In the Phoenix airport. He was wearing a Husker shirt and I gave him a GBR.
Fun to see them out on the recruiting trail.
Fun to see them out on the recruiting trail.
Just saw Coach Cav
- Thread starter GretnaShawn
- Start date
I agree that is cool to see. I ran into Coach Gilmore in the DFW airport a few years ago when he was out crootin.
I think he was in AZ visiting a sister over the break, but maybe he did a little work as well.
No clue, but anytime they are in AZ they should be at Chandler, Hamilton and Basha High Schools (within about 10 miles of each other here in Chandler)---lots of talent!
Shoot, I'd be happy to drive them around to the three if they want.
After I posted this I saw him with his wife and son. So it may have been more of a vacation for spring break. But still fun to see him (and his family) rocking the Nebraska gear.
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Before Mike Cavanaugh and his wife bolted to Arizona last weekend to visit his sister on spring break, Nebraska’s offensive line coach took the time to sit down and discuss what he’s looking for in a rebuilt, revamped, reconstructed Husker offensive line.
We spent nearly 20 minutes dissecting the talent and discussing who might play here or emerge there in Nebraska’s 2016 offensive line that lost four starters from last season. At the end of our interview, I asked a simple question. “Now that I understand how important pounding the football might be this spring to move the chains next fall, what do you really want in your starting offensive line?” I asked Cavanaugh.
Cav’s response was quick, convincing and compelling. “We want to be the most physical offensive line group out there,” he told me. “We have to set the tone and be the standard, so we need five tough guys up front.”
Five guys can run a fast, casual hamburger joint, but that’s not what Cavanaugh has in mind. His self-confessed great expectations date back to last year when he shared and defined what he believes can separate the good from the great.
Cavanaugh Wants to Reach the Boiling Point and Block at a Fever Pitch
“It’s all about reaching 212 degrees,” Cavanaugh said. “That’s the boiling point we want. We have to be like a hot stove when we’re blocking people, so we can get into that fever pitch. It’s not what they do on the other side of the ball. It’s what we do as an offensive line.”
In Cavanaugh’s mind, great effort requires one proverbial extra degree. At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212, it boils and creates steam, and we all know what steam can do – power a locomotive.
It’s a fitting metaphor for Cavanaugh (pictured above), who continues to seek five starters who can turn up the heat, fire up the focus and lift Nebraska up to heights that accurately reflect the Huskers’ storied football tradition.
“I like it when (former Husker offensive line coach) Milt Tenopir comes to watch us practice,” Cavanaugh said. “Milt loves attitude that reaches a boiling point. He tells me he always wanted ‘five fighting sows’ in the offensive line. He calls the starters sows. I call them what we both mean. We’re looking for five nasty guys up front."
Cavanaugh most certainly seeks physical, tough-minded linemen who may or may not be a bit of a renegade, as long as they’re a sparkplug kind of blocker who craves mowing down defenses.
Husker Focus on Run Game: Where It All Starts and Sets Up Everything Else
“Our focus is on the run game,” Cavanaugh said. “That’s where it all starts and that’s what sets up everything else.”
So what will it take for the Huskers’ offensive line to reach Cavanaugh’s great expectations and 212-degree boiling point?
“We have to knock people around, something we didn’t do last year,” Cavanaugh said. “One thing I tried to emphasize in the off-season was lifting and leverage drills. We’re looking for old-fashioned drive where guys are resisting you and bringing you an easier block where you can accelerate your speed. Once spring ends and guys get into summer training, we have to come right back with that focus in mind. We mean it when we say we want to be the most physical group out there.”
The biggest thing Nebraska has going right now is being “way ahead of where we were technique-wise a year ago,” Cavanaugh said. “Our guys are obviously more comfortable with the scheme. They’ve been in the system for a year, and I think they understand what we’re doing technically. We saw growth as the season wore on a year ago. We got better and better and played good football in our last four games.”
Technique and toughness strengthened the Huskers during winter conditioning. “Our guys had a great off-season with (head strength coach) Mark Philipp (pictured above) and (assistant strength coach) Clete McLeod,” Cavanaugh said. “They really worked hard in the weight room, but they also worked very hard on their technique.”
Grinder Gates Has Made a Great Impression on Jerald Foster and Tanner Farmer
According to Cavanaugh, Nick Gates has made a great impact on Jerald Foster and Tanner Farmer. “They’re in the same class and Nick started for us last year,” he pointed out. “Nick’s a really good athlete. He’s a tough guy. He gets after you. He wants to block you but also wants to kick your butt in the dirt. That mentality really fits Nick.”
Cavanaugh sees a similar temperament evolving in Foster. “Jerald’s talking some smack and has a swagger about him,” he said. “When those two guys line up on the same side, it’s a fun deal. Nick’s had a big impact on those two and has been an influence on our whole offensive line. He plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played and with the mentality it’s supposed to be played with.”
David Knevel needs to play the same way on the other side. After sitting in the back seat behind guys who played before him, “now it’s his turn,” Cavanaugh said. “David has to step up, be a leader and work as hard as he can and get better. He has to be a grinder. He has a lot of ability. I would just like to see him become a real butt-kicker. He has the ability to do that but has to turn the switch. I’ve had a lot of guys who were nice guys off the field but when they cross the line they have a different mentality and a different personality.”
Dylan Utter (pictured above) is “another guy who has to be a leader,” Cavanaugh said. “Being the center, he has a lot on his hands. He’s a smart guy, conscientious. He’s improved the span on his feet with his balance. He’s done a good job so far, directing what we do offensively. It all starts up front with the center. Confidence is important when you set the scheme, and we’re confident we can execute the technique.
“We’re trying to find the top five guys right now,” Cavanaugh said. “Everybody made a big deal in the past about rotating. I have a different philosophy. You watch any NFL game and see how much they rotate. They play the best five guys they have. That’s what develops and what I call the result of the five C’s – continuity, consistency, chemistry, confidence and communication. To me, that’s a big deal.”
Cavanaugh: Not Many Surprises, but Plenty of Meaningful Battles Going On
Looking at last year’s spring practice compared to this year, Cavanaugh sees a major difference. “We’re running plays now,” he said. “Having a year under your belt and working together makes it a lot easier. I don’t know if there’s been any surprises, but there are some good battles going on this spring.”
Utter and Paul Thurston have a center battle similar to a guard battle between Tanner Farmer and Corey Whitaker. Sam Hahn has been very consistent and Cavanaugh is convinced that Christian Gaylord has the ability to crack the top four tackles or play guard as well.
“We have a good plan offensively with (offensive coordinator) Danny (Langsdorf) and our staff – (running backs coach) Reggie (Davis) and (wide receiver coach) Keith (Williams),” Cavanaugh said. “We all work together with Coach (Mike) Riley and we know what our strengths are.”
Cavanaugh said Tommy (Armstrong Jr. gives Nebraska’s offense explosive possibility in the run game. “We have three really good backs in (Devine) Ozigbo, pictured above, (Terrell) Newby and (Mikale) Wilbon,” he pointed out. “We just have to continue to work hard on our technique and on our fundamentals and then take off from there.”
From now until summer, the imaginary poster remains the same – Wanted: Five Tough Guys to Reach the Boiling Point.
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