Monday morning practice

[PonyPride]

It's official - practice has started. It's football season, or least football season can be seen from here.

The team reported this morning for the first practice, and quite honestly ... did very little. For players at all positions, this really was a teaching session - a session head coach June Jones said in his press conference would be repeated tomorrow. Much of what was done today was simply a walk-through, since everyone is basically a newcomer because of the new coaches and their new schemes.

* They're baaaa-aaack! Everyone celebrate - the white helmets officially are back. They don't have the Mustang logos on them yet, but they're back, and they look fantastic.

* Hard to miss: After watching Hawaii games and UH's seemingly tiny receivers, it's a little weird to see big receivers running routes in a June Jones-coached offense. But the Ponies have several who took part Monday, including Bradley Haynes, Phillip Burley and E.J. Drewery.

* Cool coach:June Jones apparently is immune to heat. While players took their helmets off at every chance to pour water over their heads, and assistant coaches took shelter under oversized, safari-style hats, Jones roamed the field in dark blue sweats - long pants and long sleeves. Maybe he's smarter than the rest of us about protection from the sun, but it just looked painfully hot. And somehow, he looked like he wasn't even sweating.

Interested observer: One person in attendance, but not taking part, was kicker Matt Szymanski, who transferred from Texas A&M. He stood on the side, watching his new teammates, before departing the field with defensive end Andrew Ellison - with whom he played at A&M Consolidated High School.

Getting in the spirit: Transfer linebacker Alex Odiari was one of several newcomers taking part in his first practice. Originally assigned jersey No. 1, Odiari's number has been changed to 13 - because he and running back Chris Butler both could play on special teams, and there's an NCAA rule that says no two players who might play on the same unit can double up on jersey numbers. Odiari had seemed pretty excited about wearing No. 1, but he seems to have embraced his new number, shaving "13" and "Mustangs" into his hair for his first practice.

Catch of the day: Several of the receivers made nice grabs Monday morning, but none matched the high-wire act turned in by linebacker Ryan Moczygemba. The linebackers were working in a drill that involved backpedaling and catching of passes thrown by an assistant coach, and when a ball was thrown slightly behind Moczygemba, he was able to twist his body in mid-air and reach back behind him for a left-handed grab. Fantastic grab.

[SmooBoy]

* Cool coach:June Jones apparently is immune to heat. While players took their helmets off at every chance to pour water over their heads, and assistant coaches took shelter under oversized, safari-style hats, Jones roamed the field in dark blue sweats - long pants and long sleeves. Maybe he's smarter than the rest of us about protection from the sun, but it just looked painfully hot. And somehow, he looked like he wasn't even sweating.

We officially have an alien for a coach.

[Otto]

Sounds like a nice snag by Moxy.

Can't tell you how geeked up I am about the white helmets being back!

[PonyGirl]

I ... can't ... wait ... to ... see ... SMU ... in ... white ... helmets ... again ...

Thanks for the confirmation that we are, in fact, going back to the greatest helmets anywhere.

[SMU_is_bowling]

anything other than shorts in this weather is crazy . . . I like that in a coach!

[MrMustang1965]

Getting in the spirit: Transfer linebacker Alex Odiari was one of several newcomers taking part in his first practice. Originally assigned jersey No. 1, Odiari's number has been changed to 13 - because he and running back Chris Butler both could play on special teams, and there's an NCAA rule that says no two players who might play on the same unit can double up on jersey numbers. Odiari had seemed pretty excited about wearing No. 1, but he seems to have embraced his new number, shaving "13" and "Mustangs" into his hair for his first practice.

[PonyTales]

Wow - nice lid.

[MustangMan2001]

Anybody know who took majority of the snaps at QB today?

[MrMustang1965]

They're baaaa-aaack! Everyone celebrate - the white helmets officially are back. They don't have the Mustang logos on them yet, but they're back, and they look fantastic.

[MustangMan2001]

interesting look with the black shoes and black socks... that is indeed a first for the mustangs. The addidas dont look too bad

[SMUmustangs]

Anybody know who took majority of the snaps at QB today?

Well Jones had all the QB taking the same amout of reps and it looked the same for WR too

[tmustangp]

black shoes in this heat.. OUCH.. i bet those guys feet are on fire

[SMUmustangs]

how dose everyone like the practice gear...and what about the blacks shoes...hot

[MustangLaxer]

black socks are the latest in athletic wear to make their come back...everyone is doing it!

[FWMustangGirl]

* Cool coach:June Jones apparently is immune to heat. While players took their helmets off at every chance to pour water over their heads, and assistant coaches took shelter under oversized, safari-style hats, Jones roamed the field in dark blue sweats - long pants and long sleeves. Maybe he's smarter than the rest of us about protection from the sun, but it just looked painfully hot. And somehow, he looked like he wasn't even sweating.

Ice water in his veins. Excellent.