Spring football ushers in ‘new mentality’
In the midst of spring football, coaches and players are taking full advantage of the opportunity for everyone to play, are figuring out new schemes and plays, and are working to instill a new game mindset and mentality.
“We’re just trying to change the mentality and the mindset to where (we) strive to be the best in this conference, the best in this nation,” senior wide receiver Eric Shufford said. “To compete at this level that’s just something that you have to do — you have to have it in your mind and in your head that you’re going to be competitive.”
Luckily, that mentality may come a bit easier for the team with the advantage of two new coaches, Marty Biagi and South Dakota alum Collin Prosser. Biagi will coach cornerbacks, while Prosser will coach tight ends and offensive tackles.
“Our schemes are really good, we just have to be able to execute and get the guys into the mentality that we can execute,” Prosser said. “We’re not going to run a complex offense — there’s not a thousand plays. We’re going to try and be basic in what we do offensively so our guys can play fast.”
Focusing on the instillation of offense, defense and special teams, head coach Joe Glenn said spring football isn’t about winning offense or defense, but more about learning the assignments, positions and the “South Dakota way.”
“We’re really not here to beat South Dakota,” he said. “We’re going to scrimmage a little bit and get after it, offense against defense, but every time there’s a win, there’s a loss. If the defense wins, the offense loses. If the offense wins, the defense loses. (…) they’re learning what we do and getting a chance to learn our system.”
With a couple of players out currently, Shufford said that has opened the door for the younger players to step up.
“Because it’s spring ball, we’re just trying to get everyone acclimated and get some of the young guys the chance to actually be a part of our defenses and our offenses,” he said. “They’re still learning, but now it’s us trying to see what we’re going to be able to do to be successful next year. We have to learn how to do more things and different things.
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More than anything, Glenn said it’s been good to see the emotion and spirit in everyone already.
“Everybody’s playing with a great heart,” he said. “They’re hustling and running to the ball, playing with a lot of emotion, and that’s what you love to see as a coach. Even though it’s in the throws of spring ball and no one really enjoys spring ball because you don’t have any games, the team has shown a lot of pep, a lot of spirit, a lot of hoorah, rallying to the football and having fun with it.”
That heart and spirit is what Shufford is hoping will create a winning program for the University of South Dakota in the upcoming season.
“As long as we keep pushing each other to make each other better, we shouldn’t be worried about competing with each other,” he said. “We should be more worried about making each other better, and we have to get everything we can get from every player on this team. It’s honestly just us trying to change the culture and the mindset here. We don’t like losing — we hate it — so we’re done with that.”
(Photo: Redshirt first-year Paul Anderson, right, rushes past senior Colin Buscarini, left, at practice April 11. Cristina Drey / The Volante)
