenan, Chris O'Connor
LG - Blake Chambliss, Carlton Watson
C - Nick Faraci, Anthony Lucian
RG - Josh Thiel, Carlton Watson
RT - Jon Hill, Dylan Knight
DE - Forrest Mason, Austin Trgovcich
DT - Zac Bennett, Zack Zamiska
DE - Ryan Lewis, Austin Trgovcich
OLB - Nic Lamica, Zach Cooper
MLB - Jake Tkach, T.J. Waters
MLB - Jimmy Masson, Nelson Lucas-Murphy
OLB - Luke Mueller, Zach Cooper
CB - Antwan Eddie, Jones Twenefor
S - Logan Kelleher, Codi Casper
S - Andy Smigiera, Sam Woods
CB - David Taylor, Keith O'Kelly
Depth chart notes:
A few adjustments to note.
OL Jonah Tyus, OL Max Robertson, OL Drew Garbenis, DL Henry Jartu, DL Steve Fiadewornu and LB Mike Stojkovic did not take part in practice.As mentioned in our last update, Phil Peckich and Ryan Thermil have had their positions slightly tweaked. Peckich is working with the receivers while Thermil is working at tailback.ADDITIONAL NOTES
A few key things to get to today...
One of the biggest challenges in installing a new offense is figuring out how the holdovers fit. That's led to some of the changes we've mentioned, such as Peckich and Thermil. When it comes to Thermil, I think Robert Morris realizes that as good of a blocker he is, he's at his best with the ball in his hands. Thermil's legs are so strong and he builds up such a head of steam that he can be a major asset as a runner.Likewise, Peckich has a history of playing in a more spread offense at Montour years ago. His versatility really plays into what Robert Morris is doing on offense, so the shift to the receiver spot makes sense.We're getting a sense at how the job duties are being handled in the Banaszak era, as well. A lot of the coaching positions are the same. There are a few adjustments, though, including a new addition. Nick McVay, an intern last year, has been working with the new H-Backs. With Pat Shepard coaching the receivers and Myles Russ working with the tailbacks, that position group needed someone to oversee their development. McVay is an Otterbein graduate and is likely going to be listed as a graduate assistant. Banaszak is also roaming between position groups quite a bit, though he does make sure to stop in on the defensive line. Otherwise, he's letting Cornelius Coleman and Alex DiMichele handle the defensive linemen.Temperatures have been pretty low for the first few practice sessions, and today featured something new: A university mandated 15-minute intermission that had the players off the field mid-practice. Robert Morris hasn't had many practices in sub-30 temperatures, so it was definitely a new experience. And appreciated. Our fingers only last so long in the cold...With the brand new offense, the defense has been way behind the offense in its progression for the first practices. The running game consistently found holes while the passing game had the time to get into rhythm. Not today. For the first time, the defense carried the run of play throughout a large portion of 11-on-11 drills. That was especially true when it came to pressure on the quarterback. No matter who was on the offensive line or who lined up on defense, the pocket was in jeopardy on nearly every snap. Considering the number of guys in new roles on defense (at times there are only three returning starters on the field) and the new offense, it was all a matter of time. Now it's a chance for the offense to respond.The defense had a few chances to capitalize on that pressure and couldn't get it done, though. Ryan Lewis batted a pass into the air, but Zac Bennett couldn't hold on for the interception. Andy Smigiera got a hand on a deep pass but couldn't bring it in. Even Antwan Eddie couldn't come through, as he couldn't hang on to a pick despite jumping the route. The offense did have some moments. Paul Jones and Marcus Prather each connected on a couple of deep passes. Thermil and Kenny Davis broke through a couple of times. But the top highlight that we saw might have come from the arm of Derik Abbott. He went up and over the coverage to hit Luke Centofanti, who made a nice leaping grab in stride to haul it in. That's all for now. Our next update will come on Thursday, and we'll be focusing quite a bit on a few individual positions.
