Monday practice notes

Post by **PonyPride** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:27 pm

Sorry for the delay. Phone wasn't logging in right, so live updates weren't happening.

• DE Margus Hunt, who is being held out of spring ball while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, got in his first workout of the spring, running up and down the hill at the south end of Gerald J. Ford Stadium under the watchful eye of head strength and conditioning coach Mel de Laura. Afterward, Hunt said he felt a little dizzy, because it was the first time he has worked out in seven weeks.

• RB Darryl Fields arrived at SMU a year ago with a reputation for having sprinter's speed, and that was on display all morning Monday. In special teams drills, the Ponies worked on their normal coverage drill in which four players race downfield toward a return man who has no blockers in front of him. The return man is supposed to find a way out of jail, while the coverage guys are supposed to confine him until the play is over (since they don't do much hitting). Twice Fields juked back and forth, found a small seam and shot through the gap, untouched. He did the same on a few running plays when the offense took the field.

• In the coverage drills, one of the best moves of the day was turned in by a return man who headed up the middle of the field, before stopping and spinning to the outside, where he outran the coverage to the sideline and raced upfield. That return man: LB Ja'Gared Davis.

• Head coach June Jones likes to have his older players fill a multitude of roles other than their own during spring drills. He often will have the upperclassmen serve as teachers to their younger teammates, or even stand in on the opposite side of the ball to simulate the opposing offense or defense. WR Cole Beasley got his shot on defense Monday, and seemed to enjoy his role as a makeshift defensive end, until RG Kelly Turner - who has 121 pounds on Beasley, according to the new roster that was released Monday - picked him up and carried him out of a play. "Those TCU defensive ends are pretty quick," Beasley said after practice. "I was trying to exaggerate that."

• Jones has not yet hired a new special teams coach, although that position is expected to be filled by former UCLA and NFL special teams coach Frank Gansz, Jr.

• The Ponies do little hitting in the spring, but Beasley did have the hit of the day, or at least one of them. Lining up at DE, Beasley came in untouched on a mock blitz ... and ran right over Ryan Dant, a student manager in the equipment room who was setting up the next play.

• If Beasley's hit wasn't the hit of the day, that honor would have gone to LB Randall Joyner. During the special teams coverage drill, Joyner was called out for a lack of hustle, and was told to get back in on the next play. Joyner raced downfield on the next drill and nearly de-cleated RB/KR Bryce Lunday, who popped up uninjured.

• Sitting out practice with injuries: Hunt (shoulder), SR Larry Centers, Jr. (hand), WR Kyle Guinyard (knee), DL Aaron Davis (sports hernia), LB Randy McKinnon (knee) and WR Chayse Joubert (knee).

Junior · Post by **Junior** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:19 pm

Thanks, PP. Are all the injured players you referenced expected to be healthy when the season starts?

2ndandlong · Post by **2ndandlong** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:24 pm

cautiously optimistic on Hunt. Glad to hear that he was able to work out. Hopefully, deLaura will ease him off a tad.

thanks for the update.

Stallion · Post by **Stallion** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:36 pm

DMN also reporting Gansz as new special teams coordinator

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... s-coa.html

Post by **PonyPride** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:02 pm

Junior wrote:Thanks, PP. Are all the injured players you referenced expected to be healthy when the season starts?

It's my understanding that they all expect to be ready to go in August, but I'll double-check.

2ndandlong wrote:cautiously optimistic on Hunt. Glad to hear that he was able to work out. Hopefully, deLaura will ease him off a tad.

thanks for the update.

Don't read too much into Hunt's comment. He was laughing a little when he said it, and I took it as nothing more serious than being a little winded, like stretching his legs for the first time in a while. He certainly didn't make it sound like de Laura was pushing him too hard.

2ndandlong · Post by **2ndandlong** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:12 pm

PonyPride wrote:
2ndandlong wrote:cautiously optimistic on Hunt. Glad to hear that he was able to work out. Hopefully, deLaura will ease him off a tad.

thanks for the update.

Don't read too much into Hunt's comment. He was laughing a little when he said it, and I took it as nothing more serious than being a little winded, like stretching his legs for the first time in a while. He certainly didn't make it sound like de Laura was pushing him too hard.

Okay, good. Thanks for the follow up.

SMUguy · Post by **SMUguy** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:44 pm

Good job, Pride.

Junior · Post by **Junior** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:13 pm

thanks, PP.

One Trick Pony · Post by **One Trick Pony** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:31 am

Gansz at ST NICE! We finally get Navy this year.

SMUnewbie · Post by **SMUnewbie** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:43 am

Love these updates, great for the far away fan!

Pony4Life · Post by **Pony4Life** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:53 am

One Trick Pony wrote:Gansz at DC NICE! We finally get Navy this year.

DC? As in Defensive Coordinator? Are you getting rid of Coach Mason?

Coach Gansz is coaching special teams, not defense.

(Sorry if you mean something else and I'm just missing it.)

One Trick Pony · Post by **One Trick Pony** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:49 pm

Pony4Life wrote:
One Trick Pony wrote:Gansz at DC NICE! We finally get Navy this year.

DC? As in Defensive Coordinator? Are you getting rid of Coach Mason?

Coach Gansz is coaching special teams, not defense.

(Sorry if you mean something else and I'm just missing it.)

Duh! Direct current!!! Lol