With Tulane getting into game-week practice mode, this could be the last detailed practice update, particularly since the Green Wave will practice at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Those are inconvenient times for me.
The best news today was the field goal drills. Granted, this is what should happen every single time when kickers kick without facing a rush on the practice field, but Steven Logan, Andrew DiRocco and Trevor Simms combined to make 12 of 15 or 13 of 15 field goals today (I'm not totally sure about a DiRocco kick I marked down as a miss originally but decided it probably went through). The breakdown:
DiRocco: good extra point, good 28-yarder from the left hash, good 32-yarder from the right hash, good 38-yader from the left hash (watching where the ball bounced, it looked wide right of the upright, but the angle he kicked it on would have placed it wide by the time it landed), 42-yarder that hit the left upright from the right hash.
Logan: Good extra point, good 28-yarder from the left hash, good 32-yarder from the right hash despite a bad snap and shaky hold, good 38-yader from the left hash (did not clear the cross bar by a lot), good 42-yarder from the right hash.
Simms: Good 43-yarder from the left hash, good 43-yarder from the left hash again, good 47-yarder from the right hash, wide right 47-yarder from the right hash, good 52-yarder from the middle (the kick split the uprights) to finish the drill, earning cheers from his teammates.
Analysis: Well, neither Logan or DiRocco achieved separation, but they had to get a little confidence seeing the ball going through the uprights.
"Here I'm getting ready to settle on a kicker, and now all of a sudden they are making them all," CJ said. "They are killing me. That just makes it worse (he was joking). At least I know they can do it. That's what I told them--you've exposed yourself. You can do it. Now let's just do it."
They separated into scout teams after the field goal drill, and I watched the personnel on defense carefully against the scout-team offense. The first team is the same as it's been the past week, with Donnie Lewis Jr. at strong safety. Ade Aruna has been practicing with the first team exclusively for at least two weeks. The other guys have been starters since day 1 of preseason camp when healthy. Both Parry Nickerson and Richard Allen participated.
The second-team defense had the usual suspects on the line--Daren Williams, Corey Redwine, Calvin Thomas and Robert Kennedy, but Zach Harris moved up to second team at middle linebacker, with Rae Juan Marbley at weakside linebacker. The nickel was Stephon Lofton, which also is new. The cornerbacks were Dedrick Shy instead of Lofton, and Taris Shenall. The safeties remained unchanged with Tristan Cooper and Roderic Teamer.
The third-team defense had some of the same guys because Tulane is not preparing 33 players to play, but the ends were a rotation of Peter Woullard, Quinlan Carroll and Luke Jackson. The tackles were Jason Stewart and Eric Bell (who I would have expected to be on the scout team). Eric Bowie was one of the linebackers. The nickelback was Malik Eugene. Watching from the sideline instead of working with the scout team was Eldrick Washington, who has made a late move. I'm sure he got a couple of reps with the third team because Kwahn Drake praised him when I talked to him after practice.
When the Wave went to a dime look, Cooper was the extra cornerback. Zach Harris got some reps with the first unit in that formation instead of Thomas at MLB.
When the Wave showed a three-man front, it was Tanzel Smart flanked by Royce LaFrance and Aruna. No surprise there.
Notables on the scout-team defense, which means they likely will not play anything other than special teams, were Sam Davis at strong safety (so much for him being the second-team nickel) and William Townsend and Rene Fleury at LB. Jeremie Francis and Richard Carthon were the CBs, with the suspended Leonard Davis at free safety. The linemen were John Washington and Braynon Edwards at tackle along with a pair of walk-on ends.
CJ confirmed Teddy Veal would be the punt returner, but he added he had a lot of confidence in Darion Mornoe and that he would be used, too, because he "catches the ball every time." CJ said the top kickoff returner would be Sherman Badie, which leads me to believe that Josh Rounds will be the other deep guy. Badie and Rounds worked as a unit, and so did Devon Breaux and Dontrell Hilliard.
Here are the rest of CJ's quotes from today:
"Practice went well. The offense played very well. Tanner threw it well again. We have a couple of things we're still cleaning up. The defense ran around pretty good over there. They had a couple of mistakes, but that's why we're practicing. It was a good day."
On Zach Harris:
"He is playing better. He's still a little edgy, but he's playing better and he's definitely going to play this week."
On challenge of playing Thursday game:
"I really used today as a bonus day. Normally we'd be off, but we get a chance to get a couple more practices in, which really helps us especially early on. It's a good chance to get more kids in the game plan. We had a lot of 2s playing today because we have an extra day."
On Aruna:
"He has a chance to have a real breakout season. He has a chance. Now he hasn't played much ball, but knock on wood, this kid is going to be a really good player for us. That's one of the positions that you have to say is a strength."
