Michigan Tech tight end Luke Terrian celebrates a touchdown during a game against Wayne State on Saturday, on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2022, at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — New Michigan Tech Huskies football coach Dan Mettlach feels that his team is excited about the opportunity to put on their pads on Saturday and play in front of fans at Kearly Stadium.

“I think they are excited about getting in front of people, whether it be their family, or people from town, or whatever,” he said. “So, that part always brings some excitement.”

As has become the trend with college football programs in recent years, the Huskies will not play a traditional intersquad game, but rather take on a number of challenges based on typical football situations, with the goal to give players reps in those instances while also looking out for their safety before the end of the spring practice schedule.

“It’ll be more of a controlled practice what we’re doing,” Mettlach said. “I think the days of splitting up and playing a true spring game are in the past. We’re no different than everybody else.

“I mean, even the ones they televise are so controlled now that we feel like we will get more work out of putting our guys in situations, whether we’re going good on good, or the young guys. You’re setting the ball at the 25, we’re playing a red zone. Or, you’re backing it up, and it’s 10 plays at third and medium, third and long, or whatever. We’re going to put them in situations where it’s actual football situations, rather than splitting up to where we might get thin, butting heads against each other.”

When managed carefully, live spring practices like these are extremely beneficial to both the coaching staff and the players.

“We will do enough that it’ll be exciting for fans, or families, to come watch,” said Mettlach. “At the same time, we’re not going to split up into two teams and play an actual game for an hour, where, the whole time, we’ll be sitting there, biting our fingernails, hoping nobody gets hurt.

But, the guys are, I think, excited for it. I think that’s always good. The majority of our guys coming from distance, (so this) gives mom and dad a chance to come up. They get a chance to see their family as well. So, that’ll be a good way to wrap up what we’ve done here the last couple of months.”

Mettlach said that much of the spring game work will be in what he calls “thud,” rather than full contact. While this is intended to keep players safe, it is, by no means, a perfect solution. There are still chances for players to get injured when one steps wrong, or has a lineman roll over top of them.

However, with the younger, less-experienced, players, Mettlach expects that some plays will be full contact regardless. That way he and his staff can evaluate what those players have learned from the extra attention in practice.

“We’re trying to control those parts,” he said. “Where you may see us go to the ground is with those younger groups that haven’t had a chance to play. We will go live with them to try to get them back into playing football.

“You’ve been standing there for over a year since your senior year at high school. You haven’t been tackled. You haven’t tackled anybody else. Maybe you haven’t been cut on the edge, that kind of thing. We will do that with our younger guys so that they can get that experience, but then also, the people that are going to watch see some real football as well.”

Mettlach said that the starters get excited to see the younger players have their moment on the field, as well.

“That part will be exciting,” he said. “The cool thing about that is our vets, older guys, get excited for that part. They get all amped up, and I think that brings a different energy when that part of the practice gets there as well. So, that’ll be fun.”

Practices throughout the spring season have been intense, said Mettlach. What warms him, at the same time, is that the players and the coaches all seem to be working in the same direction at all times, which can only help the team long-term.

“That positiveness, the togetherness, however you want to word it, offense, defense, being together, taking care of each other on the field, we are practicing at a level right now where there is physicality, there’s competitiveness, there’s toughness, but everybody’s taking care of each other,” he said. “There’s no cheap shots. We haven’t had any fights in practice. There’s not been any of the BS. Everybody understands what we’re trying to get out of the practice.

“I think that credit goes to what we have going on in our locker room right now, where they know we need to practice at this level. At the same time, that’s still our teammate right there, rather than taking a shot where it’s probably not necessary. So, from that part of it, to the helping each other out, (defensive backs) letting wide receivers know what they’re seeing, vice versa, whatever, that part’s been incredible.”