Practice Report 8/15/00

[Guest]

The Mustangs practiced in full pads for the first time this morning. Things went relatively well this morning, as the players tried to acclimate themselves to wearing full pads in the Dallas summertime heat. The practice began at approximately 8:30 and lasted until about 10:30. The big news this morning was bad news. The Mustangs lost linebacker B.J. Williams for an indefinite amount of time to a reported broken fibula. Linebacker Khalid Beard was also injured, but fortunately for the Mustangs, it was only a sprained ankle.

Here are some notes on players I observed:

Quarterbacks:

Josh McCown: Josh looked very, very accurate in both practices. He appears to learning this offense better and better each day. Today he was the most accurate of all the passers. He seems to be in sync with his favorite targets of Chris Cunningham, Bryan McDearman, Marcus Carter, Johnnie Freeman, and Cody Cardwell.

Kelan Luker: Kelan seems to be working [deleted] his drop back passing, something he did very little of in his days at Stephenville where they almost always ran out of a shotgun. He is a very good quarterback with a great arm, but he still trying to learn the game as it is played in college. I have no doubt that he will be a huge contributor the Mustang offense in the years to come. He just needs time.

David Page: David does not seem to have the arm strength of Josh and Kelan, but he has proven himself to be very accurate. He is adapting very well to Coach Kuecks offense, and he will be keeping the quarterback race very tight.

Kyle Blanton: Kyle is a great asset to the Mustang football team. His greatest benefit to this team is that he is a great scout team quarterback. He gives our defense good looks all the time. He is constantly giving a 100% with the scout team, which will certainly help prepare the defense each week. It is unfortunate for him that the Mustangs have so much talent at the quarterback position. This kid seems to have tremendous heart.

RunningBacks:

Kris Briggs: Kris brigs looks…..well…….AWESOME. He is without a doubt the number 1 guy at this position. There is a reason people in the media are beginning to take notice of his presence. He is big, strong, and fast…Well capable of carrying the ball 30 times a game.

Jason Pipkins. Don’t underestimate this guy. He brings some serious speed to the backfield. Every time Pipkins got the ball in practice, he seemed to be making something happen. I think he would be able to come in the game anytime Briggs needs a rest and the offense will not miss a beat. He is a very different runner from Briggs, constantly using his speed and agility to make defenders miss. He also has shown good hands catching the ball out of the backfield.

O-Line

All of the O-line continued to look real strong today. Thorton Chandler has seemed to really adapt to his new position on the offensive line. It is worthy to note that he did not so much as play one snap on the offensive side of the ball over the spring. He is being groomed to play either guard or center. My prediction for the starting lineup is :
LT: Joey Slaten
LG: James McCarthy
C: Rich Nichols
RG: Thorton Chadler
RT: Jeff Erxleben

D-Line

The starters look to be:

DE: Marcus Pratt
DT: Chase Scavrda
DT: Lute Croy
DE: Kevin Aldridge

With Birdwell, Post, Hrncir, and Patman all being thrown in to the mix a bunch next fall. On the defensive line, the players are constantly being substituted to ensure that there is always a fresh body on the field. Also, JD Blagg, who was recently injured, should make key contribution this fall once his knee has been rehabilitated. He has the potential to be real good.

LB’s: Ok, Ok….I must give credit where credit is due. MustangMatt predicted a long time ago that walk-on(who today received his scholarship) Brian Bishoff would be a huge player this fall. With the recent injuries, it appears that he will be thrown into the starting lineup. He has really looked solid this fall. Vic continues to make few mistakes, and is clearly the leader of this squad. I cannot wait for more practices in full pads to see this guy dominate. It also appears that he is now playing OLB and Corey Riley has moved to MLB. The linebackers will have a lot of depth this year with Justin Williams, DD Johnson, and Khalid Beard.

Secondary- This appears to be the main place of concern for the Mustangs. From what I have seen, their youth and inexperience may plague them. The starting group of receivers has seemingly had their way with them. KG and Jonas look to be strong at D-back, but there is little depth. Brent Briggs did have an interception today. Briggs makes up for his lake of size with good speed.

TE- This appears to be a strongpoint for the Mustang Offense. John Hampton really looks good. I have seen him make some great catches in practice. Mike Brown roll as tight end might change to more of a blocking tight end due to Hampton’s play making ability. Billy Ford is still learning the new offense, and with time, he should be a good player at this position. His hands seem to be his only problem right now in only his second day at tight end.

[SMU00]

PonyFanMan -

You have Thornton Chandler listed as the starter at right guard? Isn't he still small, like 240? I understand the coaches think he has huge potential, but at that size, should he really be starting ahead of Kevin Gober, who had such a terrific spring?

I hope you're right, that Chandler becomes a major stud on the offensive line. But what did you see that makes you think he starts ahead of Gober?