Frost's Practices Draw from Osborne, Kelly

[Mavric]

The Osborne-era Huskers operated under different NCAA rules, but thought of big rosters as an advantage. More players who could potentially develop into difference-makers on the field, but also more practice bodies from which to glean work.

“Repetitions were what they were shooting for and we had enough guys on the team that we would practice two groups at a time and sometimes four groups at a time,” Frost said recently. “It means a lot of guys are getting reps.”

In Kelly’s four years at Oregon — Frost was there for each, plus three more with Mark Helfrich — he had smaller rosters. In fact, Kelly had 122 players his first year and actually oversaw a decrease from that mark to an average of 113.8 between 2009 and 2012. But boy, did the Ducks practice fast.

A 2010 New York Times Magazine story about the program titled, “Speed-Freak Football,” says UO practiced in the morning before the players went to class and that, “Oregon does no discrete conditioning during practice, no ‘gassers’ — the sideline-to-sideline sprints that are staples in many programs — and no ‘110s’ — sprints from the goal line to the back of the opposite end zone. The practice itself serves as conditioning. Just as they do during games, Oregon’s players run play after play … but at a pace that exceeds what they can achieve on Saturdays.”

LJS

 

[Mierin]

“Oregon does no discrete conditioning during practice, no ‘gassers’ — the sideline-to-sideline sprints that are staples in many programs — and no ‘110s’ — sprints from the goal line to the back of the opposite end zone. The practice itself serves as conditioning. Just as they do during games, Oregon’s players run play after play … but at a pace that exceeds what they can achieve on Saturdays.”

Hm. Can't say I've ever put any thought at all into this stuff. But that makes a lot of sense. Doing it that way gets rid of the mindless stuff (running from point A to point B), so the players are having to exercise and think (and make football plays) at the same time, which is what they do in games.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

Certainly running 'mindless' wind sprints, etc. may not be teaching football but in my experience running those awful ordeals, it certainly took being out of shape out of your mind.   When the games came, you were never tired.  I never ever remember being 'tired' in either a football or basketball game and I would credit that to doing plenty of both conditioning drills, etc and scrimmaging as well.  I feel you become a better football player by playing football.  Basketball is the same.   I would say it likely applies to most any endeavor you undertake.   Practice, practice practice.   But standing around listening to the coaches talk and explain, etc is not going to improve the conditioning.  You need to be very active.

 

[huKSer]

There has to be some blend of coaching / conditioning.  Going full bore but doing it wrong every time isn't going to work.

Callahan, if I remember right, would run all the plays in a row (just not at break neck speed) and do the corrections at the end of practice / film room.

Maybe run five different plays at break neck speed, a minute to coach / correct, then run the same five plays again, quickly.  

 

[lo country]

All I know is Frost has had some great mentors at both the college and pro level.  His system also went 13-0 last year and beat Auburn.....I like the fact that limited amount of time there is for practice, is not going to be taken up with wind sprints...Goes into the whole work smarter not harder and "coach less" mentality.  Work on what you need to in order to win. Concentrate on being excellent at the basics....the wins will come.

 

[Nebfanatic]

Last season UCF ran around 75 plays a game. In the article it says he wants to get 130-140 reps per practice. If they practice this way 3 days each game week thats up to 410+ reps in preperation for 75. I don't know how other teams practice, but assuming most teams don't do that many reps even 100 reps 4 days a week only gets to 400 with a day less to recover.

 

[Mierin]

Certainly running 'mindless' wind sprints, etc. may not be teaching football but in my experience running those awful ordeals, it certainly took being out of shape out of your mind.   When the games came, you were never tired.  I never ever remember being 'tired' in either a football or basketball game and I would credit that to doing plenty of both conditioning drills, etc and scrimmaging as well.  I feel you become a better football player by playing football.  Basketball is the same.   I would say it likely applies to most any endeavor you undertake.   Practice, practice practice.   But standing around listening to the coaches talk and explain, etc is not going to improve the conditioning.  You need to be very active.

There has to be some blend of coaching / conditioning.  Going full bore but doing it wrong every time isn't going to work.

Callahan, if I remember right, would run all the plays in a row (just not at break neck speed) and do the corrections at the end of practice / film room.

Maybe run five different plays at break neck speed, a minute to coach / correct, then run the same five plays again, quickly.  

But do they need to do that kind of conditioning while with the football coaches? They have non football practices where they do that.

 

[Enhance]

Last season UCF ran around 75 plays a game. In the article it says he wants to get 130-140 reps per practice. If they practice this way 3 days each game week thats up to 410+ reps in preperation for 75. I don't know how other teams practice, but assuming most teams don't do that many reps even 100 reps 4 days a week only gets to 400 with a day less to recover.

Purely going off of anecdotal accounts, this will at least be a significant change from what Nebraska was doing under Riley, particularly the 'as many reps as possible for every player' portion. I remember hearing on more than one occasion that a lot of second and third stringers would stand around during the 2017 practices.

I'm sure the answers are out there, but, I wonder what practices are like at the prevailing powerhouse programs of the modern era and how those compare to what Frost wants to do.

 

[SuperBigFan69]

Getting a lot of reps in is really hard, like really really hard.  Good for the staff for making it a priority.

I know one staff that does their conditioning at the start of practice, I thought that was brilliant.  Most everyone waits until the end.