Signing day helps football team prepare for 2013 campaign

The Wright State football team bolstered its roster Friday when nine incoming freshmen signed letters of intent to play.

Additional WSU sport clubs were scheduled to participate in the event, but those clubs “couldn’t coordinate with their players,” Assistant Director of Competitive Sports Billy Willis said.

Head coach Keith Mora, who was on hand to meet with players and parents, pose for pictures and hand out playbooks, said the signing day event helped spotlight a sport not commonly associated with WSU.

“One of the biggest things that I’m worried about as a coach for this year is our visibility on campus,” Mora said. “So many people overlook football as just a recreational type thing, but there’s nothing recreational about the sport of football—it’s a hard sport to play. This [signing day] right here just gives us that eye on campus. People notice that and they start to realize that it’s not just a flag football thing. This is legitimate college football, and it’s Wright State’s football program. People should be able to see who we are bringing in.”

“It’s showing progress in the program,” linebacker William Gover said. “I really feel good signing in front of everybody. The other parents clapped for me and that’s a good feeling.”

The Raiders will use the pistol offense in 2013, a formation where the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center and the running back stands three yards behind the quarterback. The pistol provides a scheme capable of changing tempos, as well as personnel, on a play-by-play basis.

“The greatest thing about the pistol offense is that there is so much versatility in it,” Mora said.

“There are so many things you can do with the pistol offense. You can make it operate like a pro-style offense, or like a spread offense. You can do so many things in the pistol and it’s very hard to prepare for that.”

WSU recruit Preston Combs is excited about contributing on offense as more than just a ball carrier, something he did often in high school as a fullback.

“I’m excited about it because the fullback is not just a blocker,” Combs, who also plays tight end and outside linebacker, said. “The fullbacks play a bigger role. They go in motion, go out for passes and they carry the ball. I’m used to carrying the ball and I would love to have the experience, as a college athlete, of carrying the ball more and to be a part of [the offense].”

Defensively, WSU will feature a 4-2-5 formation, a variant of the nickel defense that uses five defensive backs. Gover said it will be important that his teammates know their assignments.

“Getting to know where everybody is supposed to be at all times is my biggest concern,” Gover said.