Wednesday, Nov. 6
Venue: Kibbie Dome
Format:
Full pads, wrap-up but don’t take down for the whole team, don’t hit the quarterbacks.
Practice Rundown:
Position drills, 7-on-7 skeleton drill, first-team offense and defense vs. scout team, punt/kickoff return drills, special teams drills.
Highlights:
Just like Josh McCain last week, Chad Chalich returned to practice but was in a red injury jersey, marking that he isn’t to be touched. Chances are Taylor Davis continues to start but it is good to see Chalich back in pads and all signs point to him being fully healthy in a week or two.
Jerrel Brown and James Baker continued to run hard this week. They seemed really hard to wrap up. Baker continues to show why he is getting most of the workload but Brown is making a case to get a few of those carries during the game.
Coach Petrino and Dezmon Epps had a little confrontation today. Who knows what Epps was mad about but both of them had a back-and-forth exchange. All was settled though minutes after it started and Epps went back to practicing and returning kicks.
Matt Linehan has found a favorite target on the scout team, sophomore wide receiver Jordan Pastras. The two connected on several passes while running with the scout team and looked really good against the first-team defense. If Linehan ends up competing for the starting job next year, Pastras could benefit as well if they form a good connection.
Other Observations:
Defensive end Quinton Bradley returned to practice this week in full pads. Expect him to play in the game but to split time with Anthony Rice and Marius Burgsmueller.
Speaking of Burgsmueller, he went back to long snapping. Brett Ballard had came in the last couple weeks to long snap in Burgsmueller’s place because of his injured hand. But his hand looks healed enough to continue to long snap.
The injuries continue to pile up, especially on the offensive line. Cody Elenz was walking around practice in a sling, while Jesse Davis continues to sit out with knee problems. With Sandburg also out, guys like Sione Maile, Spencer Beale, and Steven Matlock to step up and continue to protect the quarterbacks.
After practicing with the defensive backs during the spring and fall, it looks like Roman Runner is back with them. Who knows if he will get playing time with them or if he will even go back to practicing with the wide receivers. He could be practicing with them because the defensive back position has been depleted over the last few weeks with Solomon Dixon being hurt. It will be interesting to see what he does coming into the last three games of the season, especially since he is a senior.
Freshman cornerback/safety Desmond Banks was getting torched today at practice. He gave up several completions and the team continued to throw to his side. Not all of those completions were his fault, especially since the slot receiver was usually covered by a linebacker, but Banks needs to continue to improve if he wants to continue to see playing time. Adding Roman Runner into the defensive back mix will only mean more competition to play in Solomon Dixon’s spot.