Hello again HOB. The Mark Stoops weekly radio call-in show begins tonight at 6 ET on the UK Sports Network. I'll be following along are sharing the major talking points here on the HOB for those of you who may not be able to listen to the show live.
* Very spirited practice today. Guys are ready to get rolling.
* Stoops reiterates that the one thing he won't budge on this season is being a united team, being unselfish.
* Noted that he tried to hire new RB/ST coach Jay Boulware "many years ago," and he's thrilled at what he's been sing from him.
* Gotta be prepared for a lot of different looks from Ball State. Thinks they'll see 12 personnel quite a bit from their offense and defense may show both 3-man front and 4-man front.
* Listener wants to know about tempo and the new clock rules in CFB... Stoops doesn't see it becoming a drastic difference (the clock rules) but he says the team has to be able to operate faster than it did at times last year in certain situations. Still pro-style offense, and it's not going to look like "Tennessee or whoever," but the ability to get the tempo going faster when they want/need to.
* Opponents can't really zero in on one guy like Wan'Dale the last time Coen was here. Multiple weapons at their disposal.
* Sounds a little tired of talking about the Big Blue Wall, but says it definitely looks better. They're ready to put that 2022 season behind them. In their best seasons, they always had a rotation, and he thinks that could help this group to rotate some more guys in and out.
* Listener wants to hear about injury situation. Stoops declines to talk about it. (In fairness, I don't think there is much of one, outside of him mentioning Christman and Hall at his luncheon.)
* WRs remain thin in overall numbers, but Stoops really likes the guys they have available. Noted that Anthony Brown-Stephens has reminded him of Wan'Dale in his approach to the game, and that Brandon White has shown some serious explosiveness this summer.
* Stoops and Tom joking about having to learn Demie Sumo-Karngbaye's name... Sounds like KARN-BYE is the easiest way to remember it, but Stoops says he may just go with DSK.
* JJ Weaver has put on weight, really looks good, and he's got to have a breakout year as a big-time pass-rusher for this defense to be as good as it wants to be.
* Devin Leary's ability to lead receivers and put the ball in a place where the receiver can do something with it after he catches it is really undervalued when you're breaking down QBs.
* On Vince Marrow calling for "14" personnel... "We do have the depth," Stoops acknowledges. The team's deepest position. Good, versatile football players. Helps you deal with some of the lack of depth in the WR corps. Essential to take advantage of these guys.
* Very spirited practice today. Guys are ready to get rolling.
* Stoops reiterates that the one thing he won't budge on this season is being a united team, being unselfish.
* Noted that he tried to hire new RB/ST coach Jay Boulware "many years ago," and he's thrilled at what he's been sing from him.
* Gotta be prepared for a lot of different looks from Ball State. Thinks they'll see 12 personnel quite a bit from their offense and defense may show both 3-man front and 4-man front.
* Listener wants to know about tempo and the new clock rules in CFB... Stoops doesn't see it becoming a drastic difference (the clock rules) but he says the team has to be able to operate faster than it did at times last year in certain situations. Still pro-style offense, and it's not going to look like "Tennessee or whoever," but the ability to get the tempo going faster when they want/need to.
* Opponents can't really zero in on one guy like Wan'Dale the last time Coen was here. Multiple weapons at their disposal.
* Sounds a little tired of talking about the Big Blue Wall, but says it definitely looks better. They're ready to put that 2022 season behind them. In their best seasons, they always had a rotation, and he thinks that could help this group to rotate some more guys in and out.
* Listener wants to hear about injury situation. Stoops declines to talk about it. (In fairness, I don't think there is much of one, outside of him mentioning Christman and Hall at his luncheon.)
* WRs remain thin in overall numbers, but Stoops really likes the guys they have available. Noted that Anthony Brown-Stephens has reminded him of Wan'Dale in his approach to the game, and that Brandon White has shown some serious explosiveness this summer.
* Stoops and Tom joking about having to learn Demie Sumo-Karngbaye's name... Sounds like KARN-BYE is the easiest way to remember it, but Stoops says he may just go with DSK.
* JJ Weaver has put on weight, really looks good, and he's got to have a breakout year as a big-time pass-rusher for this defense to be as good as it wants to be.
* Devin Leary's ability to lead receivers and put the ball in a place where the receiver can do something with it after he catches it is really undervalued when you're breaking down QBs.
* On Vince Marrow calling for "14" personnel... "We do have the depth," Stoops acknowledges. The team's deepest position. Good, versatile football players. Helps you deal with some of the lack of depth in the WR corps. Essential to take advantage of these guys.
