Tigers charged up as Fuente’s second spring opens

Players ‘embrace’ first workout

The chill in the air was similar, but unlike last February, when Justin Fuente was putting his University of Memphis team through its first spring football practice, Thursday’s opening session had a different feel.

The coaching staff was familiar with the players.

The players were familiar with the drills.

And Fuente, well, he was toned down a notch. He didn’t have to be as animated and vocal as he was a year ago. Familiarity, it seems, has its way of breeding progress.

While Fuente may not know the name of the conference he’ll be leading his team into this fall — “Big East” apparently has been sold — he does know more about the team he’ll direct.

“It was good,” Fuente said. “I thought the guys embraced it. They came out and ran around. We weren’t always in the right spot, but they showed some enthusiasm and grit and some retention of what we’re doing.”

The Tigers conducted the first of 15 spring workouts at the Murphy Athletic Complex, and it appeared as if it wasn’t a wasted two-hour exercise.

“This first practice was a lot better than last year’s first practice,” said Tiger quarterback Jacob Karam. “We have made so much progress, and you’ve got to celebrate progress.

“Coach not yelling as much was one indicator, but you could also see guys flying around and us knowing what we’re supposed to do, how we’re supposed to carry ourselves, how we’re supposed to compete. It was fun and exciting to see.”

The Tigers finished Fuente’s first season with a grasp of what it requires to be successful. They won their final three games — their last as a member of Conference USA — and averaged 41 points in the process. The U of M’s nextto-last game was a 46-9 victory at UAB, and it beat Southern Miss, 42-24, in the season finale at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

U of M running back Brandon Hayes rushed for 127 and 115 yards in the team’s closing two games and felt as if the players who returned hit the ground running.

“We already have a good feel for the coaches, and we believe in the system they have to offer,” said Hayes, who led the Tigers with 576 yards rush- ing and six touchdowns last season. “Guys feel a lot more comfortable. We know the system. We know all the signals. We know the play calls.

“Now it’s just a matter of getting back into the flow of football, back into the flow of practices. We are (all) in. I think we took a good step one.”

Karam transferred from Texas Tech last year and won the starting job during the spring. He said the program should benefit from having each of his Fuente’s assistants back for a second season.

“Bottom line is we are lucky to have everyone coming back,” Karam said. “We know what to expect. I think it’s a huge advantage. There are only a few programs in the country that have gotten every one of their (assistant) coaches back. We’ll take it.”

Nevertheless, Fuente emphasized that this year’s team will be different.

“I explained to them that those guys are gone,” Fuente said. “We can build on the accomplishments of the seniors last year and the way they finished strong and the example they set. We’ve also got to understand we’ve got to carve our own path; we’ve got to have some urgency about ourselves.”