“He’s one of those guys that he’s got good intellect in the classroom and football-wise,” Griz head coach Bobby Hauck said. “He can pick things up quick. He’s a veteran guy. He’s played a lot of years, so he can hop back and forth and plug himself into different spots. When you’re trying to crack the lineup, being versatile is a positive to get him in there.”
The defensive line is a position of need for the Griz after graduating two starters from last year. Montana has 12 defensive linemen on its spring roster, but just of two of them made three or more starts last year, and only four others played in five or more games.
"Fa’atuiese went into last season weighing 225 pounds and slowly crept up to 230 pounds as he put on weight. With the potential change to defensive line, he worked on adding “good weight” after the season and checked in at 243 heading into spring practice.
“It’s been good,” Fa’atuiese said of practicing on the defensive line. “I love moving around. It hasn’t really been that bad. I just love learning football. The X’s and O’s are pretty cool. It’s just another position to learn and another perspective. It’s cool.”
The main focus for Fa’atuiese has been the technique of playing on the defensive line. He’s worked on quickening his first step, getting vertical off blocks and working through double teams.
Fa’atuiese felt his time at fullback and tight end helped him recognize how offenses would attack a defensive lineman in terms of blocking. Now he brings that knowledge to the defensive side as he tries to beat their blocks.
“He’s got good size, he tends to get off the ball pretty well, plays on the line of scrimmage decently,” Hauck said. “Hopefully, like everybody else, he gets better this spring, works his way into the lineup. He’s a tremendous guy and just a total team player, which is something we think highly of him.”
Hauck added that Fa'atuiese doesn't have a set position on the line and could move around with their different formations and packages."
https://missoulian.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/anything-for-the-team-montana-s-vika-fa-atuiese-moves/article_f463037f-8c7d-5f64-b96c-524c0aee1ba7.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest
The defensive line is a position of need for the Griz after graduating two starters from last year. Montana has 12 defensive linemen on its spring roster, but just of two of them made three or more starts last year, and only four others played in five or more games.
"Fa’atuiese went into last season weighing 225 pounds and slowly crept up to 230 pounds as he put on weight. With the potential change to defensive line, he worked on adding “good weight” after the season and checked in at 243 heading into spring practice.
“It’s been good,” Fa’atuiese said of practicing on the defensive line. “I love moving around. It hasn’t really been that bad. I just love learning football. The X’s and O’s are pretty cool. It’s just another position to learn and another perspective. It’s cool.”
The main focus for Fa’atuiese has been the technique of playing on the defensive line. He’s worked on quickening his first step, getting vertical off blocks and working through double teams.
Fa’atuiese felt his time at fullback and tight end helped him recognize how offenses would attack a defensive lineman in terms of blocking. Now he brings that knowledge to the defensive side as he tries to beat their blocks.
“He’s got good size, he tends to get off the ball pretty well, plays on the line of scrimmage decently,” Hauck said. “Hopefully, like everybody else, he gets better this spring, works his way into the lineup. He’s a tremendous guy and just a total team player, which is something we think highly of him.”
Hauck added that Fa'atuiese doesn't have a set position on the line and could move around with their different formations and packages."
https://missoulian.com/sports/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/anything-for-the-team-montana-s-vika-fa-atuiese-moves/article_f463037f-8c7d-5f64-b96c-524c0aee1ba7.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest
