Scrimmage Sat. at 3:00 p.m.

[GOKATS]

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Mike Kramer won't concern himself with yards
and catches and tackles when Montana State stages its first major
scrimmage of fall training camp on Saturday.
Kramer will have his mind on a couple of issues more mundane
when the Bobcat offense and defense get after each other for 50-60 plays
in Bobcat Stadium beginning at 3 pm. Like effort. And video tape.
"If you're a skill-position offensive player on this football
team, at some point during every play you must be in a full-speed
sprint," Kramer said. "If you're carrying the ball, you must be able to
take at least three full-speed strides toward the goal line. If you're
on defense, you must, at some point of every play, make a full-speed
sprint to or toward the ball. That's what I'm looking for. I'm looking
for that effort."
Kramer likened the past week of camp to sailing without a
breeze, but indicated that his primary concern Saturday is gauging
effort. "We're too far from the beginning of camp to be excited, and too
far from the end to be going on the adrenaline of getting ready for that
first game. We've had huge, tremendous mental sessions this week, and
now it's time to impress upon our players, especially the guys that are
new to the depth chart and those trying to break in or hold on to spots
in the two-deep, the standard of energy it takes in this program."
MSU's sixth-year head coach uses visual aids to sharpen players'
focus on the subject. "It's an easy process," he said. "That's the value
of video tape, and that's the importance of the outstanding quality of
video we shoot. I'm able to show guys over and over exactly where their
effort level is. Tape doesn't lie."
And that is exactly what Kramer hopes to get out of Saturday's
scrimmage. "I'll look for that mindset, I'll look for the quality in
each rep," he said. "I want to see the effort." Kramer indicated that
Bobcat regulars may see as few as a dozen plays, just enough to "get
used to a game tempo and game-like conditions."
The scrimmage is free and open to the public.

-msu-

[GROOVY CAT]

A look at the Cats from the Tribune.

http://www.gftribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 00320/1006