The California Bears kicked off the 2014 season with its first practice Monday afternoon at “Kabam” Field at California Memorial Stadium.
California Bears Training Camp
“There was a lot of effort and improvement. I saw both of those things today,” Sonny Dykes said via Calbears.com. “Defensively, I thought we ran around pretty well. There were a lot of interchangeable parts, a lot of bodies flying around. There are some inexperienced guys, but I like the way they competed and hustled. I saw some little things that are going to make us a better football team.”
Defensive coordinator Art Kaufman said he was pleased with how much his defenders retained the scheme that was instilled during spring ball. The Bears looked sharp on offense as well. Jared Goff and Trevor Davis were constantly connecting all practice, while true freshman Tre Watson was getting his feet wet.
“My goal for the first day was to get a feel for everything,” Watson said via Calbears.com. “I wanted to learn the offense and the defense so I can get a feel for where guys are going to line up, learning how to hit the holes and knowing what I’m looking at when I’m going through. I wanted to get the gist of everything, get the speed and the plays down.”
Khalfani Muhammad was reportedly on the field after missing a lot of time due to track. His play will be very critical to the Bears’ results this season.
Following the first practice, Dykes announced during a team meeting that two former walk-ons, senior fullback Lucus Gingold and senior wide receiver Bryce McGovern, have been awarded with athletic scholarships. The announcement was greeted with loud cheers from their teammates.
The teams first game will be at the Northwestern Wildcats on August 30. The college football season is almost here!
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter –@SamKweonWriter. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
Main Photo:
