RUSTON, La. (Aug. 26, 2015) – Louisiana Tech practiced for two hours at Joe Aillet Stadium Wednesday evening in the team’s last true practice in full pads before camp breaks and game week preparations begin.
A shorts practice and a scrimmage is all that remains for the Bulldogs before the Southern game week arrives.
This was a physical day; again, a lot of team,” said Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz. “We are protecting some guys at this point that I feel have earned that starting role and are doing a good job. The rest of the guys are getting as many reps as we can get. I know they are banged up, beat up and a little bit sore but this is what you have to fight through if you want to be a great offensive football team. Some of these young guys have to grow up. The only way they are going to do it is to try and push through some of these hard times.”
With another evening of cool(er) temperatures, spirited play and energy by the players was prevalent throughout the practice. The defense, having allowed the offense to get the better of it earlier in the week, responded in kind during Wednesday’s practice.
“I thought there was some energy out here on the field. I thought there was some energy on defense. It kind of encourages me a little bit. The offense had a good night the other night and then the defense responds. Then the offense is going to watch the film and hopefully they will respond. That is where you figure out what kind of fight you have in your football team. I was really proud of the way the defense bounced back today. They are out here working hard.”
Despite the defense having a strong performance Wednesday, quarterback Jeff Driskel continues to improve with his command of the offense. The Florida transfer is slated to be the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback when the season opens on Sept. 5 against Southern.
“I feel really good about where Jeff [Driskel] is right now,” said Holtz. “Really the way that he is taking control of the offense, and what he is learning and doing, he has had some really clean practices the last couple of days. Ryan [Higgins] has been out with a sore elbow but he should be back on Friday or Sunday. I think he (Driskel) has shown an impressive grasp of the offense with the way he has picked it all up, the way he is executing it at a really high level and the way he is throwing the ball. But what I have been most impressed with has been his leadership and just the way he has taken a leadership role on the offensive side of the team.”
Louisiana Tech will have a light shorts practice on Thursday before Coach Holtz joins several hundred Louisiana Tech supporters at The Happening in Monroe.
“We’ve talked a lot about the excitement and the energy that is surrounding the football team coming into this season and a lot of the preseason accolades that have been thrown towards this team,” said Holtz. “I think it is great there is all that excitement. To have an opportunity to be at Fan Fest the other day and then to go to The Happening over in Monroe is always exciting for us to have the opportunity to interact with the fan base and see their energy. But we still have to produce on the field and that is what we’ve been out here working so hard for.”
Quotes
Head coach Skip Holtz
“Really, this was one of the last camp practices in pads. We have the scrimmage on Friday but we will be in shorts tomorrow (Thursday) and then scrimmage Friday, then we get into the game week plans as we get into next week. This was a physical day; again, a lot of team. We are protecting some guys at this point that I feel have earned that starting role and are doing a good job. The rest of the guys are getting as many reps as we can get. I know they are banged up, beat up and a little bit sore but this is what you have to fight through if you want to be a great offensive football team. Some of these young guys have to grow up. The only way they are going to do it is to try and push through some of these hard times.”
“I thought there was some energy out here on the field. I thought there was some energy on defense. It kind of encourages me a little bit. The offense had a good night the other night and then the defense responds. Then the offense is going to watch the film and hopefully they will respond. That is where you figure out what kind of fight you have in your football team. I was really proud of the way the defense bounced back today. They are out here working hard.”
On Wednesday’s practice being the last physical test:
“We’ll put on shoulder pads just so we can get some of the game plan stuff for our opening game. We’ll come out here and do some of that on Tuesday, trying to get them ready for the game plan that we are putting together. We won’t do much against each other on Tuesday and, outside of the scrimmage, this was really the last day. We have had 21 straight days of practice, we’ve had four two-a-days in there and they are tired. They are tired and it is hard but that is where you find out what kind of fight you have in your football team.”
On Friday’s scrimmage really determining twos as opposed to most starters:
“[It is] Just to see how they are going to respond in a pressure situation. To see how they are going to do when nobody is on the field, the quarterback is calling the play and they have to respond not knowing what to expect, not knowing if they are in situations whether it be third down and things like that. We’ll learn a lot about it. I want to give our ones enough to make sure that they are not rusty. They need to go live, they need to hit, they need to be tackled, they need to tackle on defense but I also want to protect the guys that I think have earned that starting role. I need to give them about 20 reps and then get them out and see what some of the young guys can do.”
On Jeff Driskel:
“I feel really good about where Jeff [Driskel] is right now. Really the way that he is taking control of the offense, and what he is learning and doing, he has had some really clean practices the last couple of days. Ryan [Higgins] has been out with a sore elbow but he should be back on Friday or Sunday. I think he (Driskel) has shown an impressive grasp of the offense with the way he has picked it all up, the way he is executing it at a really high level and the way he is throwing the ball. But what I have been most impressed with has been his leadership and just the way he has taken a leadership role on the offensive side of the team.”
On The Happening:
“We’ve talked a lot about the excitement and the energy that is surrounding the football team coming into this season and a lot of the preseason accolades that have been thrown towards this team. I think it is great there is all that excitement. To have an opportunity to be at Fan Fest the other day and then to go to The Happening over in Monroe is always exciting for us to have the opportunity to interact with the fan base and see their energy. But we still have to produce on the field and that is what we’ve been out here working so hard for.”
