Bronco Mendenhall had just finished up practice on Thursday morning before joining the ACC coaches’ spring football teleconference. The Cavaliers have three more practices before their spring game practice at Scott Stadium on April 28.
The third-year head coach addressed several topics with the media on Thursday morning, as did most ACC coaches. Mendenhall talked about the new kickoff rule, playing spring games and the team’s improved fitness.
Here’s a rundown of what was discussed.
New kickoff rule
College football’s new kickoff rule, ratified last week, will allow any kickoff returner who calls a fair catch inside the 25-yard line to get a touchback, which previously was only the case when the ball was caught in the end zone.
It’s part of an effort to make the game safer and limit injuries on kickoff returns. Mendenhall said he still isn’t sure how it will impact Joe Reed, who was the ACC’s best kickoff returner last season.
“I don’t think I have an answer yet,” Mendenhall said. “We’re still in the exploring, researching and innovation stage of how might it affect us.”
Mendenhall also was asked if he liked the rule and what he thought its implementation meant for the sport as a whole.
“What I like is the intent to make the game as safe as possible, knowing that it’s a physical and violent game,” Mendenhall said. “So I think taking that into consideration and altering what rules can and will affect players being more safe, I think is a great step. Whether this becomes that step that really addresses the players’ safety and well-being, again the facts are that there are other sports that are still more violent, still more concussion-oriented than football. … We’ll see if this rule change addresses the level we’re hopeful for.”
Spring game vs. spring practice
Virginia will not play a true spring game next week at Scott Stadium. It will be more of a practice or a scrimmage of sorts. That choice was more out of necessity than desire, and Mendenhall explained why that’s the case.
“I like this as a step. More of what we have to do on the way to what we want to do,” Mendenhall said. “I would prefer a spring game. I would prefer it to be competitive. I would prefer jobs to still be on the line and competition, where the game has relevance. I would love for it to be the next step in assessing talent in a competitive setting and ongoing competition to drive what our roster looks like going into the fall. We’re just currently not in that place.”
Mendenhall doesn’t believe it’s possible to divide the team, and doesn’t want to take the risk of losing players through injury.
“At some point,” Mendenhall said, “the spring game will be in our future.”
Improved fitness
Mendenhall spoke earlier in the offseason about hoping Shawn Griswold, the Cavaliers’ new strength and conditioning coordinator, would come in and improve the team’s fitness from where it was the previous two seasons. The results are starting to show, Mendenhall said.
“Measuring is a great way to objectively say, ‘Is that happening or not?’ Our strength numbers we’re testing more frequently, we’re monitoring more closely. And there’s growth, progress and strength gains that are happening at a level that haven’t happened my first two years here, just through emphasis.”
Mendenhall still says he views it as a phase one initiative, but that his team looks better and is stronger.
Said Mendenhall: “They’re more capable of moving heavy things.”