aceinthehole
April 13th, 2007, 11:53 AM
(From www.ccsubluedevils.com)
Blue Devils Reach Midway Point of Spring Practice
Spring Game - April 27 - 2:30 p.m.
April 12, 2007
New Britain, CT - We recently sat down with head football coach Jeff McInerney at the midway point of spring football practice to discuss how his team is preparing for next season. Coach McInerney and the Blue Devils began spring practice on March 30 and have completed eight practices as of Thursday afternoon. The annual Blue-White Spring Game will take place on Friday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. at Arute Field. Thanks to Coach McInerney for taking the times to answer our questions.
After being here for a full year, how is this spring different than last spring?
Great question. We're a lot better because we know what we're doing. The coaches know the players and we know their strengths and their weaknesses. What spring football is about is getting better. When you know guys strengths and weaknesses it is easier to get them better. There are some schemes in spring football but you do spring football to get the players better.
You are two weeks into spring ball, can you let us in on how things are going and are you where you want to be at this point?
We're pretty good, we're on pace. Obviously like any coach I think we can always get better. I can't sit here and say we're a finished product, we're a work in progress. We are where I thought we would be. At the tailback spot we have some great competition. I think we will be able to run the ball as well as last year, and I do believe we will be able to throw the ball better, at least in play action pass situations.
Has Aubrey Norris participated in spring ball and will he be ready for the 2007 season?
I think he is ahead of schedule. He is out there throwing the ball and has been in pads. We're obviously doing non-contact, and we're not doing a lot of cutting but as far as pass skeleton and throwing the ball. To be honest I was concerned we wouldn't have him back until September, where he could actually start to practice. Now I think he'll be ready for camp.
Now you have two quarterbacks who have both been successful, Ryan Holmes and Norris. Will we see both of them playing next season?
Absolutely. I think it is a growing trend. You can bring another guy in and do something special without creating a controversy. Aubrey was the starter when he got hurt against Southern but you don't want to lose your job because of an injury. However, right now we don't know when he is coming back, so Ryan is our starter right now. When Aubrey comes back they will compete for the position. Yes, I believe both will play a role for us next season and we are better because of it. We will use both of them for their strengths.
Can you comment on the 2007 schedule and where you hope to be following the first four games of the season?
Going into the bye week (September 29), I want us to get better every week. I think in the non-conference schedule that has to be your goal. If anyone proved this it is Howie Dickenman and the men's basketball team. What a great job he and his staff did this season. You want to get your team better during each and every game prior to the conference season. Winning the NEC is big. What he did was a great coaching job in getting his team better. We all want to win but as a coach you want to get your team better from game-to-game. If you can be better following each game than you can sleep well at night. That's our goal. At Towson our goal is the same as it was when we went to Georgia Southern. Don't look at the scoreboard, compete every down and get better. Same thing at home vs. Merrimack and Southern. We still want to get better so that when we go to Western Michigan we can play at a high level. The goal is to go into the off week ready to prepare for the opening of the conference season at St. Francis (PA) on October 7th. We want to be in high gear. That's how I look at it.
Everyone's first introduction to the style of Jeff McInerney came last season at the spring game. In your eyes what is the goal of the spring game?
Fun! I played this game and after participating in football for the whole year, playing in the fall, weight lifting...you want to go out and have some fun. You go out there for an hour and a half and enjoy playing the game just like you are seven years old. Hopefully it is a beautiful sunny day and people are coming to our great campus and bringing excitement. We want them to enjoy the game of college football and support this team. That's going to be a fun day, especially when you add the Hall of Fame dinner that night into the mix. We're going to go to the Hall of Fame as a staff and support all of the inductees. It is going to be a fun day and we are looking forward to it.
We encourage everyone to come out to our practices. Here is the remaining schedule prior to the spring game on April 27 at 2:30 p.m.
April 13 - 7:30 a.m.
April 16 - 7:30 a.m.
April 18 - 7:30 a.m.
April 20 - 7:30 a.m.
April 23 - 7:30 a.m.