A shorts practice and a scrimmage is all that remains for the Bulldogs before the Southern game week arrives.
This was a physical day; again, a lot of team,” said Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz. “We are protecting some guys at this point that I feel have earned that starting role and are doing a good job. The rest of the guys are getting as many reps as we can get. I know they are banged up, beat up and a little bit sore but this is what you have to fight through if you want to be a great offensive football team. Some of these young guys have to grow up. The only way they are going to do it is to try and push through some of these hard times.”
With another evening of cool(er) temperatures, spirited play and energy by the players was prevalent throughout the practice. The defense, having allowed the offense to get the better of it earlier in the week, responded in kind during Wednesday’s practice.
“I thought there was some energy out here on the field. I thought there was some energy on defense. It kind of encourages me a little bit. The offense had a good night the other night and then the defense responds. Then the offense is going to watch the film and hopefully they will respond. That is where you figure out what kind of fight you have in your football team. I was really proud of the way the defense bounced back today. They are out here working hard.”
Despite the defense having a strong performance Wednesday, quarterback Jeff Driskel continues to improve with his command of the offense. The Florida transfer is slated to be the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback when the season opens on Sept. 5 against Southern.
“I feel really good about where Jeff [Driskel] is right now,” said Holtz. “Really the way that he is taking control of the offense, and what he is learning and doing, he has had some really clean practices the last couple of days. Ryan [Higgins] has been out with a sore elbow but he should be back on Friday or Sunday. I think he (Driskel) has shown an impressive grasp of the offense with the way he has picked it all up, the way he is executing it at a really high level and the way he is throwing the ball. But what I have been most impressed with has been his leadership and just the way he has taken a leadership role on the offensive side of the team.”
Louisiana Tech will have a light shorts practice on Thursday before Coach Holtz joins several hundred Louisiana Tech supporters at The Happening in Monroe.
“We’ve talked a lot about the excitement and the energy that is surrounding the football team coming into this season and a lot of the preseason accolades that have been thrown towards this team,” said Holtz. “I think it is great there is all that excitement. To have an opportunity to be at Fan Fest the other day and then to go to The Happening over in Monroe is always exciting for us to have the opportunity to interact with the fan base and see their energy. But we still have to produce on the field and that is what we’ve been out here working so hard for.”
Quotes
Head coach Skip Holtz
“Really, this was one of the last camp practices in pads. We have the scrimmage on Friday but we will be in shorts tomorrow (Thursday) and then scrimmage Friday, then we get into the game week plans as we get into next week. This was a physical day; again, a lot of team. We are protecting some guys at this point that I feel have earned that starting role and are doing a good job. The rest of the guys are getting as many reps as we can get. I know they are banged up, beat up and a little bit sore but this is what you have to fight through if you want to be a great offensive football team. Some of these young guys have to grow up. The only way they are going to do it is to try and push through some of these hard times.”
“I thought there was some energy out here on the field. I thought there was some energy on defense. It kind of encourages me a little bit. The offense had a good night the other night and then the defense responds. Then the offense is going to watch the film and hopefully they will respond. That is where you figure out what kind of fight you have in your football team. I was really proud of the way the defense bounced back today. They are out here working hard.”
On Wednesday’s practice being the last physical test:
“We’ll put on shoulder pads just so we can get some of the game plan stuff for our opening game. We’ll come out here and do some of that on Tuesday, trying to get them ready for the game plan that we are putting together. We won’t do much against each other on Tuesday and, outside of the scrimmage, this was really the last day. We have had 21 straight days of practice, we’ve had four two-a-days in there and they are tired. They are tired and it is hard but that is where you find out what kind of fight you have in your football team.”
On Friday’s scrimmage really determining twos as opposed to most starters:
“[It is] Just to see how they are going to respond in a pressure situation. To see how they are going to do when nobody is on the field, the quarterback is calling the play and they have to respond not knowing what to expect, not knowing if they are in situations whether it be third down and things like that. We’ll learn a lot about it. I want to give our ones enough to make sure that they are not rusty. They need to go live, they need to hit, they need to be tackled, they need to tackle on defense but I also want to protect the guys that I think have earned that starting role. I need to give them about 20 reps and then get them out and see what some of the young guys can do.”
On Jeff Driskel:
“I feel really good about where Jeff [Driskel] is right now. Really the way that he is taking control of the offense, and what he is learning and doing, he has had some really clean practices the last couple of days. Ryan [Higgins] has been out with a sore elbow but he should be back on Friday or Sunday. I think he (Driskel) has shown an impressive grasp of the offense with the way he has picked it all up, the way he is executing it at a really high level and the way he is throwing the ball. But what I have been most impressed with has been his leadership and just the way he has taken a leadership role on the offensive side of the team.”
On The Happening:
“We’ve talked a lot about the excitement and the energy that is surrounding the football team coming into this season and a lot of the preseason accolades that have been thrown towards this team. I think it is great there is all that excitement. To have an opportunity to be at Fan Fest the other day and then to go to The Happening over in Monroe is always exciting for us to have the opportunity to interact with the fan base and see their energy. But we still have to produce on the field and that is what we’ve been out here working so hard for.”
