Fall camp day 4 report

It’s about that time of camp where players are eager to start hitting. That showed during Wednesday morning’s practice. Coach Bronco Mendenhall stopped the practice early because of the hitting that was going on. At one point, tight end Dennis Pitta was tackled by a defensive player and Pitta threw down the ball in disgust. Mendenhall said he wants his players to be aggressive, but smart. Injuries have already affected the team and he knows it can’t afford many more. Tomorrow, the Cougars begin their first day in full pads, though Mendenhall said he won’t allow much hitting to go on — again, for precautionary reasons.

Running back Fui Vakapuna, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury, saw action in drills today and had some ups and downs (he made a catch, dropped another). Running backs coach Lance Reynolds said that Vakapuna is being limited in his reps and “did a lot better today.” Asked if Vakapuna is in the doghouse, Reynolds replied, “He’s not in my doghouse. He’s just hurt.” He added that when Fui is healthy, he will be the team’s starting fullback. Reynolds said Kane Friel and Kelly Bills are the two main fullbacks right now behind Vakapuna.

Reynolds also said freshman J.J. DiLuigi has impressed him and has “made a massive jump” since spring.

A couple of player who are climbing up the depth chart include Andrew Rich at safety, who was running with the second team, and linebacker Spencer Hadley, who also ran with the 2s. Rich made a nice play batting the ball away from Dennis Pitta in the end zone.

On the O-line, Matt Reynolds saw action at left tackle while Dallas Reynolds played center before giving way to R.J. Willing. Injured projected center Tom Sorensen is expected to meet with the doctor today (not yesterday). He is likely to undergo surgery, which, according to Mendenhall, would put him out 4-6 weeks.

During the team period, quarterback Max Hall completed six straight passes at one point, frequently going to his tight end, Dennis Pitta, who looks like an All-America. Against the second and third team offenses, the defense performed well, recording four sacks in a row. Kyle Luekenga and Brock Richardson combined to get to backup QB Kurt McEuen (of course, coaches don’t allow any contact with the QBs — the coaches whistle the play dead).

The Cougars also worked a lot on special teams Wednesday, particularly punt-blocking and kick coverage.