The best news today was the field goal drills. Granted, this is what should happen every single time when kickers kick without facing a rush on the practice field, but Steven Logan, Andrew DiRocco and Trevor Simms combined to make 12 of 15 or 13 of 15 field goals today (I'm not totally sure about a DiRocco kick I marked down as a miss originally but decided it probably went through). The breakdown:
DiRocco: good extra point, good 28-yarder from the left hash, good 32-yarder from the right hash, good 38-yader from the left hash (watching where the ball bounced, it looked wide right of the upright, but the angle he kicked it on would have placed it wide by the time it landed), 42-yarder that hit the left upright from the right hash.
Logan: Good extra point, good 28-yarder from the left hash, good 32-yarder from the right hash despite a bad snap and shaky hold, good 38-yader from the left hash (did not clear the cross bar by a lot), good 42-yarder from the right hash.
Simms: Good 43-yarder from the left hash, good 43-yarder from the left hash again, good 47-yarder from the right hash, wide right 47-yarder from the right hash, good 52-yarder from the middle (the kick split the uprights) to finish the drill, earning cheers from his teammates.
Analysis: Well, neither Logan or DiRocco achieved separation, but they had to get a little confidence seeing the ball going through the uprights.
"Here I'm getting ready to settle on a kicker, and now all of a sudden they are making them all," CJ said. "They are killing me. That just makes it worse (he was joking). At least I know they can do it. That's what I told them--you've exposed yourself. You can do it. Now let's just do it."
They separated into scout teams after the field goal drill, and I watched the personnel on defense carefully against the scout-team offense. The first team is the same as it's been the past week, with Donnie Lewis Jr. at strong safety. Ade Aruna has been practicing with the first team exclusively for at least two weeks. The other guys have been starters since day 1 of preseason camp when healthy. Both Parry Nickerson and Richard Allen participated.
The second-team defense had the usual suspects on the line--Daren Williams, Corey Redwine, Calvin Thomas and Robert Kennedy, but Zach Harris moved up to second team at middle linebacker, with Rae Juan Marbley at weakside linebacker. The nickel was Stephon Lofton, which also is new. The cornerbacks were Dedrick Shy instead of Lofton, and Taris Shenall. The safeties remained unchanged with Tristan Cooper and Roderic Teamer.
The third-team defense had some of the same guys because Tulane is not preparing 33 players to play, but the ends were a rotation of Peter Woullard, Quinlan Carroll and Luke Jackson. The tackles were Jason Stewart and Eric Bell (who I would have expected to be on the scout team). Eric Bowie was one of the linebackers. The nickelback was Malik Eugene. Watching from the sideline instead of working with the scout team was Eldrick Washington, who has made a late move. I'm sure he got a couple of reps with the third team because Kwahn Drake praised him when I talked to him after practice.
When the Wave went to a dime look, Cooper was the extra cornerback. Zach Harris got some reps with the first unit in that formation instead of Thomas at MLB.
When the Wave showed a three-man front, it was Tanzel Smart flanked by Royce LaFrance and Aruna. No surprise there.
Notables on the scout-team defense, which means they likely will not play anything other than special teams, were Sam Davis at strong safety (so much for him being the second-team nickel) and William Townsend and Rene Fleury at LB. Jeremie Francis and Richard Carthon were the CBs, with the suspended Leonard Davis at free safety. The linemen were John Washington and Braynon Edwards at tackle along with a pair of walk-on ends.
CJ confirmed Teddy Veal would be the punt returner, but he added he had a lot of confidence in Darion Mornoe and that he would be used, too, because he "catches the ball every time." CJ said the top kickoff returner would be Sherman Badie, which leads me to believe that Josh Rounds will be the other deep guy. Badie and Rounds worked as a unit, and so did Devon Breaux and Dontrell Hilliard.
Here are the rest of CJ's quotes from today:
"Practice went well. The offense played very well. Tanner threw it well again. We have a couple of things we're still cleaning up. The defense ran around pretty good over there. They had a couple of mistakes, but that's why we're practicing. It was a good day."
On Zach Harris:
"He is playing better. He's still a little edgy, but he's playing better and he's definitely going to play this week."
On challenge of playing Thursday game:
"I really used today as a bonus day. Normally we'd be off, but we get a chance to get a couple more practices in, which really helps us especially early on. It's a good chance to get more kids in the game plan. We had a lot of 2s playing today because we have an extra day."
On Aruna:
"He has a chance to have a real breakout season. He has a chance. Now he hasn't played much ball, but knock on wood, this kid is going to be a really good player for us. That's one of the positions that you have to say is a strength."
