SATURDAY PRACTICE REPORT

[PonyPride]

Saturday was the Mustangs' first day in pads. There wasn't excessive hitting, but was more physical than the walk-through feel that the practices earlier this week.

New combinations: When the team broke up into positional groups, the offensive line continued its shuffling of players in each unit. In the early drills, the first unit consisted of LT Kelvin Beachum, Jr., LG Josh LeRibeus, C Blake McJunkin, RG Bryce Tennison and RT J.T. Brooks. The second unit had a slightly different look: LT Josh Emshoff, LG Kelly Turner, C Mitch Enright, RG Jordan Free and RT Sidney Nwangwu.

Smart move: As the team shifts to the 3-4 as its base defense, requiring bulkier defensive ends and linebackers with speed, even at the risk of reduced size, junior Justin Smart has been moved back to defensive end, where he played (and made the Conference USA All-Freshman Team) in his first year.

Listen to your teacher: During spring drills, special teams coach Frank Gansz also is working with the outside linebackers, but he continues to run his special-teams drills and work on the fundamentals of tackling, hitting, etc. At one point Saturday, he had a group of LBs and DBs working on a 2-on-1 drill in which two tacklers ganged up on a ball carrier, and instructed his players to hit their targets low, rather than getting too high and risk getting knocked back. On the next play, S Tyler Jones hit LB Aaron Davis high ... and bounced off.

Know your enemy: In the same 2-on-1 drill, Jones became the ball carrier. When Ss Ryan Smith and Bryce Hudman converged on him from the sides, Jones stepped forward ... forcing Hudman and Smith to collapse after blasting each other.

On the Hunt: The most talked-about player in early spring drills has been track star-turned-defensive end Margus Hunt. Much has been made about Hunt's physical gifts, and Saturday was his first chance to showcase those gifts, albeit in moderation while he learns the basic fundamentals of his new sport. The Mustangs precede their special teams drills with an exercise designed to force players to get low before tackling — the players pair off and take turns running toward each other, with the oncoming player getting lifted off the ground. Hunt was paired up with DL Szymon Czerniak — who is listed at 6-4, 268 — and lifted him over his head like a father lifting a newborn child. It meant little aside from what was already known about Hunt — that he's extremely tall — but was impressive, nonetheless.

Believing the hype? One of the funnier sights Saturday was during the Mustangs' special teams drill in which four players race downfield toward a would-be kick returner. At one point, Hunt headed downfield with a trio of teammates toward returner Bryce Lunday, who started toward Hunt's side of the field, turned and raced back toward the opposite sideline. Lunday, who at 5-foot-8, 182 pounds gives up a foot of height and 85 pounds to his new teammate, swore after practice that he did not reverse fields simply because of the sight of Hunt's enormous frame barreling downfield. He might well have had a better chance to turn it upfield, but it sure looked like he abandoned his original direction because of fear ... or maybe it's just because he's smart.

Doing what he's told: One of the drills that the defensive line goes through frequently consists of the players practicing their pass-rush moves by running through a series of weighted foam dummies, smacking their "opponents" as they would an offensive lineman on the way to the quarterback. Because of the weight in the bottom of the dummies, it takes more than just a cursory nudge to knock the dummies over, prompting defensive line coach Bert Hill to bark: "every one, all the way to the ground." The only lineman to knock every "blocker" all the way to the ground: Margus Hunt.

It makes sense, of course. In addition to his speed and strength, Hunt also has years of training in exactly the same motion, as his world-class discus throwing involves speed, power and a strong twisting motion across his body.

Hit of the day: On the first day in pads, the Mustangs hit quite a bit. They didn't fully tackle each other all the time, but there was a lot of contact. The biggest hit came in the same 4-on-1 special-teams coverage drill, when S Chris Banjo streaked downfield and blasted RB Chris Butler back into the end zone.

Runner-up: It wasn't nearly as explosive as Banjo's hit on Butler, but Hunt made his first "official" tackle on KR Terrance Wilkerson. Rather than lowering a shoulder and crushing Wilkerson, Hunt sort of grabbed him and tossed him to the ground, but the end result was the same.

What a difference a year makes: WR Cole Beasley is among the most elusive runners on the SMU roster, and his experience on special teams and as a receiver — not to mention as a former high school option QB — makes him an expert about coverage. What struck him during Gansz' 4-on-1 coverage drills Saturday, he said, is how much better the coverage teams stuck to its assignments and made tackles, compared to this time last year when the Mustangs were just beginning to learn what Gansz wanted. "Last year," Beasley said, "there were a lot more touchdowns."

Catch of the day: The common thinking is that Bradley Haynes' biggest asset is his big frame and his ability to use his bulk to shield the ball from defenders. In a passing drill (without defense), however, he showed more body control than many assume he has, going up high on a route down the right sideline and twisting around toward the edge of the field and hauling in a pass most smaller receivers never would have reached.

Route of the day: One of the most common clichés used by coaches is that "you can't teach size and you can't teach speed." In one of the earliest passing drills, QB Bo Levi Mitchell fired a deep ball down the left sideline that appeared headed well beyond the reach of WR Aldrick Robinson. But Robinson — arguably the fastest player on the entire team — shifted into another gear. Mitchell's pass had enough air under it that Robinson was able to race underneath it, making the catch over his outside shoulder as he crossed the goal line.

Snap decisions: Post-practice deep-snapping drills featured DEs Kevin Grenier and Justin Smart.

Celebrity guests: Among the guests at Saturday's practice were former NFL defensive backs George Teague and Willie Pile.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Former SMU receiver Jeff Jacobs (83 86) was also there.

[ponyangel]

Thanks for your time PonyPride.....Good Stuff!
Really wish the boys a great season!!

[new era]

how did the QBs look?

[mrydel]

I am already having nightmares about our deep snapping this year.

[One Trick Pony]

[kull]

Teague Tide: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... 1301826908

thanks for the coverage as per usual.

[Pony Up]

Great report. Thanks.

[mr. pony]

Thanks, Pride. Good stuff.

[RGV Pony]

nice socks, Craig

[One Trick Pony]

[quote="RGV Pony"]nice socks, Craig[/quote



You're MIA Paul!

[smufan630]

Thanks as always. Great stuff.

[indianmustang]

good stuff

[RGV Pony]

nice socks, Craig[/quote



You're MIA Paul!

you're right on that one.

Saturday I had soccer game with the "little guy" to attend...in the cold & wind

[One Trick Pony]

excused.