Full-pad Friday
After starting in a helmet and shorts on Monday then adding in shoulder pads yesterday, the training wheels officially came off today as the team strapped on its gear in the first full-pad practice of the Spring.
“Yeah, it felt really good to have pads on today because it’s so cold,” sixth-year senior defensive end Vic So’oto told me. “My pads kept me pretty warm.”
All joking aside, it seems that few people on the team enjoy hitting as much as So’oto, who laid out sophomore receiver Rhen Brown yesterday after an interception by James Lark. When I asked him how it felt to get at it again, he got a big smile and didn’t waste any time sharing his affinity for tackling.
“It’s always better when we get in pads, because we like to hit,” he said. “Football is played with hits and pulls and grabs and all the above, so, as a defense it’s easier to come together the first day of pads because we can be more aggressive. The offense, with the new quarterbacks, is all about timing with the receivers and this and that. We just want to play and knock people around. The tackling and clawing and fighting, those are the things that really get the defense going.”
Playing in full pads wasn’t just beneficial for the defense, though. Coach Bronco Mendenhall said that he felt the scrimmages were pretty even from his vantage point.
“I think the running backs and the offensive line would say the same thing,” Mendenhall said. “They like the ability to break a tackle and finish blocks, so I think it balances out. And I think it was very even today. There were a few situational things that went the offense’s way and a few situations where the defense came out ahead.”
Other notes from today’s practice:
Brown injured: Offensive linemen Terence Brown, who has been playing center with the first team offense, hobbled off the field favoring his left shoulder near the end of practice. Mendenhall said his injury doesn’t appear to be serious.
“He just banged up his shoulder, nothing serious,” Mendenhall said. “He’ll probably play in a harness the rest of the Spring. It was the same one he had scoped, but it doesn’t appear to be anything worth noting other than being more precautionary because we only have eight healthy offensive linemen. We’d rather pull him out early than a play or two late knowing we still have three weeks to go.”
Checking in with the QBs: As usual, here is a quick look at how the quarterbacks did during the in-practice scrimmages …
Nelson: 0-for-1, one fumble (which was recovered in the end zone by Jadon Wagner for a defensive touchdown)
Lark: 4-for-6, 26 yards
Heaps: 3-for-4, 59 yards, one touchdown (a 19-yard toss to BJ Peterson, who tip-toed the sideline to make the catch)
Blocked FG: Cornerback Brian Logan has been one of the most aggressive players in Spring ball this year, and today was no different. He came flying off the edge to block a field-goal attempt by Riley Stephenson, who is filling in while Mitch Payne recovers from an injury.