Fall Camp Sitdown: Week 1

ABILENE, Texas – The Abilene Christian football team wrapped up the first week of fall camp on Saturday, and coordinators sat down for a Q&A as the Wildcats prepare for the Sept. 1 season opener. Fall camp resumes for the Purple and White on Monday, with an open practice slated for this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium.
 
How have the players adapted to a new staff, a new playbook, etc.? 
Offensive Coordinator Steven Lee: I've been very happy with the carryover from summer and where we've been able to go with our install. We feel like we are a little bit ahead with install and schematics. I always state the simplicity of knowing where to go and then figuring out what to do when you get there. You can see the learning curve for the new guys, but with what we are doing offensively, I think we can have a lot of success. 
 
Defensive Coordinator Skyler Cassity: Some of the things we have emphasized is flying around to the football, playing as a unit, physical at the point of attack. Our staff is focused on that, and our guys have done a good job of that. We will continue to emphasize those things, and our players are buying into that.
 
Which players have impressed or surprised you so far? 
Lee: There is great competition at the quarterback position, which is what I hoped would happen. We are splitting the reps equally between three guys right now. We are trying to figure out who we want to elevate, but no decisions can be made just yet. Outside of that group, guys that come to mind are receivers Tristan Golightly and Kendall Catalon, offensive lineman Jacob Thielen, and our tight end room – specifically Colt Cooper, Jed Castles and Noah Caldwell. Our running back room is going to be very competitive, but so far, we like what we have seen from Anthony Smith, Jermiah Dobbins and freshman Rovaughn Banks. 
 
Cassity: Up front, we have a bunch of guys and are deep at that position. We have a couple of defensive ends in Alexander Duke and Tyrin Bradley that have made big strides, and we are going to rely on them as a defense. There are some guys that are household names to ACU people – like Jordan Paup and William Morgan – who have played a lot of snaps here. In this system, we will need a lot of guys to take snaps on the D-Line. We have a great group of backers and depth there, as well, and Tory Hargrove, Izaiah Kelley and T.J. Marshall have been impressive so far. Our secondary has a bunch of skilled guys, and we are going to ask them to carry a wide skill set, but they have bought in. Elijah Moffett and Trey Adams stand out among returners, and Marcus Haskins brings a veteran presence that will be huge for us. 
 
What can we expect to see on your side of the ball? 
Lee: We will have a balanced offense, and we are built to take what the defense gives us. I've been lucky enough to work with a lot of really good defensive head coaches, and they are able to give me some idea on how to attack defenses. We will be an RPO team, and we have taken some Air Raid concepts, as well. Our offense is going to be physical and run the football, and we will have to play smart and make great decisions at the quarterback position. We have to get the right people in the right places, and that's going to be crucial over the next three weeks. The pieces are there, and we are heading in a good direction.

Cassity: We are going to be an attacking and aggressive style of defense. That will always be our identity. We are going to give quarterbacks as many looks as we can to confuse them, and our players are going to perform to the standard of our defense. It's our job to put pressure on the quarterback. We don't want to make the game too complicated, but you will see a brotherhood when you come watch us play. We have made a commitment to each other and a unified goal. Our guys want to play for each other, and they know what it means to wear ACU on their chest.
 
What strides would you like to see in the next week? 
Lee: We are still teaching a lot of concepts and where to go on some things, but now we have to start focusing on what to do when we get there. A lot of guys are getting reps right now because we want to make sure we have seen and evaluated everyone. We are still in the install phase as far signal and terminology, and we will start whittling down and getting guys into a more depth-chart oriented style.
 
Cassity: We will continue to install, which means we are throwing new stuff in there every week. Our offense is extremely talented, and they keep us on our toes, which is great for teaching purposes. Learning, adjusting, and refining is what fall camp is about. We have to get our guys comfortable with a new system, detailing little things, but as we continue to grow, it comes back to playing fast, physical and trusting in one another. Competitions are going to continue to happen, and guys will step up and lead, and those will be the guys we rely on. 
 
What is your group's biggest strength right now? 
Lee: We still have work to do, but this group has gelled quickly and is having fun together. I'm really excited about the length of the guys in the tight end room, and I think that's something we can build around. I like the competition at quarterback and running back, and Coach Pugh is going to put together a really good unit on the O-Line. I'm excited to see where we are come game week. 
 
Cassity: As a unit, we believe in what we are going to do. We have grown together as a brotherhood. We are all on the same page and unified in our goal, and that shows on the practice field every day. There is a belief in one another. We are excited for people to see ACU's new brand of football.