I was in Salt Lake this past week visiting an old friend of mine who is also a die hard UNLV fan. We decided to drive down and watch BYU practice. This isn't a report on their depth, or what to expect from their team. Just a couple of small observations from watching them practice compared to watching our beloved Rebels practice without going into specifics.
As we most of us know, Coach Belton departed and went back to USC. There isn't a lot out there on the new coach (Coach Manny), besides that he played in the NFL for a hot minute and he has known Sanchez since they both played in JUCO and later New Mexico. He has also coached at every stop Sanchez has been at.
What I can tell you from watching both schools practice is that there is a completely different emphasis in what UNLV does compared to BYU. BYU is all about strength and straight line speed. It is a very traditional football work out (for anyone that has played before). There are a lot of long cardio sessions and your typical tackle and sled drills. Ladders and speed bump bags are the norm. It was a very intense work out with a lot of skilled athletes that is a testament to how BYU has gone to so many bowl games as of late. The big guys did big guy things. The skills group ran for miles. The linebackers played wack a mole with dummy bags.
On the other hand, UNLV focuses a lot more on burst movement. Without talking to Coach Manny, I can tell that he's the type of guy that doesn't care so much about the 40. Rather, he tunes practices with an emphasis on how fast you can change direction and the brutality of your first few steps. I d bet that he cares more about how fast a player can move/react in 10 yards in any direction than anything beyond that. I saw a lot of mobility drills and flexibility tests designed around how to move and how to react. This was across the board, even with the big guys. This isn't unheard of. Knowing how to move is huge, even in the NFL. That's why some NFL linemen take ballet. I m positive that the changes that will see the field will be immense.
While we can't see what he does in the weight room, I d wager that its much the same in terms of the emphasis. Hoping for a good season of football. Its going to be a long summer waiting.
As we most of us know, Coach Belton departed and went back to USC. There isn't a lot out there on the new coach (Coach Manny), besides that he played in the NFL for a hot minute and he has known Sanchez since they both played in JUCO and later New Mexico. He has also coached at every stop Sanchez has been at.
What I can tell you from watching both schools practice is that there is a completely different emphasis in what UNLV does compared to BYU. BYU is all about strength and straight line speed. It is a very traditional football work out (for anyone that has played before). There are a lot of long cardio sessions and your typical tackle and sled drills. Ladders and speed bump bags are the norm. It was a very intense work out with a lot of skilled athletes that is a testament to how BYU has gone to so many bowl games as of late. The big guys did big guy things. The skills group ran for miles. The linebackers played wack a mole with dummy bags.
On the other hand, UNLV focuses a lot more on burst movement. Without talking to Coach Manny, I can tell that he's the type of guy that doesn't care so much about the 40. Rather, he tunes practices with an emphasis on how fast you can change direction and the brutality of your first few steps. I d bet that he cares more about how fast a player can move/react in 10 yards in any direction than anything beyond that. I saw a lot of mobility drills and flexibility tests designed around how to move and how to react. This was across the board, even with the big guys. This isn't unheard of. Knowing how to move is huge, even in the NFL. That's why some NFL linemen take ballet. I m positive that the changes that will see the field will be immense.
While we can't see what he does in the weight room, I d wager that its much the same in terms of the emphasis. Hoping for a good season of football. Its going to be a long summer waiting.
