BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Every once in a while, Mike Kramer turns from his desk and peers out his office window at Montana State's football practice

field.

Then he shakes his head. And he laughs.

"We're just waiting on Mother," he says, as in Mother Nature, which Kramer hopes delivers the warm and dry weather this week, allowing the Bobcat football team to begin spring practice by, at the earliest, Saturday. "The field is just too wet, and we're fighting the precipitation from above

and ground moisture from below. We're on hold. At this point, it's indefinite."

For now, Kramer is holding fast to his pledge not to practice in MSU's Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, when it is available, or to move spring drills off campus. "Moving it inside is not realistic," said MSU's seventh-year head coach. "The width of the Arena takes about one-third of our passing game away from us, and there are some serious safety concerns. In the fall you can control the tempo of the scout teams and still accomplish what you need to, but you can't control the tempo of your offense and get anything done.

"Practicing in the Fieldhouse is like shadow boxing," Kramer said. "We can't shadow box in the spring. We need to spar."

Although a shadow of uncertainty looms over MSU's spring drills, which could begin as early as Saturday but more likely on Monday, April 3, Kramer said a positive corollary springs from the late start. "The delay gives us a chance to rest a lot of players with hamstring problems," he said. An extra week is really meaningful to them. Plus, we may get more out of (offensive tackle) Peder Jensen (leg) by starting late, and (receiver) Donnell Wheaton (knee) should get a lot more action."