DAYTON – On the first day of classes for the 2022 fall semester at UD, DaytonFlyers.com sat down with University of Dayton head football coach Rick Chamberlin to check in on preparations for the 2022 Flyer football season.

DaytonFlyers.com:  How has camp gone so far?
Coach Rick Chamberlin:  First off, the weather has been outstanding, and that has helped us get a lot of work done in our practice time.  But you know how coaches are…It almost concerns me that it might affect our conditioning if we run into the heat on game days.  But truthfully, I am most pleased with our progress.  And it's been steady improvement from Day One until now on both sides of the ball.

DF.com:  You finished the 2021 season strong.  How have you been able use that momentum and keep it during winter conditioning, spring practice the summer and now camp?
RC:  We really pushed that going into the off-season.  The way we finished, those last three games, especially beating such a quality team like Davidson to finish the year, showed all of us how good we can be.  That momentum carried on through the winter, spring practice the summer and now here during camp.  It's been a real confidence-builder.

DF.com:  What are you most pleased with during this camp?
RC:  I've been most pleased with our offensive demonstrating how good it can be.  We have a lot of talent and experience on paper, but they have been proving it on the field.  We have shown flashes of being really, really good.  The best part of that is how that has challenged our defense to catch up.  Going against an offense like ours on a daily basis has really helped our defense improve.

DF.com:  Talk about the job your captains – Jake Chisholm, Ben Schmiesing and Brian Stevens -- have done during this camp.
RC:  They have all done a really good job.  The biggest thing for them is they have added grit to our identity.  As players, they bring toughness to their game and there is no question the rest of the team is feeding off all three of them.

DF.com:  Who else has stood out during camp?
RC:  Jeremy Jonozzo.  I would say he is also the biggest surprise.  This time last year, he was a freshman wide receiver.  We moved him to corner in the spring, and right now he is a starter for us.  It's a position he played well in high school, and when you looked at our numbers at the two positions, it made some sense.  Jeremy was willing to do it and it's a move that paid off for him.  He's not just taken to the position, he's gotten better as he has had more opportunities.

DF.com:  Talk about the offense as a unit.
RC:  I think we can be a very good and very balanced offensive team.  We're talented in every position group.  We demonstrated that at the end of last season, but we've not stood still.  Our offense has picked up the wrinkles that Coach Hendershot (offensive coordinator Josh) and Coach Layer (quarterback coach Braden) have added in the off-season.

DF.com:  How about the defense?
RC:  Our linebackers – Ben Schmiesing and Nathan Arthur – are playing really well.  They make plays from sideline to sideline. It's not just that they are athletic enough to go sideline-to-sideline. They both have tremendous football IQ's and really have an understanding in getting themselves in position to make the right play in run support and pass coverage.  As a unit, we are tackling better. 

DF.com:  Special teams are always an important part of the Dayton football program.  Please briefly break down your special team units.
RC:  Sam Webster has had a strong camp coming off of hip surgery.  And Michael Denning is kicking really, really well.  So whether it's kickoffs or field goals, both can do it, and do it well.  Drew Nieman has punted well this camp.  Distance, hang time or placement – he's done it all.  We brought in a freshman to challenge him, and Drew won the job.  We're in good shape at snapper too.  Right now it's a battle between Hayden Snyder and Austin Yeager.  Our biggest goal of the off-season is improving our kickoff coverage and kickoff return teams.  We did not do well in those areas last year.  We've put a lot of emphasis there.  We've made strides, but it's hard to simulate kickoffs in practice.  The risk of injury is too great.  We'll see if the work we put in pays off.

DF.com:  It's almost a cliché to call deciding on a starting quarterback, a "quarterback battle."  But it is the only offensive position without a returning starter.  How is that coming, and what will you do this week to help in the decision-making process?
RC:  From the beginning of camp, we've focused on three quarterbacks – Dante Casciola, Cole Dow and Shane Hamm.  We're evaluating them in two areas decision-making – making the right read, checking to the right play; and consistency in the passing game – throwing to the right receiver and accuracy.  This week we will continue to put our quarterbacks in stressful situations, especially when we go 11-on-11.  On Thursday, we will have a two-minute scrimmage, and that could decide it, because we want to determine our starting quarterback when we start prepping for Robert Morris on Friday.

