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Football
Rhode Island Football Spring Practice Roundup - Issue 2
April 2, 2008
KINGSTON, R.I. - The University of Rhode Island football team wrapped up its fourth practice session of the spring Wednesday afternoon. Unlike the last practice, which took place during a steady rain, today's practice conditions made for cleaner drills despite a brisk wind. After touching on the QB situation on Monday, today's spring report will focus on the men left in charge of protecting them - the offensive lineman. The Rams lost three starters from last season's unit who were instrumental in the Rams finishing third in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in rushing yards at 229.9 per game - offensive tackles Mark Stolte and Damien Gresko, and center Steve Moll. Despite the graduation of those three lineman - two of whom (Stolte and Gresko) were captains - head coach Darren Rizzi has several experienced lineman to help ease the transition for the underclassmen as well as the incoming freshman. Senior Antal Keszthelyi appeared in all 11 games last year for the Rams and has been working as a right tackle opposite classmate Dan Goodman, who has been switched from guard to left tackle. Senior Robert Crudup, meanwhile, appeared in five games as a junior and has been practicing at left guard. Senior Fran Dempsey - who played in nine games in 2007 - has moved over to take Moll's position at center, and Dave Valley has jumped from defensive tackle to right guard. Rizzi has also been pleased to see underclassmen Matt Vitti, Scott Manni and Miguel Prada step their game up.
"The big difference for the line this year is the scheme. They're going from a triple-option offense to a spread attack is like an entire position change for those guys," said Rizzi. "Guys like Goodman, Antal, and Dempsey have been doing the same techniques for years, which has made things a bit hectic for them, but they have done a nice job with the transition. They've learned new footwork techniques and hand placement. There are some guys who are challenging each other. We're not going to know who the starting five is until the end, but the good news is that we've had more competition that I expected." Goodman has already been moved twice this spring. He entered camp as a center, but first-year offensive line coach Roy Istvan has since slid Goodman over to left tackle. "Last year, I played guard. This year, coach Istvan planned to use me at center and I began learning the center spot," Goodman explained. "Before the first practice, I was moved to left tackle, so my head is spinning a little trying to learn the position and get right both physically and mentally." Michael Farr, a standout offensive lineman from Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey - enrolled at URI in January and has begun practicing with the team after spending the 2007 season at Navy Prep. This August, incoming freshman Jason Foster, Matt Greenhalgh, and Michael Gross will join the mix and receive a baptism-by-fire. Rizzi has stated that he hopes his players will come away from spring ball with a solid grasp on the new system, but when asked about the O-line, he added, "As much as you want the offensive lineman to learn what's going on overall, their technique is probably more important than anyone's. If they have a lapse in technique, it really affects the rest of the play." The Rams will hold their fifth practice of the spring on Friday, April 4 from 4-6. Fans are invited and encouraged to attend. |
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