Preseason Camp Report - Aug. 11
Today was a much-anticipated day at Wolf Pack Park as the team donned full pads for the first time in camp. And full pads means full contact.
"Today is when you start to separate the men from the boys," junior defensive Kevin Basped said with a smile before practice.
Basped's fellow Bash Brother took it a step further with the meaning of full contact.
"Now you can start to get your tempo right," Moch said. "You don't have to let up. You can follow through and go full speed on every play and start to simulate game speed."
With the players eager to hit, the coaches obliged with a practice favorite -- the rouser drill. Head coach Chris Ault brought the drill to Nevada back in his first year -- 1976.
The drill is set up with a mini field, 10 yards long and 8 yards wide. With three offensive "linemen," a quarterback and a running back going against three defensive "linemen." The offense gets three downs to score -- running plays only. The coaches set up three fields and the "linemen" matches up positions -- offensive linemen and tight ends against defensive linemen and linebackers or wide receivers against defensive backs.
The drills gets fiery and score is kept. If the offense scores a touchdown in its three downs, they get a point. If the defense holds them, then they get a point. Tuesday's first day of the rouser was won by the offense, 10-8.
CAMPER OF THE DAY: Senior Linebacker Mike Bethea.
Bethea is having a solid camp so far -- on Monday he picked off two passes and took each back for a touchdown -- and is emerging as a darkhorse candidate to earn a captain's spot this season. That's a rarity for the Pack program -- for a juco transfer to eventually earn a captain's spot. The last to do it in recent memory was another linebacker, Roosevelt Cooks.
"He is working hard to earn that starting job at the middle linebacker spot," associate head coach and linebackers coach Ken Wilson said. "Mike has great work ethic and he is a natual leader. We are expecting big things out of him this year.
