McGee and the Offense Face Critical Week of Development
March 31, 2015 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- There aren't a lot of critical weeks during spring football, but the second week of practice is big for the University of Louisville, according to offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, who is in his second spring with the Cardinals.
Ending practice No. 5 on Tuesday, McGee said the second week of practice is when the offense needs to advance and pick up the installation of the offense. The Cardinals went through their initial installation of the offense last week, so McGee wants to see the offense take a big step forward this week, with only eight practices remaining before the spring game on April 17.
"We, as an offense need to develop this week," McGee said. "We need to take a big jump forward with our progression on offense. We have some playmakers out there, but we need to put it all together."
The progression at the quarterback position has been an interesting battle with three players competing for the lead in the quarterback race. Tyler Ferguson, Reggie Bonnafon and Kyle Bolin are in a three-headed race this spring with Will Gardner sitting out due to injury.
Head coach Bobby Petrino has split the reps evenly this spring, which has made for a tight battle at the quarterback spot.
All three signal callers have been in the offense in different situations over the last year. Ferguson worked mainly with the young players because he had to sit out after transferring from Penn State, while Bonnafon and Bolin each saw action last year for the first time during their careers.
For Ferguson, playing with the veterans is his first real test in the Petrino offense, but he feels like he is starting to pick it up.
"It's going good so far," Ferguson said. "I think it's a lot with the installs. I think the install days are tough. We are learning a lot of plays in the morning and in the meetings then we come out and execute those plays. I think once we get through the installs and get rolling this week, I think we will start to see progress."
Ferguson has a huge arm, and "can really throw it around," according to Petrino. However, Ferguson is just trying focus this spring on every aspect of the offense. "I'm just learning to be consistent," Ferguson said. "I think the staff knows I can make all the throws, but it's just being consistent on the little things. It's a lot of the dame stuff at Penn State, but its new terminology. It's just learning all the new stuff, which I got a head start on last season running with the young guys."
Ferguson stated that Petrino's offense is complex, but credits coach McGee for doing a great job of making the offense easier for the players to grasp. Bonnafon is the most experienced quarterback in the offense after starting five games a year ago, which has prepared him this spring.
"It was a great opportunity for me last season as a true freshman," Bonnafon said. "Some guys don't get to play until their junior or senior years. For me to have that opportunity to get my feet wet in some of those big games, really helped with my confidence, and just the total experience has made it slower for me this spring."
Bolin saw extensive action in two games last year, leading the Cardinals to a 44-40 come-from-behind win over Kentucky and a start against Georgia in the Bell Bowl. But entering his second spring in the Petrino offense, the staff has big expectations.
"This year, the coaching staff expects everyone to know the offense," Bolin said. "They know what everyone is capable of, but they expect us to know all aspects of the offense."
The Cardinals will continue their growth on Wednesday when they return to the practice for their sixth practice. However, McGee will be focused on the progression of the offense, especially his three quarterbacks.
