The first day of two-a-days in the midst of August is often like a summer storm. You know it's coming, you even try to prepare for it, but it always seems to catch you by surprise.
Robert Morris got a little of both on Tuesday. Not only did a late summer storm chase the Colonials off the field a bit early to end the day's events, but RMU also put the extra work in with its first two-a-day. The impact in the afternoon session was noticeable. The feisty atmosphere around the team the past few days that led to a few minor scrums wasn't there. The players went hard, but it was like they were conserving their energy for the drills and not for the jawing afterward.
It was perfect timing. Coaches straddle the line between wanting to see fight and desire from their players and making sure that things don't get out of hand. Having competition between players is crucial. You see who truly wants to be there and who is just going through the motions. Robert Morris is now getting a good look at who is willing to scratch and claw to get better every day and who will wilt.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / Zac Bennett
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Malik Johnson / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - David Taylor / Antwan Eddie
Day 6 News and Notes:
Wide receiver Chad Dawgiello remained out. Joining him on the sideline once again were running backs Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis, defensive end Tyler Potts, offensive lineman Drew Garbenis and linebacker Mark Centofanti. New additions to the absentee list were defensive tackle R.J. Cook, defensive tackle Henry Jartu, defensive end Ryan Budny and quarterback Brian Johnson.Linebacker Devon Cesario and wide receiver Dustin Lowman have decided to leave the team. Lowman's departure is of particular surprise, as he was expected to compete for significant playing time. But Lowman has also battled injuries ever since he arrived at RMU, so other factors could have been in play for him. Either way, both are no longer in camp or on the roster.
A new face arrived in camp on Wednesday. Running back Travis Gregg, a transfer from Grand Valley State, joined the team for the first time. Gregg graduated from South Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012 and he will be a sophomore. He will have to sit out a year as per NCAA transfer rules, but his addition helps RMU's depth at running back for camp. Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis have been out the past couple of days, leaving the Colonials with just four healthy tailbacks.With two-a-days in effect and camp approaching a full week of action, don't be surprised to see a number of veterans get maintenance days, especially in the afternoon sessions of two-a-days. Yes, camp is about conditioning and preparing for the season, but it's also about being smart and healthy. My general rule of thumb is that outside of head injuries, no one should be overly concerned about an absence unless that player is in a boot or cast. Hamstrings and other injuries are bound to happen, but they (generally) heal in time.
The first five days of special teams work was largely spent on punt coverage and punt returns. Today was the first day of kickoff coverage. Both Hunter Khaleghi and Connor Shennan got reps as the kickoff specialist. Shennan showcased a bit of his power when he hammered one kickoff deep into the end zone, something that hasn't been overly common at RMU. Also something to keep an eye on: A couple freshmen, including T.J. Waters and Nic Lamica, earned some kickoff coverage time with the first unit. It might be the best way for them to make an impact.Though the focus wasn't on kick returns, the work did give a little glimpse at potential returners. Incumbent Brian Jones went back, as did freshman wide receiver Jordan Blackmon, junior Duane Mitchell and redshirt freshman Sean Gavin. Some other candidates (David Taylor, Andy Smigiera, etc.) were on kick coverage detail and naturally didn't participate, so we'll see who else gets thrown into the mix as a returner.For now, it's looking the core linebacker group is going to be Kyle Cooper, Mike Cook, Kimani Smith, Matthew Fox, Luke Mueller, Jake Tkach, Mark Centofanti and Mike Stojkovic. Stojkovic was moved up to the first team with Centofanti out, and with Devon Cesario no longer on the team, Stojkovic is pulling double duty at times at outside linebacker. He can use the reps to help his transition from the 4-3 at North Texas, but I found it interesting that no one from the second group of outside linebackers has been bumped up to even out the linebackers. Perhaps that will happen down the road, or maybe the young guys just haven't shown enough to Scott Farison that they're ready to jump up a level.I think, nearly a week into camp, the staff has to be pretty pleased with where the defense is. Yes, there's still competition, but there's a lot of promise on the defensive side of the ball. That's a front seven that can generate pressure and a fairly good secondary that can provide a number of different looks. I'm not sure about things on the offensive end of things. The offensive line appears to be stable and equipped with experience, which is good. But Evan Taylor's absence in the backfield really muddies the running game. And if I'm on the RMU staff, I'm hoping that some playmakers beyond Duane Mitchell and Donte Jeter step forward and make a serious statement that they deserve to be part of the passing game. Definitely something to watch.
Finally, our plays of the day:Catch of the Day: Luke Centofanti made an outstanding catch during 1-on-1 drills in the end zone. Once again, the receivers and defensive backs worked on short end zone patterns to start the afternoon session. Centofanti beat his man and made a diving grab along the sideline toward the back pylon. It was a perfectly timed lunge and excellent grab.Catch of the Day, Part Deux: Duane Mitchell tried to one-up Centofanti later in the drill, but his catch had less to do with an excellent grab and more to do with his physical presence. Going up against safety D.J. Myers, Mitchell was able to get positioning to turn back towards the quarterback. Myers had excellent coverage, but Mitchell saw the ball the entire way, leaped, and plucked the ball out of the air over the top of Myers. Mitchell basically Moss'd Myers.
That's all for today. Camp continues Thursday with Day No. 7.
