THURSDAY afternoon: LIVE PRACTICE UPDATES

[PonyPride]

Visiting afternoon practice: former SMU cornerback Rolando Humphrey

[PonyPride]

Szymanski now doing kickoffs — several reaching end zone

[SMU 86]

Is Justin Willis returning any kickoffs or punts?

[PonyPride]

Linemen have arrived.

[PonyPride]

Willis, McNeal, Sanders returning punts

[PonyPride]

While much of the team is working in punt and punt coverage drills, the QBs and some WRs are throwing the ball around on the other end of the field. Nice one-handed grab in the back of the end zone by ... J.J. McDermott.

[PonyPride]

GREAT punt return by Sanders, starting right, then cutting back toward the left and outrunning the coverage team, until he was caught and pushed out of bounds at the 5 by Keivon Gamble.

[indianmustang]

is mcneal getting lot of plays

[PonyPride]

DBs Banjo, Bell making one-handed INTs in position drills

[PonyPride]

is mcneal getting lot of plays

No, but he hasn't really had a chance. The RBs haven't done much with the offense (no 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 so far), so he's been relagated thus far to special teams. Has fielded kickoffs and punts, but even there, he hasn't run any back. Just fielding the kicks and giving the ball back to a coach.

[PonyPride]

LB Pat Fleming looks pretty good in coverage drills. He's big enough that he can bump receivers off of their routes, and he has the speed and size (including long arms) to make plays when the ball is in the air.

[SMU 86]

Willis, McNeal, Sanders returning punts

Thanks.

[PonyPride]

In kickoff coverage drills, the coaches had players take off one at a time, charging downfield at a single blocker, who was holding a foam pad — the would-be tackler was instructed to run into the blocker with the pad and then stay as close as possible to his original line and maintain his speed to get downfield to the ball-carrier. Many of the fastest players were those most would expect: RBs, WRs and DBs. One player who was shockingly fast was DE Justin Smart, who blasted through his would-be blocker without veering off-course or losing a step.

[PonyPride]

Lots of instruction in position groups. Every single player sitting around listening to various coaches at the moment.

[PonyPride]

Lots of instruction in position groups. Every single player sitting around listening to various coaches at the moment.

Me and my big mouth (don't say it, PK) ... offensive line just started run-blocking drill.