MT Athletic Communications
Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:50 am

Stockstill on Friday's Practice: "It was a nice practice today. I was pleased with the way we competed and the effort they displayed the entire practice. We had a lot of good second-effort plays today and I really liked their mental approach, especially with this being the 15th practice. The leadership was much better today. Everyone did a good job of fighting through the workout."

Stockstill on QB Dwight Dasher: "He continues to get better with each practice, especially in his fundamentals. He has a great attitude, is listening to Tony (Franklin) and taking coaching extremely well. He has been a positive leader on the team and for the offense."

Stockstill on Saturday Scrimmage: "Basically, we scrimmage every day but Saturday is tackling to the ground rather than staying on your feet. We are just going to let them play and see how much we have improved over the last week and see how fast we can play on both sides of the ball. The coaches are not going to be telling them what to do because we want to see if they can get lined up right, have good fundamentals, and are game ready. This is the last major test for us to figure out our two-deep heading into the season opener."

Q&A with RB Phillip Tanner

How does being a senior and taking on a leadership role affect your spot in the backfield? "It is huge to know that I am like the only back to have game experience. We have a bunch of newer guys with new experience. We had D.D. (Kyles) and Marquise (Branton) in the spring. They are really learning a lot and improving more and more everyday. Other young guys, like Benjamin Cunningham are looking good too. Everyday is an improvement. Some things come with experience, but everyone is catching on to it really fast."

What does it mean to you entering your senior year that you are really the only running back with a lot of experience? "It means a lot and is a lot on my shoulders. But, I accept the challenge. I tell the guys playing behind me all the time to come to practice everyday to compete for a starting spot and not come in and say 'I am playing behind Phillip Tanner. Just come in and compete as if you will be a starter. In that case, they give it their all."

How do you see the offense progressing thus far in camp? "We are looking really good and coming together as a team. There is still a lot of stuff we need to work on, as far as tempo and things like that. I feel, as a whole, everyone is buying into the new offense and having fun."

The up-tempo offense that Coach Franklin is installing, is it the way you thought it would be to this point or is it still a work-in-progress? "We are loving it. We are buying into it, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. That is why we come out here everyday to get better everyday."

Today is the final two-a-day. Walk us through how those practices affect you physically and mentally. "It is tough all the way around the clock from the mental aspects to meetings to the physical aspect where your legs are dead. Normally at the end of 22 periods in practice, you go home and get rest. But on two-a-days, you break practice and come right back out here and do it again. Pretty much, the locker room is our home. You spend more time in the locker room lying on the floor than your own bed. But at the end of it all, I will sit back and think it is my last one as a collegiate athlete. It is a bittersweet moment, knowing the tough part is out of the way, but at the same time, I know I will not have another one."

Q&A with S Jeremy Kellem

How do you see the progress of the defense shaping up thus far in camp? "First of all, I want to thank the Lord most importantly. Without Him, you cannot do anything, but with Him, you can do anything. "I think the defense has been shaping up really well. I think we are coming together as a team and want each other to succeed. As individuals, we all have the mindset we want to make the play coach wants us to make and be playmakers. In order for our defense to be successful, all 11 of us or whoever is on the field want to be playmakers. We are all coming together as a team and root for each other on the sidelines. We are teaching each other. One thing Coach (Manny) Diaz is teaching in this camp is not to be sensitive. Basically, if a teammate comes and tells you 'to do this or do this right,' then do not be sensitive and get offended. Just look at them and say 'I will go out there and do it.' That will help us come together more as a unit and get rid of the individual mindset."

What is the status of the defensive backs to this point? "I call the defensive backs the state of Florida since pretty much everyone in the group is from Florida. I think we are shaping up really good. As far as me, Alex Suber, Kevin (Brown) and (Rod) Issac we will be playing together for a second year. We know each other and communicate well. As a secondary, we are coming together really well. We just have to perfect our techniques, assignments and alignments and keep getting better."

How does the new up-tempo offense affect what you do as a defensive back? "With the spread, it is all about speed. Sometimes, they just attack. After one play where you may blitz, you have to get back on the other side of the line of scrimmage and get the play, get located and lined up. It is causing you to get lined up faster, which helps you get in shape in practice. Clemson does not run a spread like we do. I think if we play our offense more like a pro-style, traditional huddle, then we will be in even more shape and get lined up faster. With the spread, it is helping us get to the line quicker."

Tomorrow is the final scrimmage of the fall. What are your expectations coming off the last scrimmage heading in? "I want to go out with no injuries, give great effort, and eliminate the missed assignments. The first scrimmage you are going to have a lot of busted coverages, but now we have two weeks under our belts with all the plays in. We want to go out there and not miss an assignment and go all out and just play. Everyone on offense and defense just wants to be a playmaker."

Notes: Congratulations to Wide Receivers Coach Justin Watts and his wife Lauren with the arrival of a baby boy on Thursday evening (Chase Michael Watts) ... During the team portion of the morning practice, Dwight Dasher had four touchdown passes including three in a row from 45 or more yards out. The first TD was a gorgeous pass to a diving Desmond Gee that covered 50 yards.