April 25 - 7:30 a.m.
Blue Devils Reach Midway Point of Spring Practice
Spring Game - April 27 - 2:30 p.m.
April 12, 2007
New Britain, CT - We recently sat down with head football coach Jeff McInerney at the midway point of spring football practice to discuss how his team is preparing for next season. Coach McInerney and the Blue Devils began spring practice on March 30 and have completed eight practices as of Thursday afternoon. The annual Blue-White Spring Game will take place on Friday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. at Arute Field. Thanks to Coach McInerney for taking the times to answer our questions.
After being here for a full year, how is this spring different than last spring?
Great question. We're a lot better because we know what we're doing. The coaches know the players and we know their strengths and their weaknesses. What spring football is about is getting better. When you know guys strengths and weaknesses it is easier to get them better. There are some schemes in spring football but you do spring football to get the players better.
You are two weeks into spring ball, can you let us in on how things are going and are you where you want to be at this point?
We're pretty good, we're on pace. Obviously like any coach I think we can always get better. I can't sit here and say we're a finished product, we're a work in progress. We are where I thought we would be. At the tailback spot we have some great competition. I think we will be able to run the ball as well as last year, and I do believe we will be able to throw the ball better, at least in play action pass situations.
Has Aubrey Norris participated in spring ball and will he be ready for the 2007 season?
I think he is ahead of schedule. He is out there throwing the ball and has been in pads. We're obviously doing non-contact, and we're not doing a lot of cutting but as far as pass skeleton and throwing the ball. To be honest I was concerned we wouldn't have him back until September, where he could actually start to practice. Now I think he'll be ready for camp.
Now you have two quarterbacks who have both been successful, Ryan Holmes and Norris. Will we see both of them playing next season?
Absolutely. I think it is a growing trend. You can bring another guy in and do something special without creating a controversy. Aubrey was the starter when he got hurt against Southern but you don't want to lose your job because of an injury. However, right now we don't know when he is coming back, so Ryan is our starter right now. When Aubrey comes back they will compete for the position. Yes, I believe both will play a role for us next season and we are better because of it. We will use both of them for their strengths.
Can you comment on the 2007 schedule and where you hope to be following the first four games of the season?
Going into the bye week (September 29), I want us to get better every week. I think in the non-conference schedule that has to be your goal. If anyone proved this it is Howie Dickenman and the men's basketball team. What a great job he and his staff did this season. You want to get your team better during each and every game prior to the conference season. Winning the NEC is big. What he did was a great coaching job in getting his team better. We all want to win but as a coach you want to get your team better from game-to-game. If you can be better following each game than you can sleep well at night. That's our goal. At Towson our goal is the same as it was when we went to Georgia Southern. Don't look at the scoreboard, compete every down and get better. Same thing at home vs. Merrimack and Southern. We still want to get better so that when we go to Western Michigan we can play at a high level. The goal is to go into the off week ready to prepare for the opening of the conference season at St. Francis (PA) on October 7th. We want to be in high gear. That's how I look at it.
Everyone's first introduction to the style of Jeff McInerney came last season at the spring game. In your eyes what is the goal of the spring game?
Fun! I played this game and after participating in football for the whole year, playing in the fall, weight lifting...you want to go out and have some fun. You go out there for an hour and a half and enjoy playing the game just like you are seven years old. Hopefully it is a beautiful sunny day and people are coming to our great campus and bringing excitement. We want them to enjoy the game of college football and support this team. That's going to be a fun day, especially when you add the Hall of Fame dinner that night into the mix. We're going to go to the Hall of Fame as a staff and support all of the inductees. It is going to be a fun day and we are looking forward to it.
We encourage everyone to come out to our practices. Here is the remaining schedule prior to the spring game on April 27 at 2:30 p.m.
April 13 - 7:30 a.m.
April 16 - 7:30 a.m.
April 18 - 7:30 a.m.
April 20 - 7:30 a.m.
April 23 - 7:30 a.m.
April 25 - 7:30 a.m.