“Good job! Good job! Let’s roll! Play fast!”
Fast is the key word for the Beavers as the second practice of the Gary Andersen era took place early Thursday morning at the Prothro Football Complex on a cool start to another bright sunny day in Corvallis.
The 23-period practice is all about tempo and playing fast, as Coach Andersen proclaimed to his team early in the day. The team continues to learn that pace of play is a benchmark for Andersen’s teams and by all early indications it’s something the 2015 Beavers are enjoying.
While the offense generally makes the headlines, today we feature the defense and more specifically associate head coach/coordinator Kalani Sitake. He and his staff have the job of replacing nearly the entire starting group off of last year’s team.
Sitake brings high energy to the field and a wealth of experience as a coach, dating back to 2001. The OSU video team will put a wireless mic on him for a practice later this spring to give Beaver Nation an inside look to his coaching style. Today’s practice recap video has some insight into Sitake’s defensive philosophy and some highlights from individuals from that side of the ball.
At the end of every practice there is one final play; Tuesday it was a pressure field goal that Garrett Owens made enabling the team to end practice without extra conditioning. Thursday it was the offense vs. the defense on 3rd and 10. For the loser it was pushups. Unfortunately for the defense, which overall had a good day, they were unable to stop the Luke Del Rio/Victor Bolden connection.
It’s back on the field Saturday for the third practice starting at 11:30 a.m. at Reser Stadium. The approximately two hour practice is open to the public and we hope as many of Beaver Nation can be there as possible. Fans should enter through gate D, located in the northwest corner by the Valley Football Center. It will also be the first practice in pads.
Also a reminder, OSU football is inviting any 3rd-8th grade boys and girls to the annual Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis Youth Football Mini-Camp Sat., March 14 from 3-5 p.m. at the Merritt-Truax Indoor Facility on the OSU campus. To register or for more information please go to bgccorvallis.org/Athletics.
The response has been strong to the Coach Andersen hire as season ticket sales are pacing at nearly a 50 percent rate above last year with the excitement continuing to build for the new era of Beaver football. The season officially kicks off Friday, Sept. 4 at Reser Stadium vs. Weber State in a nationally televised game. To get in on the action go to beavertickets.com or call 800-Go-BEAVS during business hours.
Players Make Plays; Players Win Games.
