Tuesday (8/9/11) practice report

[PonyPride]

Tuesday's practice was a pleasure to watch, because ... there was something to watch. After two practice sessions in which much of the time was spent in teaching sessions, the players ran more routes, caught more passes, went after the ball more aggressively in special teams drills and even got into a couple of minor tussles during the first 11-on-11 drills of the season. As is the case in any June Jones-coached practice, they're not dressed out in full pads and not engaging in full-speed tackling. But there was a lot more activity Tuesday that resembled football, including:

• Among those in attendance at Tuesday's practice were scouts from the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts; Dallas Morning News draft wonk-turned-columnist Rick Gosselin; and former SMU DE David Blewett.

• LB Cameron Rogers didn't practice Tuesday, standing on the side with a light sleeve over his left knee. A teammate said after practice he didn't think Rogers' injury was anything serious, adding that it "got tweaked" a little during special teams drills Monday.

• With Rogers out, Kevin Pope ran with the first-team defense at the Buck LB position. Lincoln Schick worked with the second team.

• Several WRs made some nice catches ... because of balls thrown a little behind them. During the skeleton (no defense) passing drills at the beginning of practice, a handful of passes were a half a step behind the receivers. Most were able to hesitate long enough to make the catch anyway, but the offense thrives when the ball allows the receiver to catch the pass while running full-speed, thereby maximizing the potential for yards after the catch. Didn't seem like a cause for concern, though. Everyone has an off-day, and a couple of the quarterbacks did that Tuesday.

• When the defense started simulating game situations with 11-on-11 drills, the unit that wasn't playing (defense) stepped in as a mock offense. It showed, if nothing else, that DEs Taylor Thompson and Marquis Frazier are better suited to playing defense, and apparently are very eager this year — when standing in as "offensive tackles," each jumped offsides more than once.

• When the team was turned over to assistant coach Frank Gansz, Jr., for special teams drills, the Mustangs cranked up the intensity by a few notches. Gansz had his players do one drill that already appears to be one of his favorites — two "coverage" players blast past two foam dummies simulating blockers and then two players holding large foam pads before chasing down a return specialist — and on the very first play, DEs Kevin Grenier and Margus Hunt just about swallowed WR/KR Terrance Wilkerson and driving him backward toward the end zone. By the time the ball popped out, Wilkerson already was in the end zone, so there was no "scoop and score" practice ... the defenders just had to fall on it.

• NT Torlan Pittman joined in the fun, either adding to an unknown vendetta the defensive line has against Wilkerson or at least enjoying the idea of being the aggressor with a (listed) 115-pound advantage over his prey. A few plays after Grenier and Hunt ganged up on Wilkerson, he was lifted up by Pittman and held off the ground until freshman DB Michael Sparling swooped in and stripped the ball.

• Eric Wells, the head coach at Dawson High School in Pearland, knows of what he speaks. When Dawson defensive end Robert Seals signed with SMU, Wells raved about Seals' ability to run and pursue ball carriers. "The way Robert runs reminds me a little of Sergio Kindle — the way he runs people down from the backside ... (for a player) his size, he can really run and cover a lot of ground." Seems Wells had a crystal ball that allowed him to watch Seals in action at Tuesday's practice. On one special teams drill, Gansz had players line up in pairs, one in coverage, and the other as a blocker. On one play, Seals blew past his would-be blocker and raced untouched up the right side of the field. The kick returner, however, took off up the far side of the field, and Seals flew past his teammates to chase down the ball carrier on the opposite side of the field. Yes, it was only one play, but several teammates remarked about Seals' speed downfield and ability to turn the corner and chase down the kick returner from behind.

• While fielding kicks from the JUGS machine, freshman CB Daren Kitchen and sophomore WR Steve McCormack each got a lesson in the importance of fielding the ball cleanly. When one "kick" slipped through Kitchen's hands, he reached for it, only to come up short because WR Ryan Walker already was on top of him, pinning him to the ground and reaching for the ball. Then, at the end of the drill, McCormack dropped a "kick." While reaching for it, he got a knee (or thigh) to the face from fast-charging LB Ja'Gared Davis (neither player was hurt).

• The best moves of the day, at least on the kick returns, was turned in by freshman CB J.R. Richardson, who has looked exceptionally smooth with the ball in his hands early in camp. On one play, Richardson raced forward to field a short "kick" and after catching it while running full-speed, he calmly stepped between two would-be tacklers who were closing fast from each side and cruised upfield untouched. Later in the drill, after fielding another, he followed his blocker, WR Darius Joseph, who was fending off LB Uchenna Nwabuike. Richardson basically hid behind his blocker until Nwabuike committed to coming around one side and then dipped his shoulder and slipped to the other side, going around both players ... again, untouched.

• Sometimes there's a fine line between blocking and holding. CB Blake Poston scored an easy touchdown when returning a "kick," thanks to a perfect tackle by blocker K.C. Nlemchi on would-be tackler Robert Parker. Likewise, Kitchen was sprung for an easy touchdown when one of his blockers, DB Justin Sorrell, unceremoniously flung WR Bobby Waid to the ground. (If there's no flag thrown, there's no penalty, right?)

• After the extended work on special teams, the Mustangs returned to practice field for the first 11-on-11 drills of this year's camp. QB Kyle Padron looked sharp from the outset, completing five of his six passes on the first drive.

• Seniority might have its perks, but that doesn't mean mistakes get ignored. When an errant pass by QB Connor Preston drilled FS Chris Banjo between the numbers ... and then fell to the ground, Banjo didn't wait to hear it from his teammates, dropping to do some self-imposed push-ups for the takeaway that should have been. The defense is making it a priority to create more takeaways this season.

• At the start of the 11-on-11 drills, Bryce Tennison started at center with the first-team offensive line. Not sure anything can be read into that, however, as he and Blake McJunkin rotated working with the first line, just as they have in drills since camp opened.

• S Justin Sorrell made up for his hold (er ... "block") on special teams when he picked off passes from QB Steve Kaiser twice in three plays.

• Making up for lost time? Maybe ... WR Terrance Wilkerson, who sat out the 2010 season, spent nearly 30 minutes after practice fielding passes from the JUGS machine.

• Slot WR Larry Centers, Jr., and LB/DE Forrest Hagar have left the team.

[ponywhupp9202]

This is the time of the year I log on multiple times every afternoon looking for your great work. Always good stuff; thanks!

[03Mustang]

Looks like Hagar went to A&M... What's up with Centers?

[cutter]

great update.
thanks.

too bad about Hagar and Centers.

[PonyPlayer4]

Didn't Hagar leave at about this same time last year? Kid really must not have wanted to be here.

[SMU 86]

I am liking what I am reading on defense.

[cutter]

Didn't Hagar leave at about this same time last year? Kid really must not have wanted to be here.

yep, that's what I recall. but, his departure last year was due to family/personal issues, I believe.

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

I notice PonyPride manages to work JUGS into every report.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

I notice PonyPride manages to work JUGS into every report.

[RE Tycoon]

No more Centers? That guy always looked like a stud in practice.

[sbsmith]

• Slot WR Larry Centers, Jr., and LB/DE Forrest Hagar have left the team.

Wonder what happened, Jones was just raving about Centers.

[PonyPride]

I notice PonyPride manages to work JUGS into every report.

Yet you're the only one who comments on it.
Hmmm ...

[Stallion]

was Centers ever put on scholarship? Hager might have opened one up

[ALEX LIFESON]

was Centers ever put on scholarship? Hager might have opened one up

No.

[ponyscott]

Great report PP and weird deal about Centers as JJ was indeed raving about hi. Well..... next.....