For college football programs, the 15 practices available in the spring happen at a fast pace.

Even with a newly installed offensive system, teams still move from the installation phase to the execution phase with a sense of urgency.

Phil Longo, newly hired offensive coordinator at Ole Miss, joined USA Football’s Coach and Coordinator podcast to talk about the difference between the offseason and spring practice.

When he first arrived at Ole Miss it was important to spend the time teaching, considering the players had never seen the system before.

“When we first got here, we spent the necessary time on film, on the board and in the classroom,” he said.

But for Longo, once that small window to put the pads on arrives, everything speeds up.

It all starts with the first four days, where Longo will work to help his players grasp the entirety of the offense.

“Once we get to spring ball, we’ll take four days to install the entire offense,” he said.

From there, it’s a process of review and tweaking over the next 10 days to make sure the team is ready for the 15th practice.

Here is a breakdown of what spring practice looks like for the rebels:

• Practice 1-4: Installation
• Practice 5-8: Re-emphasize
• Practice 9-12: Situational
• Practice 13-14: Polish
• Practice 15: Execute

Ole Miss moves from installation to putting the finishing touches on every nuance to their offensive system in a matter of days, ending their spring period with practice 15: the spring game.

“For the spring game we try to go out there and execute, put our best practice together,” Longo said.

 Photo via Scout.com