Notes from THURSDAY's practice

[PonyPride]

• An Oakland Raiders scout was at Thursday morning's practice.

• For the most part, the team is pretty good shape, in terms of dealing with the smothering heat. A few players have gotten overheated and/or lost their lunch (or breakfast) on the field, but such cases have been rare. The training staff never gets enough credit for keeping the players hydrated, especially in the blastfurnace conditions in August and September.

• Freshman linebacker Anthony Beard has left the team, and reportedly will return home to Lumberton, Texas.

• It's still too early to determine if one position group has a decided advantage over another, but in at least one drill Thursday, the linebackers waged a pretty even war with the running backs. The drill was a pass-rushing drill in which a linebacker would rush toward one of the large foam dummies and a running back would have to pick him up (the coaches often point out that in SMU's offense, pass protection is the No. 1 responsibility of running backs). Some of the matchups:
∞ Pete Fleps broke out a spin move to create a little separation before driving straight through Zach Line.
∞ Cameron Rogers lunged into freshman Darryl Fields, and after that solitary collision, cruised untouched to the dummy (quarterback).
∞ Ja'Gared Davis sprinted past Ryan Moczygemba, virtually untouched.
∞ Uchenna Nwabuike looked like he was almost physically fighting to get past Travis Carlile.
On the other hand:
∞ LB Lincoln Schick got stood up and stopped in his tracks by Bryce Lunday.
∞ Moczygemba stuffed John Bordano on his way to the dummy.

• A few players sat out of Thursday's workout: CB Sterling Moore (turf toe), NT Jordan Favreau (overheating), WR Charles Clay (ankle) and WR Ryan Walker (hamstring). Moore is taking it easy during preseason camp in an effort to allow his toe to heal before the season starts. Favreau said he plans to return to the practice field Friday. Walker, who has battled hamstring issues throughout the summer, said he will see another doctor next week before a timetable for his return can be established.

• Secondary coach Derrick Odum put his charges through a drill in which two players faced off in front of Odum. The player with his back to Odum carried a blocking pad, and the other player was instructed to charge into the player with the blocking pad while watching Odum, who was simulating a quarterback. As soon as the players collided, Odum would float a high pass over the heads of the players, at which point the "defensive player" was expected to shed the "blocker" and go up to knock the ball away. The star of the drill was junior college transfer cornerback Richard Crawford, who not the ball away a few times, but also turned in a pair of acrobatic, one-handed interceptions. Freshmen Chris Parks and Kenneth Acker also each made a one-handed interception.

• Attention Red Raiders: SMU is working on a secret defensive formation! OK, that's not really true, but it was entertaining, when the team went to an all-freshmen offense, to see quarterbacks Kyle Padron and J.J. McDermott manning the safety spots. McDermott even picked off a pass. This lineup has to scare any Tech fans who remember the cross-field pass (lateral) to Bobby Leach on a last-minute kickoff return that Leach ran all the way for a touchdown to give SMU a victory over Tech in 1982. Just imagine the cross-field laterals McDermott and Padron could pull off if they jumped in at safety.

• DE Margus Hunt is at it again. He blocked his first kick of the preseason Thursday when he knocked down a Mike Loftus field goal ... with his facemask.

• Robinson also was involved in the scariest moment of the day, when he ran an out route and caught a pass from Padron along the west side of Pettus practice field. Safety Chris Banjo was chasing close behind, and the two tumbled into a heap right along the concrete top of the brick wall on the side of the field. Each bounced up unhurt.

• The defensive play of the day might have been one turned in by JUCO transfer safety Justin Sorrell, who shadowed wide receiver Jeremy Johnson on a screen pass. As the ball was thrown, Sorrell broke, scraping off Johnson and reaching around him to knock the ball harmlessly to the ground.

• Senior Aldrick Robinson's game is based on his electric speed, but if he keeps making catches like the one-handed snag he pulled off Thursday on a quick slant route — snagging the pass and turning upfield without breaking stride or slowing down — he could be even more dangerous.

• With all due respect to Robinson for his one-handed grab, the catch of the day was turned in by junior Brad Haynes, who raced downfield on a deep route along the hash marks, and outleaped freshman Chris Parks, who has excellent speed, height and leaping ability.

[cutter]

so exciting. can't wait.
thanks.

[Pony4Life]

Very encouraged to read about Brad Haynes going up and making plays. I went to practice Saturday, and Chris Parks is a tall, long guy who can really run. If Haynes is going up and over him, that bodes well for the passing game to have a big guy who can go up and get the ball.