Jake Spavital loves where his team stands 11 practices into the spring.
Texas State’s head coach likes where his team is from a competitive standpoint
“We’ve been preaching (competitiveness) for 10 practices and it’s really starting to show off, especially when you start doing situational stuff, you start putting them in situations that’s going to bring the best out of everybody and those competitive juices start flying a little bit,” Spavital said. “It’s been fun watching these guys get after each other.”
The Bobcats hold their second scrimmage of spring practice on Saturday. Spavital said there were plenty of things to clean up from the first scrimmage. Texas State turned the ball over too much and its redzone offense struggled. Spavital wants to see his team be more consistent in Saturday’s scrimmage.
“So, I’m wanting to see us play football,” Spavital said. “You know, go out there and play a game and not be all over the place, up and down, where we’re three-and-out one drive, we score on one play or we’re three-and-out the next one and then we put together a six-play drive. I just want to see consistency throughout the course of it. I think the more reps and the more opportunities we put them in, it’s just going to naturally working itself out.”
On the defensive end, outside linebackers coach Tevin Mims wants his unit to his guys fly around to the football on Saturday.
“As long as they do their job to the best of their ability, as athletic as the guys are in our room, we should be flying around making plays all day, which I expect,” Mims said. “But the main thing I want to see is these guys out their doing their job consistently on a daily basis.”
Added senior linebacker Gavin Graham: “Obviously through spring ball you put in new stuff every day, so going out there and taking what we’ve talked about in the meeting room and putting on the field.”
With three practices remaining before Texas State’s annual Maroon & Gold Spring Game on April 13, Spavital wants to make sure his team takes advantage of time left.
“We talk to them about take advantage of the day because you don’t have very many opportunities left,” Spavital said. “You have 15 practices. Every team in the country is doing this. It’s what we’re getting out of it … They bring it out there and they’re challenging each other and we’re making ourselves better offensively and defensively and that’s all we can ask for right now and that’s going to continue to be our mindset all the way up until that mock week when we start preparing for Texas A&M in fall camp.”
Mims looks to guide outside linebackers to full potential
Mims believes he’s inherited a talented unit at outside linebacker.
“As I’ve said before, I think they’ve been responding well to everything that we’ve put out there for them,” Mims said. “I’ve got four seniors in my group and a couple of young bucks. Like I’ve said, I’m excited about where we’re going from here.”
With talent abound, Mims wants to help his unit realize its full potential.
“I think our ceiling is very high,” Mims said. “Everyday is a process in how we work and we just kind of take it day by day. I don’t think these guys know how good they can be. But it’s up to me to unlock that potential. Like I said, it’s an everyday process and we continue to work everyday.”
Graham is confident in Mims’ ability as a coach.
“Coach Mims is the best position coach I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Graham said. “You know, the comfortability just going and talking to him, hanging out in his offense going over film.”
Mims says the outside linebackers have a lot of responsibility in Texas State’s defense and he wants them to be playmakers.
“We’ve got a lot of pass responsibilities and we’ve got a lot of guys that can go get after the quarterback,” Mims said. “So, like I always tell the guys, we’re the playmakers of the defense. I feel like we’re the playmaker position, so I expect these guys to live up to that hype.”
