FRIDAY PRACTICE notes

[PonyPride]

• Position change: Walk-on Robert Mojica has moved from slot receiver to defensive back, and traded in his No. 21 jersey for No. 26. Another walk-on, DB Brett Haness, also is listed in a No. 26 jersey, so presumably one of them will get a new number shortly.

• Keeping tabs: One of the interested observers at Friday's practice was Highland Park head coach Randy Allen, who has four former players on the SMU roster: offensive linemen Kelly Turner and Zach Boyd, quarterback Winston Gamso and transfer slot receiver William Webb.

• Small but tough: The hitting has picked up slightly every day, and one player who surely is feeling it is freshman slot receiver Bryce Lunday. Early in Friday's session, he was run over by defensive end Youri Yenga, and later in the session he took a face-to-face collision with linebacker Pete Fleps. Their helmets cracked and Fleps - who at 6-foot-2, 221 pounds (listed) has four inches and 43 pounds on Lunday - planted the freshman on his back ... but just like with his collision with Yenga, Lunday bounced right up, seemingly no worse for the wear.

• Maintain focus: Lunday got crunched a few times Friday, but that didn't stop him from making one of the nicer catches of the morning. Shortly after getting planted by Yenga, Lunday raced across the middle again. Logan Turner's throw was high and a little behind him, but Lunday get high off the ground, twisted around in mid-air and pulled in the pass with just his left hand.

• Just a second: Yes, it's early, and yes, coaches are toying with numerous personnel combinations at several positions, and yes, a lot will change between now and the opener at Rice ... but there were a couple of players worth noting on the second-team defensive line unit Friday: defensive tackle Evan Huahulu and defensive end Taylor Thompson.

• Get 'back: The starting linebackers remained the same (Justin Smart in the middle, flanked by Will Bonilla and Jason Jackson), but the second unit remained fluid. Friday's group: Alex Odiari in the middle, between Pete Fleps and Julian Herron.

• Possession is nine-tenths of ... : Sometimes a team learning a new offense doesn't need a defense to derail a play. Such was the case Friday when La'Cori Johnson and E.J. Drewery each got well behind the defense ... and both went for the ball when Logan Turner saw them racing across the back of the end zone. Both went up for it, both came down in a heap and the ball bounced away harmlessly (Johnson and Drewery were unhurt).

• So special: Special teams coach Frank Gansz gathered the whole team for punting drills. The drill was conducted to shore up the Mustangs' protection on punts, but it was worth noting that all four "returners" (who did little other than simply catch the ball) were all newcomers: Quincey Whittington, Cole Beasley, B.J. Lee and Bennie Thomas.

• Starters starting: The idea that starters are too important to risk on special teams apparently doesn't fly with the new staff. Among the key players (either starters or second-teamers) who were in the punt protection group: Julian Herron, Jason Jackson, Alex Odiari and DeMyron Martin.

• Interceptions of the day: There were two:
1) Early in the practice, safety Tyler Jones stretched out flat as he dove to make a one-handed interception in traffic
2) Cornerback Derrius Bell never gave up on a play that many would have let fall out of bounds. Bell shadowed Mario Walker down the sideline, went up against the bigger Walker (who has three inches and 55 pounds on Bell) and wrestled the ball away from him in the back corner of the end zone.

• Building block-ers: The coaches continued to try new combinations, including on the offensive line. Two new faces got some reps with the first-team line: left guard Josh LeRibeus and right tackle Chase Smith. Vincent Chase and Tommy Poynter also got some snaps at right tackle with the first-team line, as Sean Lobo did at left guard, and Poynter also got some work at right guard with the second unit. The three who stayed with the first-team line all day were left tackle Kelvin Beachum, Jr., center Mitch Enright and right guard Bryce Tennison.

• Time for two-a-days: The Ponies will practice twice Saturday: at 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

[PerunaPunch]

Thank God!

We were all out here in cyberland jonesin' for our Friday practice report. Thanks Pride!

[Stallion]

DMN report-(unusually prompt I'd say-competition is great) Smu now getting practice updates from about 4 sources thanks to Al Gore's invention of the Internet.

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... tes-2.html

[03Mustang]

DMN report-(unusually prompt I'd say-competition is great) Smu now getting practice updates from about 4 sources thanks to Al Gore's invention of the Internet.

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... tes-2.html

I like this invention a lot more than his global warming alarmism one.

[George S. Patton]

You get the sense Emmanuel Sanders is going to be one of top leaders of this team.

[SMU 86]

DMN report-(unusually prompt I'd say-competition is great) Smu now getting practice updates from about 4 sources

The June Jones effect.

[Webmaster]

Hmm, I like our interview with Sanders (on the home page) better.

[George S. Patton]

Hmm, I like our interview with Sanders (on the home page) better.

I was just referring to the fact that more media outlets are turning to him. He has become a go-to voice for this team.

[Webmaster]

He's extremely personable and very funny, which usually makes for a good interview. Plus, based on his previous years' performance, the way he looks in practice and JJ's offense, you gotta believe he's going to absolutely light it up this year.

[Alaric]

Thanks for the updates fellas...team's already looking better than it did in the spring, especially receivers who dropped a LOT of balls in the spring. Anyone know who the big high school lineman (probably 6'6") was who was watching practice?

[westexSMU]

[quote="PonyPride"]•

2) Cornerback Derrius Bell never gave up on a play that many would have let fall out of bounds. Bell shadowed Mario Walker down the sideline, went up against the bigger Walker (who has three inches and 55 pounds on Bell) and wrestled the ball away from him in the back corner of the end zone.

[/quote]..........PonyPride, has Coach moved Mario Walker to WR. ?

[PonyPride]

..........PonyPride, has Coach moved Mario Walker to WR. ?

Yup - the former tight end-turned-defensive end is now a wide receiver. After all the talk about Coach Jones and his penchant for tiny receivers, you've got Walker, Bradley Haynes, Zach Zimmerman, Phillip Burley and E.J. Drewery — some very big targets. How they all pan out remains to be seen, but they have decent height. Zimmerman, listed at 6-1 and 165, is the shortest and lightest of the group.

[Vitale]

So if LeRibeus gets the left guard spot, we could have three redshirt freshmen starting on the offensive line? They'd better be damn good, because that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Although .... there's talk that they really ARE pretty good — especially Tennison.

[ozfan]

So if LeRibeus gets the left guard spot, we could have three redshirt freshmen starting on the offensive line? They'd better be damn good, because that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Although .... there's talk that they really ARE pretty good — especially Tennison.

This goes back awhile but at one time the NCAA did not allow freshmen to play varsity ball. It was not unusual for a team to have two or three sophs.
in the starting lineup. A redshirt freshmen is still in his second year. So whats the worry.

[lwjr]

PP,

Thanks for the updates, I really enjoy reading them.