NEXT PRACTICE: The Blue Raiders will practice on Saturday at 4:10 PM. The practice is closed to the public.

SEASON TICKETS: 1-888-YES-MTSU OR GoBlueRaiders.com


Coach Rick Stockstill on Wednesday's Practice: "We had a good practice today but not a great practice. The guys are fighting and pushing through a very tough stretch right now with 12 straight practices. The effort is there.

"We are getting leadership but I would like it to be more consistent from the seniors. They need to show the underclassmen everyday what we demand and expect."

Stockstill on the defense: "I like where we are in the secondary because those guys have been consistent and seem to get better every time they step on the field. There's a lot of experience back there and it shows. The linebackers are still a work in progress. Danny (Carmichael) and Cam (Robinson) have been very consistent and showing leadership and I think Antwan (Davis) is close. Right now we really need Gorby (Loreus) to get going and raise his level of play. Up front we are banged up right now and not playing as well as we can. We have to improve along the line."

Stockstill on the offense: "Getting better every day and you can see the confidence level rising. The guys are working hard, the coaches are doing an excellent job of teaching, and some individuals are really improving. We still have a ways to go but we are headed in the right direction. The tempo is getting better but it is really hard to assess right now because we have such heavy legs."

Highlights during team periods: Dwight Dasher completed 8 of 11 passes ... D.D. Kyles had a nice run for 17 yards ... Freshman Sammy Seamster and junior Kevin Brown both collected interceptions ... Garrett Andrews, Chris McClover, Malcolm Beyah (2), Tavarres Jefferson, Gene Delle Donne, Shane Blissard (2), and Wes Caldwell all had receptions.

A Q&A with center Mark Thompson

What is your overall assessment of camp to date? "We are out here in two-a-days covered in sweat, shoes are soggy and knee braces are heavy. We are going strong and not making any excuses about how tough it is. It is amazing."

What is it like being a senior and taking on a leadership role with the offensive line? "I feel like I have had leadership qualities, but they never really have been developed. I have never been, what you would call, a vocal leader. I have always been taught to lead by example. I feel like I have done a pretty decent job with that. The coaches have challenged me to become more vocal in practice and off the field, like during workouts. I am trying to work on that and develop those qualities."

What do you see as far as progress with the offensive line thus far in camp? "We are taking three steps up the ladder everyday. It is amazing the way practices are configured right now. We are set up to get multiple reps during everything we do everyday and we are getting better at it with each practice. There is not one person on the offensive line that you will not see tremendous improvement from one week to the next."

How does the added depth on the line affect practices and leading into the games? "It really changes the whole mentality of it. In spring ball, we had some injuries and had some guys who had conflicts with class, me included. At a given practice, we might have had six or seven offensive linemen to go through the whole practice. That just mentally wears on you and it wears on your body. But now, we have three solid units to go with and that is just incredible. The good thing about that is our third string is as good of a third string I have seen, especially Jordan Johnson and Jesse Grisham who are stepping it up. They really seem to know what they are doing and have shown a lot of effort."

How does the up-tempo offense installed by Coach Franklin affect the offensive line? "Basically, everything is the same, just faster. We get up to the line faster. We execute our blocks faster. We get our pass protection faster. And after the play is over, we get back up to the ball again. It is similar to what we have done as far as the plays and schemes, but everything is just faster."

A Q&A with LB Danny Carmichael

What are your thoughts on being a focus on defense this year, both for opponents and the Blue Raiders? "I feel like for our opponents, they have to prepare for our whole defense. At every position, we have a weapon and are a well-rounded defense. I do not think we have a weak spot on defense. As for this team, I like being the heart of the defense and being that guy that they look up to if they have any questions. I can help them out or go to coach. I like having that responsibility put on me."

The linebackers are fairly young once again this year. How would you assess their progress to date in camp? "They are progressing a lot each day. If they mess up in one practice, they will come back the next practice and correct that mistake. We are putting in new stuff every practice. The guys are really working hard to get the mental assignments down. The physical ability is not a question. We are out here protecting our teammates because we know we can hit. Just like years past, we are a young group and have new guys stepping in to fill big shoes. It seems like every year the linebackers have filled those shoes. We have always been the rock of our defense."

How would you assess the defense's progress as a whole to date? "I think we are really progressing. We have already put in our base defense, including all our coverages, blitzes and stunts. Now, it is really just about putting in the little things and perfecting those blitzes and coverages. If you are two steps to the right, you are supposed to be two steps to the left and get in the right spots. We are working to get those down pat and be sharp."

NEXT PRACTICE: The Blue Raiders will practice on Thursday at 4:10 PM. The practice is closed to the public.

