WEDNESDAY PRACTICE NOTES
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:23 pmThe Mustangs practiced on the Pettus practice field Wednesday in a session that included the first live, 11-on-11 drills of the spring. Some notes:
Got you covered: In his sixth practice after moving from DE to OLB, Andrew Ellison made one of the nicest defensive plays of the day. He dropped into coverage on a receiver on the right side (for the defense) and stayed with him for about 15 yards downfield. But when he saw that the ball was being thrown to WR Emmanuel Sanders, who was headed toward him on a crossing route from the other side of the field, Ellison left his man and dove in front of Sanders, knocking the ball away.
Move of the day: Coaches talk constantly about WRs' ability to "create separation." Some create a small gap through which the QB must fire a precise, and some do what Terrance Wilkerson did early in the 11-on-11 drill. Wilkerson pulled a strong out-and-up double move, with the CB biting on the out route, and blew past his defender to cruise under a 40-yard strike from QB Bo Levi Mitchell. Granted, the DB slipped on the wet grass, but Wilkerson had him beaten badly, and could have walked into the end zone.
Don't give up: One theme that is constantly preached - by coaches and players alike - is the need for effort and energy. When the team broke into its special teams coverage drills, RB Bryce Lunday juked back and forth and shook his would-be "tacklers" when he faked to his left and got DB Keith Robinson leaning toward the middle of the field, before Lunday broke back outside and turned the corner. With a player with Lunday's quickness, it would have been easy for Robinson to move on to the next drill, but he whirled around and chased down Lunday, forcing him out of bounds ... drawing praise from teammates and coaches.
Finish the play: Emmanuel Sanders made one of the nicer catches of the day when he rose up over the defense to grab a high pass from QB J.J. McDermott. When he landed, he juked several defenders ... but then got the ball stripped from him. LB Pete Fleps had stayed with the play, scooped up the ball and returned it through the offense for a touchdown.
Us the line set? The first two units of the offensive line remained the same for consecutive practices for the first time. 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 group had LT Josh Emshoff, LG Kelly Turner, C Mitch Enright, RG Jordan Free and RT Sidney Nwangwu.
Block of the day: Since his arrival at SMU, head coach June Jones has stressed that his RBs' ability to block is vital to the success of his offense. Bryce Lunday turned in the block of the day Wednesday when he stayed in the backfield, and realized that DE Aaron Davis had beaten his man and was looping around the backfield and zeroing in on the QB. Lunday turned and dove past the QB as he threw the ball, stopping Davis (whose listed weight of 240 is 58 pounds more than Lunday) in his tracks and drawing howls of approval from his teammates and coaches.
Catch of the day: Late in the first 11-on-11 session, QB Bo Levi Mitchell fired a long pass down the right sideline. CB Derrius Bell was covering on the play, and at the last second stepped inside the receiver and went up high to make a twisting grab.
Pushing forward: It's hard to assess the performance of the lines after just one session, but NTs Chris Parham and Evan Huahulu both looked effective in early drills against OLs. Parham appeared a step quicker, but Huahulu was very effective pushing forward, moving OLs backward into the pocket.
Catching on: WR Terrance Wilkerson was very impressive Wednesday. In one series, he made three straight solid receptions. First he went up in the air to catch a high pass that was sailing toward the sideline and had the presence of mind to twist his body around to get a food in bounds. Then, on two of the next four plays, he hit the deck to scoop up passes that were barely above the grass.
Got you covered: In his sixth practice after moving from DE to OLB, Andrew Ellison made one of the nicest defensive plays of the day. He dropped into coverage on a receiver on the right side (for the defense) and stayed with him for about 15 yards downfield. But when he saw that the ball was being thrown to WR Emmanuel Sanders, who was headed toward him on a crossing route from the other side of the field, Ellison left his man and dove in front of Sanders, knocking the ball away.
Move of the day: Coaches talk constantly about WRs' ability to "create separation." Some create a small gap through which the QB must fire a precise, and some do what Terrance Wilkerson did early in the 11-on-11 drill. Wilkerson pulled a strong out-and-up double move, with the CB biting on the out route, and blew past his defender to cruise under a 40-yard strike from QB Bo Levi Mitchell. Granted, the DB slipped on the wet grass, but Wilkerson had him beaten badly, and could have walked into the end zone.
Don't give up: One theme that is constantly preached - by coaches and players alike - is the need for effort and energy. When the team broke into its special teams coverage drills, RB Bryce Lunday juked back and forth and shook his would-be "tacklers" when he faked to his left and got DB Keith Robinson leaning toward the middle of the field, before Lunday broke back outside and turned the corner. With a player with Lunday's quickness, it would have been easy for Robinson to move on to the next drill, but he whirled around and chased down Lunday, forcing him out of bounds ... drawing praise from teammates and coaches.
Finish the play: Emmanuel Sanders made one of the nicer catches of the day when he rose up over the defense to grab a high pass from QB J.J. McDermott. When he landed, he juked several defenders ... but then got the ball stripped from him. LB Pete Fleps had stayed with the play, scooped up the ball and returned it through the offense for a touchdown.
Us the line set? The first two units of the offensive line remained the same for consecutive practices for the first time. 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 group had LT Josh Emshoff, LG Kelly Turner, C Mitch Enright, RG Jordan Free and RT Sidney Nwangwu.
Block of the day: Since his arrival at SMU, head coach June Jones has stressed that his RBs' ability to block is vital to the success of his offense. Bryce Lunday turned in the block of the day Wednesday when he stayed in the backfield, and realized that DE Aaron Davis had beaten his man and was looping around the backfield and zeroing in on the QB. Lunday turned and dove past the QB as he threw the ball, stopping Davis (whose listed weight of 240 is 58 pounds more than Lunday) in his tracks and drawing howls of approval from his teammates and coaches.
Catch of the day: Late in the first 11-on-11 session, QB Bo Levi Mitchell fired a long pass down the right sideline. CB Derrius Bell was covering on the play, and at the last second stepped inside the receiver and went up high to make a twisting grab.
Pushing forward: It's hard to assess the performance of the lines after just one session, but NTs Chris Parham and Evan Huahulu both looked effective in early drills against OLs. Parham appeared a step quicker, but Huahulu was very effective pushing forward, moving OLs backward into the pocket.
Catching on: WR Terrance Wilkerson was very impressive Wednesday. In one series, he made three straight solid receptions. First he went up in the air to catch a high pass that was sailing toward the sideline and had the presence of mind to twist his body around to get a food in bounds. Then, on two of the next four plays, he hit the deck to scoop up passes that were barely above the grass.
