The excessive drops finally became too much to take for wide receivers coach Jeff Conway on Monday. After the first 11-on-11 session two-thirds of the way through Tulane's fourth practice, he gathered his group and laid into them, saying "I'm tired of dropped balls, Aren't you?" as part of his loud, motivational speech. The miscues were epidemic early in the practice, and camp star Jha'Quan Jackson even got into the act on the second play of a 7-on-7 drills, dropping an easy throw from Michael Pratt. A few reps later, Tyrek Presley managed to hold on to a Pratt pass but promptly was stripped for a fumble. The situation did not get any better when Justin Ibieta took over, with freshman T.J. Huggins dropping a beautiful pass that Ibieta threaded threw too coverage down the middle of the field. That play came immediately after Huggins failed to make what would have been an outstanding catch on an overthrown deep ball. Can't blame him for that one, but as I pointed out several times last year, those were plays Tulane's opponents made in games that the Wave almost never did.
When Pratt returned for his second set of five plays, the results were the same. Jaetavian Toles dropped one on a slant and Cyron Sutton dropped one on a short out. Then it was Ibieta's turn again, and Tyrek Presley dropped a deep ball after getting open down the middle of the field.
In the 11-on-11 session, Jackson could not bring in a tough, sliding catch on the sideline from a scrambling Pratt and Toles dropped a much easier one. Conway had seen enough by the point, prompting his stern lecture when the team took a three-minute break a little later. It's one thing when this was an issue during the spring--Tulane was depleted at receiver due to multiple injuries and the guys who were healthy were run ragged--and another thing when it's still happening with a nearly full complement of receivers in the preseason. Other than Mykel Jones and Ryan Thompson, who I did not see today, every receiver was out there.
I'm dwelling on the negative, but the receivers responded a bit in a goal-line drill that ended practice. With the ball placed at the 4 and 2, Pratt hit Ygenio Booker in the corner of the end zone after four unsuccessful plays for the offense, and the duo did a celebratory dance as the first-team offense took a break. When Ibieta went in against the No. 2 defense, Sutton beat cornerback Kevaris Hall on a fade route for a score and Huggins made a tough catch on a slant with a defender trying to slap the ball away from him for another score. At the very end, they gave the ball to the offense at its own 1-yard line, and Pratt immediately found Jackson down the sideline for about 25 yards against zone coverage.
It was a good day for the defense overall, particularly at the start of the goal-line drill. Cameron Carroll fumbled on the first play after immediate penetration make the exchange shaky between him and Pratt. Carroll was stuffed on the second play with no hole whatsoever. Pratt tried to run to his left and was surrounded quickly on the third snap before getting sacked by Angelo Anderson and a player I could not identify (one of the 11 players wearing no number and a First Wave of Defense jersey (I incorrectly called it First Line of Defense in yesterday's report). Ibieta's set of plays in the goal-line drill ended well, but on his first one, safety Rudy Dyson jumped a slant route for an interception and ran 100 yards for a touchdown (it would have bene a touchdown in a live drill as well). Those are the plays that separate Ibieta from Pratt, who rarely makes the killer mistake. