AMHERST — The thud returned to McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Thursday.
UMass practiced in full football gear for the first time this fall camp. It’s one of just nine fully padded practices the Minutemen will have among the 30 sessions leading up to their Sept. 4 season opener at Pittsburgh.
The team only took 12 repetitions of tackling to the ground because they haven’t developed what coach Walt Bell called “body calluses,” or aren’t fully accustomed to the contact yet.
“First time in full pads you don’t want to tackle to the ground a ton, but you do want a lot of contact, so we got that done. Next time we come in full pads, we’ll go to the ground, get a lot of body callus and feel good,” Bell said. “It feels a little more like football. With the new NCAA rules about nine only (practices) in full pads, you’ve got to make them count.”
Junior running back Ellis Merriweather was one of the first to take advantage. As a powerful runner, he sometimes struggles with gauging how best to finish his runs in limited contact scenarios. He doesn’t shy away from contact in games, so it’s an adjustment to avoid it in practice. Thursday allowed him to move closer to his ideal game.
“Especially being a running back, the thud tempo is kind of hard to judge which is the play, should I run through him and finish my run or give him a little thud, so it definitely felt like Christmas,” Merriweather said.
UMass’ secondary also made its presence felt in 11-on-11 work. Tristan Armstrong delivered a notable hit on a sideline throw, and other members of the secondary broke up passes with their physicality.
“We don’t want any thrown balls on us. That’s our job,” UMass corner Josh Wallace said. “We’re DBs. We can’t have any thrown passes on us.”
The intensity should remain up as the team shifts its situational focus from third and long to short yardage and goal line ahead of Saturday’s open practice.
“When we get short yardage, goal line, that’ll tell us a little bit more,” Bell said. “That’ll be long, physical from the start to the finish.”
BEAT THE HEAT – Temperatures reached the mid-90s in Amherst as UMass progressed through its seventh practice of camp. The Minutemen have developed temperature-related protocols that include increased hydration and monitoring the ambient heat and humidity with a psychrometer. If the wet bulb globe temperature, which includes humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover, would have gone beyond a certain threshold then practice would have paused or halted.
“We’re maniacs about hydration and body weights. They weigh in, they weigh out. Every meeting they go, to they’ve got to have their gallon jug with them,” Bell said. “Anybody that’s ever under a certain body fat percentage is supplemented with electrolytes on top of hydration. Our kids handled it well. That’s an organizational thing.”
The Minutemen took an extra hydration and snack break after their 15th work period. They rested on the sideline and ate GoGo squeezes and Rice Krispies treats.
On the sideline, Merriweather said, “It feels like Georgia today” with all of the heat and humidity.
“I’m used to it. Back in (junior college) it was probably 110 degrees on these type of days,” he added. “It’s hot but you’ve got to get through it, mental toughness.”
NON PARTICIPANTS AND INJURIES – Redshirt sophomore defensive back Noah Boykin missed practice with his right arm in a sling.
Quarterback Tyler Lytle also didn’t participate, not wearing a helmet or pads while largely working out on the sideline. The Colorado transfer left Monday’s practice with a groin injury.
“He had a family issue that he had to handle today, so he’s fine,” Bell said.
Tight end Taylor Edwards left drills a few times with chest tightness but returned to the sideline and kept practicing after a few plays.
LET’S TALK ABOUT QBS – With Lytle sidelined, the reps were divided among true freshman Brady Olson, redshirt freshman Garrett Dzuro and Zamar Wise, who is a freshman again after not losing a year of eligibility last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Olson stood out in an extended look. The football jumped sharply out of his hand and was regularly on target, allowing receivers to run in stride. He took some coverage sacks but displayed an aware pocket presence.
“The thing about Brady is he’s a true freshman quarterback taking his first reps of his life, so he’s going to make some mistakes,” Bell said. “But the thing about Brady is how hard he works. He doesn’t repeat the same mistake. If you’ve got the ability to not be a mistake repeater, you’ve got a chance to grow and play.”
Dzuro brings the experience of appearing in three games and starting one last season. Wise adds another dimension with his athleticism and running ability.
“You’ve got to have three guys that you believe in to make it through the season,” said Bell, who mentioned some of his Maryland teams using four and five quarterbacks in a season. “We’ve got to make sure all of those guys are developing on an even pace. Through the base installations, they’ve got a good handle, and if those guys have to be called upon in a game, we’ve got to make sure we’re playing to their strengths.”
PLUNGING THE DEPTH – UMass regularly works its third and fourth stringers into practice repetitions to build depth so those players can potentially contribute later in the season if called upon.
“We’ve put a lot on those guys. We’ve probably repped more threes than any place I’ve ever been, trying to get those guys up to speed in a hurry trying to build depth,” Bell said. “As you get to game five through nine through 12, a lot of those young guys are going to be playing. We’ve tried to get those guys reps to continue to let those guys learn and compete.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.