March 26, 2004 Athletics
Story
Football Completes
First Spring Workout
Wide receivers,
offensive tackles earn praise from head coach
 Utah
State University's football team opened its spring practices
with a two-hour workout under the watchful eye of Aggie head
coach Mick
Dennehy Monday (March 22). Utah State lists 81 players on
its pre-spring roster, including 43 returning lettermen. Among
the returnees are 12 starters, including wide receiver Raymond
Hicks.
Hicks is the leading returning receiver, but caught only 13
passes for 183 yards and one touchdown last year.
"It felt pretty good," Hicks said about the first
practice. "I just have to get back into the swing of things
as far as conditioning and catching the ball. We are just trying
to work on what we didn't complete last year."
"For the first day as a group we did pretty well,"
Hicks said of the wide receivers. "We have a lot of young
guys and have a lot of teaching to do. As far as myself, I did
pretty well today. I have a lot of things to do to get myself
better. Hopefully this spring I will get better."
Dennehy was pleased with the wide receivers, which is a thin
group after losing starters Kenny
Coleman and Chris
Stallworth, who each caught 37 balls a year ago.
"I was really pleased with how Tusahambi Evans looked,
how Kevin
Robinson looked and how Lawrence Lovelace looked."
Dennehy said of three newcomers at the position. "I think
we are better there. They have got to work hard every day because
the more we put in, the more confusion they are going to have.
I just liked the way they handled themselves after one day."
Dennehy also praised two freshmen linemen, who will be in a
battle for the right tackle position, which was vacated when
2003 starter Elliott Tupea was moved to right guard this spring.
"I really liked how our two freshmen right tackles played,"
Dennehy said. "Matt Reese and Pace Jorgensen. I thought
they batttled hard. They knew what they were doing. They didn't
always accomplish it, but they played hard and I think they
are very coachable."
Linebacker Nate
Fredrick was just glad to get practice started.
"It felt really good," said weakside linebacker Nate
Fredrick. "It was about as hard as a full padded practice.
I am as tired as can be. Coach (David
Kotulski) had us running around like crazy. It feels good
to be out again. The team is miles ahead of where we were last
year and we are going to step it up a little bit and progress
from here."
USU practiced without pads on Monday and will do the same on
Wednesday.
"It is a little easier to come out without pads on and
play around," Dennehy said. "I think the tell-tale
will be Friday and Saturday when we pad up and the defense is
allowed to do more as far as contact is concerned.
"From the standpoint of organization and guys knowing,
basically where they are supposed to go and what they are supposed
to do, I thought the kids did a pretty good job today,"
Dennehy said.
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