Virginia Football Notes: Tony Elliott In Evaluation Mode After First Preseason Practice

Virginia
Virginia coach Tony Elliott gives instructions during a station. ~ Photo By Kris Wright/TheSabre.com

When new Virginia football coach Tony Elliott opened his first practice in the spring, he said that the tempo caught the players a little off guard. The first official preseason practice of the Elliott era on Wednesday night featured no such shock.

The Cavaliers took on day one with the right attitude for the first-time head coach, but maybe burnt the wick a little too quickly.

“I think they were, but what happens you see a lot of times on the first day, they gas themselves really quick because they’re so excited,” Elliott said. “I thought they pushed through. It’s a fast practice. It’s a lot of reps. … I thought early on they were ready for the tempo, but I think the excitement, the energy, they all were enthused to be out here, they probably had nerves all day, and they kind of ran out the gate. It’s a great opportunity for me to challenge them and say hey fellas, games are won in the fourth quarter. I felt like offensively the last 10 minutes of practice we didn’t keep climbing, we started to fall off. That’s a great opportunity to challenge these guys.”

The Hoos fire off about 10 plays in every 5-minute segment, a rate that is a snap every 30 seconds and they’re rotating through three full lines with that process. Over the course of just 45 minutes, for example, that can add up quickly to around 90 snaps. In the August heat and humidity, even with an evening practice that sees the sun set during the session, it’s a tempo that is demanding.

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