Robert Morris got a little of both on Tuesday. Not only did a late summer storm chase the Colonials off the field a bit early to end the day's events, but RMU also put the extra work in with its first two-a-day. The impact in the afternoon session was noticeable. The feisty atmosphere around the team the past few days that led to a few minor scrums wasn't there. The players went hard, but it was like they were conserving their energy for the drills and not for the jawing afterward.
It was perfect timing. Coaches straddle the line between wanting to see fight and desire from their players and making sure that things don't get out of hand. Having competition between players is crucial. You see who truly wants to be there and who is just going through the motions. Robert Morris is now getting a good look at who is willing to scratch and claw to get better every day and who will wilt.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Paul Jones / Derik Abbott
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Warren Fields
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Josh Thiel
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Blake Chambliss
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / Zac Bennett
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mike Stojkovic
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Jake Tkach
CB - Malik Johnson / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - David Taylor / Antwan Eddie
Day 6 News and Notes:
Wide receiver Chad Dawgiello remained out. Joining him on the sideline once again were running backs Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis, defensive end Tyler Potts, offensive lineman Drew Garbenis and linebacker Mark Centofanti. New additions to the absentee list were defensive tackle R.J. Cook, defensive tackle Henry Jartu, defensive end Ryan Budny and quarterback Brian Johnson.Linebacker Devon Cesario and wide receiver Dustin Lowman have decided to leave the team. Lowman's departure is of particular surprise, as he was expected to compete for significant playing time. But Lowman has also battled injuries ever since he arrived at RMU, so other factors could have been in play for him. Either way, both are no longer in camp or on the roster.
A new face arrived in camp on Wednesday. Running back Travis Gregg, a transfer from Grand Valley State, joined the team for the first time. Gregg graduated from South Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012 and he will be a sophomore. He will have to sit out a year as per NCAA transfer rules, but his addition helps RMU's depth at running back for camp. Perez Mackell and Caleb Stennis have been out the past couple of days, leaving the Colonials with just four healthy tailbacks.With two-a-days in effect and camp approaching a full week of action, don't be surprised to see a number of veterans get maintenance days, especially in the afternoon sessions of two-a-days. Yes, camp is about conditioning and preparing for the season, but it's also about being smart and healthy. My general rule of thumb is that outside of head injuries, no one should be overly concerned about an absence unless that player is in a boot or cast. Hamstrings and other injuries are bound to happen, but they (generally) heal in time.
The first five days of special teams work was largely spent on punt coverage and punt returns. Today was the first day of kickoff coverage. Both Hunter Khaleghi and Connor Shennan got reps as the kickoff specialist. Shennan showcased a bit of his power when he hammered one kickoff deep into the end zone, something that hasn't been overly common at RMU. Also something to keep an eye on: A couple freshmen, including T.J. Waters and Nic Lamica, earned some kickoff coverage time with the first unit. It might be the best way for them to make an impact.Though the focus wasn't on kick returns, the work did give a little glimpse at potential returners. Incumbent Brian Jones went back, as did freshman wide receiver Jordan Blackmon, junior Duane Mitchell and redshirt freshman Sean Gavin. Some other candidates (David Taylor, Andy Smigiera, etc.) were on kick coverage detail and naturally didn't participate, so we'll see who else gets thrown into the mix as a returner.For now, it's looking the core linebacker group is going to be Kyle Cooper, Mike Cook, Kimani Smith, Matthew Fox, Luke Mueller, Jake Tkach, Mark Centofanti and Mike Stojkovic. Stojkovic was moved up to the first team with Centofanti out, and with Devon Cesario no longer on the team, Stojkovic is pulling double duty at times at outside linebacker. He can use the reps to help his transition from the 4-3 at North Texas, but I found it interesting that no one from the second group of outside linebackers has been bumped up to even out the linebackers. Perhaps that will happen down the road, or maybe the young guys just haven't shown enough to Scott Farison that they're ready to jump up a level.I think, nearly a week into camp, the staff has to be pretty pleased with where the defense is. Yes, there's still competition, but there's a lot of promise on the defensive side of the ball. That's a front seven that can generate pressure and a fairly good secondary that can provide a number of different looks. I'm not sure about things on the offensive end of things. The offensive line appears to be stable and equipped with experience, which is good. But Evan Taylor's absence in the backfield really muddies the running game. And if I'm on the RMU staff, I'm hoping that some playmakers beyond Duane Mitchell and Donte Jeter step forward and make a serious statement that they deserve to be part of the passing game. Definitely something to watch.
Finally, our plays of the day:Catch of the Day: Luke Centofanti made an outstanding catch during 1-on-1 drills in the end zone. Once again, the receivers and defensive backs worked on short end zone patterns to start the afternoon session. Centofanti beat his man and made a diving grab along the sideline toward the back pylon. It was a perfectly timed lunge and excellent grab.Catch of the Day, Part Deux: Duane Mitchell tried to one-up Centofanti later in the drill, but his catch had less to do with an excellent grab and more to do with his physical presence. Going up against safety D.J. Myers, Mitchell was able to get positioning to turn back towards the quarterback. Myers had excellent coverage, but Mitchell saw the ball the entire way, leaped, and plucked the ball out of the air over the top of Myers. Mitchell basically Moss'd Myers.
That's all for today. Camp continues Thursday with Day No. 7.
