Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 120, Number 32, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 20 August 1997 — Page 38

Football Tab, 1997

Enthusiastic Irish want to start fast

RUSTY NIXON Sports Writer SOUTH BEND Bob Davie’s first Notre Dame football team has one goal in mind. “Start fast,” said Davie at the teams media day, “We’ve had a lot of time to work on the plan and we’re anxious to implement that plan.”

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And a big part of that plan is change. The team will open with three a day practices for the first few days, and have just one workout the first day that they don pads. “I think that every football player should look forward to the first day of putting on pads,” said Davie, “that’s why we’ll have just the one practice.” After that it will be two a day’s twice with one workout every third day for the duration of training camp. Davie called his first Notre Dame training camp “critical” to the concept of the fast start. With no scrimmages, no preseason games, the Irish have only camp to prove themselves before opening with Georgia Tech. “An awful lot has been said about our offense. We will throw the ball more. We will establish our running game and that is how we will pass.” The new techniques involved in drop back pass blocking are also crucial in this camp if Davie’s offensive scheme is to succeed. Davie was positive about his team’s ability to make the switch because of a veteran offensive line that will return six players that have spent a lot of time in the trenches. Offensive coordinator Jim Colletto started pushg in spring drills.

“Jim and I both have the theory that you don’t spoon feed your lineman and we didn’t. We threw everything at them this spring, every scheme we had,” said Davie. “How well they catch on to those techniques will have a lot to do with how well we’ll play.”

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Irish QB Ron Powlus shakes the hand of newly appointed ND coach Bob Davie.

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Ron Powlus is back, with anew excitement, mainly because of the new passing scheme and the assurance from his coach that “Ron will not be asked to run the See ND, Page 23