2013 Spring Practice: Attention to Detail

A couple of things caught my eye while reading through yesterday's stories from the beat guys. The quote plastered on the picture above is from Logan Thomas talking about Scot Loeffler (via Chris Lang's latest post, New coaches' energy infectious at Tech spring practice). If toughness was the primary thing the coaches were emphasizing this spring, it seems like attention to detail might be their second priority. Here's more from Thomas.

"He said I have a lot of work to do, in certain aspects," Thomas said. "That's what we've been working on as much as we can. You all were out there today. You saw him coaching at me a little bit. That's because he wants me to be perfect. That's not to say I was doing it bad or wrong. But he wants me to do it 100 percent the right way. For me, I love that type of thing. I want to be the best there is. Whatever is going to make me the best I can.

Recall last season when we all nitpicked Logan's lackadaisical play fakes, and watched balls sail high or skip off the turf due to degradation in mechanics. Loeffler is working to perfect and correct the little things in Thomas' game in an effort to produce and excellent quarterback. Here's more from Andy Bitter.

Loeffler, in particular, was animated throughout the practice, stepping in to correct every small detail he didn't feel was right — from completing fakes at full speed to using proper throwing mechanics to making sure the cadence of the play-call was to his liking.

While at Tech, Thomas has only shown the desire to learn and get better. Hopefully he's able to soak up the new coaching.

Another interesting tidbit from Lang's post, only a single running play is being taught over the first four days of practice.

"Right now, we're working on the wide zone. That's the play we're trying to perfect right now," sophomore tailback J.C. Coleman said. "We have that one play that we're running, in a variety of formations. I'm excited about that play. That's kind of my style, you know, one cut and keep it going."

Bread. And. Butter. Last season Tech didn't have a play they could rely on to consistently gain yards. Rather, there was an all you can buffet of no-gains and one-yard losses. Having fewer plays ran from multiple formations cuts down on the learning curve for the offense, but maintains complexity from a defender's perspective. Also, over the course of the season players develop confidence in a handful of plays they work on and execute each practice.