SEASON TICKETS: 1-888-YES-MTSU OR GoBlueRaiders.com


Stockstill on Tuesday Practice: "I thought our effort and intensity was a little better today but we still have not put an entire practice together the past few days. The second half was better than the first but we are still having too many concentration mistakes like jumping offsides and dropping balls. We also have a couple of wide receivers who need to pick up the pace. I think they have been reading too many press clippings and need to start coming to practice with more urgency."

McDonald Stepping Up: Last year at this time, Sancho McDonald was still under center as a quarterback for the Blue Raiders but things quickly changed with a simple reverse.

"He took a reverse in practice and he seemed pretty natural," said receivers coach Justin Watts. "We asked him if he would like to work some at receiver and the rest is history."

About the second week of fall camp, McDonald made the move permanent and he would not change a thing. As a true freshman, McDonald played in all 12 games and caught 26 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns. In his final game, McDonald snared six passes for a career-best 98 yards.

After a tough spring where he battled a hamstring injury and lost confidence from his coaches, McDonald (6-3, 202) has come back this fall on a mission.

"He is really playing with confidence and a big reason is the fact he is healthy and stronger," added Watts. "The contact does not bother him and he is really starting to understand football and what we are doing on offense."

In nine days, McDonald has jumped up the depth chart to where he is running with the first unit at the X position.

"Sancho has improved the most in his blocking while bringing a more physical attitude," said Watts. "He really wants to impress Coach (Tony) Franklin because he did not play very well in the spring. Every day now he makes one or two catches that really makes you shake your head."

Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz on the linebackers: "We are getting great senior leadership from Danny Carmichael and Cam Robinson has picked up where he left off in the spring so we feel real good about those guys. The next four in Gorby Loreus, Norman Washington, Antwan Davis, and Darin Davis, show flashes and improvement one day then take a step back another. We knew it would be this way and it will go on the entire year, which is why they all will play."

Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz on the freshmen linebackers: "The four freshmen (Craig Allen, Roderic Blunt, Justin Jones, Stephen Roberts) are so fun to coach. Not only are they great people but they all have a special talent, love to hit, and possess a great attitude. Our offense is tough to go against because of the tempo and they have responded well. We have brought them along slowly but are giving them more each day and they are doing a nice job with that.

"We really don't know about redshirting those guys. We will just let it play out. If they can help us win this year then they will play."

NEXT PRACTICE: The Blue Raiders will practice on Wednesday at 8:15 AM and again in the evening at 7:10 PM. Both workouts are closed to the public.

SEASON TICKETS: 1-888-YES-MTSU OR GoBlueRaiders.com


The Toughness Segment: Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Stockstill is breaking the Blue Raiders' three-week camp into three segments and Monday started the second segment dubbed "Toughness".

"The second segment is the toughness part as the pads are on and we are in two-a-day practices. The second week is also a time when kids get tired so you really see who your tough guys are and how they bounce back. Their physical and mental toughness will be tested this week."

Stockstill on the Monday Morning Practice: "I don't think it was very good overall. We have to understand the difference between soreness and injury. If you are injured then you don't need to practice but if you have a few bumps and bruises that is no excuse not to practice hard and today we had two or three guys to fall in that category.

"We also had some concentration issues with drops, jumping offsides, and just the lack of mental toughness. There were some individuals that stood out and I do believe we got better in some areas but my biggest disappoint is with a handful of guys who did not come to compete today."

Stockstill on the Kicking Scrimmage: "We went through every phase of the kicking game this morning and I thought it went pretty well. We looked at a lot of guys and now we have some film so we can get things narrowed down in terms of personnel. I thought we kicked the ball well and I liked the fact guys showed up and competed."

Note: PK Alan Gendreau made 5 of 6 field goals, including a 48 and 50 yarder on back-to-back kicks. His only miss came from 52 yards.

Stockstill on Tavarres Jefferson: "He is coming along real well and I am excited about his play. He is tough both physically and mentally, and is a great effort player. I think he has a chance to help us once he learns everything."

Jimmy Ray Stephens on the offensive line: "We move people around a lot in practice so that they can learn more than one position. You always have to have a Plan B with the offensive line because you never know what might happen. It's ideal to have 10 guys you can count on and right now we have about 7 or 8 but I think we can be at 10 by the time our season begins. They know they have to keep working hard because no one has locked down a starting job or backup job but I like our progress the first week or practice."

Stephens on Chris Hawkins' move to center: "I hope (Chris) Hawkins is there for the season. He is snapping the ball well, using his hands well, and just becoming a better player. I would never feel bad about putting him at center if anything happened to Mark (Thompson)."

Stephens on Jake Padrick's move to tackle: "We are trying to find some guys to play tackle so we put Jake (Padrick) out there. He is a physical guy and since we moved him he has really done a good job. Basically, we just have two tackles right now and we have to find depth and Jake is a guy we feel can step into that role."

Stephens on Alex Stuart running with the first unit on his first day back from an injury: "He is a good player who can bend his knees, play low, and is physical. I had no problem moving him back with the first unit."

NEXT PRACTICE: The Blue Raiders will practice on Tuesday at 4:10 PM and the workout is closed to the public.