PonyFans.com practice (8/21/12) report
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:11 pm
The Mustangs practiced inside Ford Stadium Tuesday morning. Some observations:
• The quarterbacks, particularly Conner Preston, looked pretty sharp Tuesday, regularly placing throws not only where they could be caught, but where they could be caught without the receivers breaking stride - a small difference in accuracy that can lead to a significant increase in yards after the catch.
• LB Taylor Reed, who has missed several practices with a pulled hamstring, returned to practice on a limited basis. The team’s leading 2011 tackler said the plan is to take a cautious approach to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the season opener Sept. 2 at Baylor.
• For someone who just recently returned to practice after missing a couple of weeks of practice with a back injury, OG Jordan Free looks impressive. He is quick when he pulls on sweeps and other perimeter running plays, and held his own in one-on-one blocking drills against mostly first- and second-team defensive linemen.
• In a system that relies largely on four starting receivers to play extensively, how much time any of the backups will get obviously remains to be seen. One such player is freshman WR Gehrig Dieter, who has demanded attention in preseason camp because of his production. He looks faster than he did during spring workouts, when his participation was limited because of a knee injury, and he is showing that he is more than just a big guy who can out-jump shorter defensive backs. In Tuesday's practice, Dieter streaked down the left sideline, and when Conner Preston's throw was a little underthrown, the Dieter was able to use his 6-3, 215-pound frame to shield CB Chris Parks (6-1, 185) from the ball, allowing the ball to drop over his head and into his outstretched arms for a 45-yard touchdown.
• WR Der'Rikk Thompson had a solid day, with a number of fine receptions highlighted by a grab of a 40-yard pass from QB Garrett Gilbert, who fired a strike to Thompson between three defenders.
• SS Ryan Smith also had a strong practice in pass coverage, jumping in front of a receiver to intercept a deep pass by Neal Burcham in seven-on-seven drills, and later picking off another deep ball in team (11-on-11) drills.
• LB Cameron Rogers turned in perhaps the defensive play of the day when he slid across the field to pick off a Garrett Kristich pass in 11-on-11 drills. It looked like Krstich might not have even seen Rogers, who stayed crouched low to the ground as he crept across the field, and could have walked in to the end zone had it been a live game.
• Krstich, who is running the scout team offense, helped the Mustangs' defense get a sense of live game action, inducing several first- and second-team defensive linemen to jump offsides with hard counts.
• The NFL scouts continue to show up at SMU practices. Thursday's practice included representatives from the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers.
• The quarterbacks, particularly Conner Preston, looked pretty sharp Tuesday, regularly placing throws not only where they could be caught, but where they could be caught without the receivers breaking stride - a small difference in accuracy that can lead to a significant increase in yards after the catch.
• LB Taylor Reed, who has missed several practices with a pulled hamstring, returned to practice on a limited basis. The team’s leading 2011 tackler said the plan is to take a cautious approach to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the season opener Sept. 2 at Baylor.
• For someone who just recently returned to practice after missing a couple of weeks of practice with a back injury, OG Jordan Free looks impressive. He is quick when he pulls on sweeps and other perimeter running plays, and held his own in one-on-one blocking drills against mostly first- and second-team defensive linemen.
• In a system that relies largely on four starting receivers to play extensively, how much time any of the backups will get obviously remains to be seen. One such player is freshman WR Gehrig Dieter, who has demanded attention in preseason camp because of his production. He looks faster than he did during spring workouts, when his participation was limited because of a knee injury, and he is showing that he is more than just a big guy who can out-jump shorter defensive backs. In Tuesday's practice, Dieter streaked down the left sideline, and when Conner Preston's throw was a little underthrown, the Dieter was able to use his 6-3, 215-pound frame to shield CB Chris Parks (6-1, 185) from the ball, allowing the ball to drop over his head and into his outstretched arms for a 45-yard touchdown.
• WR Der'Rikk Thompson had a solid day, with a number of fine receptions highlighted by a grab of a 40-yard pass from QB Garrett Gilbert, who fired a strike to Thompson between three defenders.
• SS Ryan Smith also had a strong practice in pass coverage, jumping in front of a receiver to intercept a deep pass by Neal Burcham in seven-on-seven drills, and later picking off another deep ball in team (11-on-11) drills.
• LB Cameron Rogers turned in perhaps the defensive play of the day when he slid across the field to pick off a Garrett Kristich pass in 11-on-11 drills. It looked like Krstich might not have even seen Rogers, who stayed crouched low to the ground as he crept across the field, and could have walked in to the end zone had it been a live game.
• Krstich, who is running the scout team offense, helped the Mustangs' defense get a sense of live game action, inducing several first- and second-team defensive linemen to jump offsides with hard counts.
• The NFL scouts continue to show up at SMU practices. Thursday's practice included representatives from the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers.