GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Following some good ol' fashioned team bonding on Monday night ? Movie Night, to be exact ? it was back to the two-a-day grind this week, beginning Tuesday, for the Fighting Sioux football team.
Much of the emphasis Tuesday, and throughout the week, surrounded 7-on-7 drills, offensive and defensive line work and special teams.
The goal of the coaching staff was to continue implementing more of their packages and by Thursday afternoon that included onside kick drills and goal line packages.
The Sioux ran a pair of live practices early in the week, but with attrition always a factor during pre-fall camp, head coach Chris Mussman said it was important to lighten the physical load as the week goes on.
“Our goal (for Thursday afternoon) is to have a good mental practice,” said Mussman, “and get our kids healthy for the (Aug.) 28th (season opener).”
?Kopper' worth his weight in gold
It's possible the toughest person at Sioux football camp doesn't even wear shoulder pads and a helmet.
Long-time UND equipment manager Dallas Kopp, known as ?Kopper' around these parts, underwent major heart surgery on July 3. The feisty Kopp was out of the hospital five days later and has not missed a minute of camp. And while Mussman has given his entire staff strict orders to forbid Kopp from exerting himself, Kopp still manages to lift spirits, if not heavy equipment.
“Our players love him,” said Mussman with a huge grin. “He's got a nickname for just about every guy on the team, even if it's just him messing up half of their last names.”
Trench fights
With senior guard Brian Troen and sixth-year senior center Mitch Braegelmann, UND boasts one of the top interior lineman duos in the nation. But the graduation of three starters still left holes. One of those spots has seemingly been locked up by junior right tackle Kyle Bondy, who is expected to solidify the right tackle position.
Two other spots along the line remain up for grabs, and Mussman indicated that those battles could extend into the early part of the regular season.
End of the line
Across the line of scrimmage, senior defensive end Mike Ebanks drew praise from Mussman.
Ebanks, native of Orlando, Fla., endured a quiet first season with the Sioux in 2007 after transferring from Hibbing (Minn.) Community College.
But Ebanks has enjoyed a tremendous offseason, setting a UND record for defensive linemen with a 36-inch vertical jump during spring ball and adding 27 pounds of bulk since last season. In his final season at Hibbing CC, Ebanks ranked fourth in the national junior college ranks with 15 sacks in nine games and Mussman believes Ebanks could be a difference-maker for the Sioux defense in 2008.
In the fast lane
UND will cap the week on Sunday afternoon with a team bowling tournament. While there may be a variety of position battles on the field, Mussman says there is no doubt as to who is considered the team's top bowler.
That would be the 6-foot-5, 291-pound Bondy.
“If you're on his team, you're probably going to win,” said Mussman.
Notes and Quotes is a weekly feature on FightingSioux.com, running each Thursday throughout the season.
