But on the eve of the annual Blue-White spring game at 8 tonight at Wildcat Stadium, Monsen used one word more than the aforementioned three.
That word? Physical.
With Temple coming off two consecutive playoff trips but two straight first-round losses, it’s clear that upgrading the Wildcats’ physical strength and approach to the game - on the lines of scrimmage and pretty much everywhere else - has been the largest point of emphasis this spring.
Not that hard-hitting defensive standouts such as Derrick Davis and Stedman Moore or offensive linemen in a Wing-T attack should have a problem with that.
“Our direction after going 11-2 in district the last two years is to concentrate on getting more physical,” Monsen, entering his fifth season as Temple’s coach, said Friday.
“We play very physical teams on our schedule, so we needed to hit the physical part of spring hard. Defensively and offensively, our mindset has been about the line of scrimmage and just the tempo of getting more physical.”
Tonight’s Blue-White affair for incoming seniors and juniors will complete Temple’s third straight week of six full-gear, full-contact workouts.
Monsen said he expects the Wildcats to play some game-like quarters while also having the flexibility to go into specific game situations. The Blue and White rosters were to be finalized late Friday.
Temple has six returning starters on offense and seven on defense (including fullback/linebacker Davis on both sides), and Monsen says he has a good idea about what to expect from them.
With the constant possibility of injuries, those holdovers might not play as much tonight as the younger players Monsen and his coaches are hungry to see in a game-type setting.
A candidate to get limited snaps tonight is star running back Lache Seastrunk, whose track season was hindered by a hamstring injury. Monsen said Seastrunk - one of the country’s most highly recruited incoming seniors - is healthy but might play only sparingly tonight, for obvious reasons.
“We have a large amount of returning starters, but we’re a long way from where we need to be,” Monsen said. “We really need to take a good look at our young people.”
Monsen said he’s been impressed this spring by the play of his quarterbacks and also the defensive linemen, who look to be a mature, active crew with improved depth.
Overall, Monsen says he likes the amount and quality of work Temple has gotten done during the last three weeks and has a good feeling about the Wildcats’ attitude as they enter the summer.
“To this point in the spring we’ve done a lot of work and the kids and coaches have improved in all areas - offense, defense and kicking game,” Monsen said. “All in all it’s been a very competitive spring and the atmosphere and spirit has been great.
“These kids are really good friends, but when they get on the field (against each other) they have a great competitive spirit,” he added. “They’re fun to coach and are as good a group as you could imagine.”
NOTES: Monsen reported no major injuries during spring practice. . . . Temple’s incoming sophomores - other than any who play with the varsity at 8 - will begin Blue-White action at 6 at Wildcat Stadium. . . . Temple will host Cedar Park in its season opener Sept. 4.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