DF.com:  Your coaching staff is interesting in that there are more coaches in new roles than there are starters in new roles on offense, while the more experienced defensive staff will be working several new starters in.  Talk about your coaching staff.
RC:  Josh Hendershot is our offensive coordinator after coaching the offensive line last year.  I like the fact that we have continuity, but I also like his vision for where our offense can go.  Brandon Layer, our quarterback coach, has been an offensive guy all his career.  I really like the combination of them shaping our offense.  Our two veterans, Mark Ewald with the running backs and Jay Minton coaching the tight ends, just keep turning out quality players at those positions.  Sam Costantino, who played receiver for us, is now coaching them.  He knows the Flyer Way, and he learned from some really good coaches as he's begun his coaching career.  Keyshawn Colmon is starting his coaching career with us, but his coaches at John Carroll say he was a "coach on the field" because of his understanding of the game while he was a great player for them.  He has a bright future.

Tee Overman is getting better and better as our defensive coordinator, especially as offenses in our league evolve.  The biggest change on our defensive staff is Jake Vellucci moving from coaching our nickels to ends and special teams.  He is impressive in his football intelligence and coaching ability.  Ted Flaherty came in to coach our nickels.  He has worked in good programs and brings a defensive mentality to his job.  He was a tough player in college back east.  Andy Aracri and Scott Horcher both bring great football knowledge to our staff.  Andy played defensive tackle at Miami and Scott played DB for us, and they were outstanding players.  But that doesn't always translate to being outstanding coaches.  They are great teachers of the game, and their ability to communicate makes them great coaches.

DF.com:  You've been in camp almost three weeks.  Now that students are back to campus, it brings a new vibe to the University community.  Does that help freshen the routine a little bit for the last week before you get into game prep?
RC:  At the beginning of the week, you have to battle the distractions, for lack of a better word.  For three weeks they've concentrated on nothing but football.  Now, there are more people around and more things to do.  But as I told the team over the weekend, "We are still in camp, and we have still have work to do."  It's a new dynamic, but after the first couple of days our players adjust and we get back into a routine.  All that said, it's good to have everyone back on campus for another academic year.

DF.com:  Speaking of students back on campus, an annual tradition of pre-season camp is when the team breaks routine and assists with the incoming freshman class move into their dorms last Friday.  How did that go this year?
RC:  It was as great as ever.  As a coach, there's not a better feeling in a situation like that than to hear the compliments from the parents of the students being moved in, or from the other volunteers they work with.  Our ops director, Jake Speller, overheard one of the volunteers tell one of the organizers "I'll help again next year as long as the football team comes back."  

For me personally, I enjoy seeing our former players move their children in and begin a second generation of Flyers in their family.  We had several of those this year.  And I ran into the parents of one of our recent graduates, Richie Warfield, when they were moving in their daughter, who is an incoming freshman.

DF.com:  Your most game-like intra-squad scrimmage was Saturday.  How did that go?
RC:  Our defense played well.  They played fast and confident.  It was good to see.  On offense, some individuals made some big plays -- in particular Jake Coleman with a clutch catch and John Sciarretti had some nice runs – but it was the defense's day.

DF.com:  Sunday was the annual picture day.  While it was different that past years, it still was the first time many of your players put the uniform on.  Talk about that.
RC:  It went well.  We thought the weather might move us inside but luckily we were able to be on the practice field.  I was really happy about that for the freshman in particular.  All the players are excited to the uniform on.  But for the freshmen, to put it on for the first time and then come out on the field and share that moment with their parents, that's really special.

DF.com:  This has been your first camp at the Jerry Von Mohr Practice Facility.  How has that been and how has that investment helped you and your team prepare for the 2022 season?
RC:  It's been great.  The field itself is terrific.  It's as good as any field we will be on.  The players love being on it.  The best part is having flexibility.  If we have to make adjustments to our practice schedule, we can do it because it's our facility.  It doesn't happen often, but when it does it happens fast and the ease of making changes is critical.  It's a wonderful asset for all of our outdoor teams, but for us, the upgrade to what we have now is invaluable.