Friday (8/12/11) AFTERNOON practice report

[PonyPride]

Live practice updates are prohibited. But I am in place, and will post a report on the Ponies' afternoon practice (which is scheduled to start in about 10 minutes) as soon as it is complete.

[PonyPlayer4]

This was a tease of a headline if I have ever seen one!

[PonyPride]

Sorry — just following rules.

Working on the morning practice report and another video interview as we speak.

(There you go — another tease!)

[PonyPride]

• Afternoon practice starting with punt drills, so punters Matt Stone and Mike Loftus are launching them out of their own end zone. So far, both are getting good distance, although some of their offerings are line drives... Meanwhile, special teams coach Frank Gansz, Jr., is running around on every play, tweaking players' technique and positioning, whether blocking for the punters or on the punt coverage team. In the first session, both guys drilled their punts:
Stone: 4 punts / 45.25 yards per punt
Loftus: 2 punts / 56.5 yards per punt

• Kickoff drills: Mike Loftus kicked off four times, one of which landed at the 2-yard line, another to the goal line and two more that resulted in touchbacks (9 and 3 yards deep, respectively). Former SMU soccer player Brian Farkas also reached the end zone with the one kick I saw.

• This might be a short report. LOTS of standing and talking/teaching by the coaches.

• Offense and defense are now back on the field, but at opposite ends of the field). Very slow walk-through of plays, very simple plays (running play off guard, off tackle). Not a lot to see here.

• Players just went in — that's a wrap. (This one's for you, MiracleOnMockingbird: WRs Steve Nelson and Luke Moffitt are staying out on the field for some extra work with the JUGS Machine.) WR Chayse Joubert also getting in a little extra work on his footwork.

Sorry this is brief. There often was more to see at the second practices last year. Maybe that will pick up next time. (Morning report coming shortly.)

[mrydel]

Pony Pride. Are those punting yards measured from the line of scrimmage or from where the punter is standing? That would be difference between good punts and short punts.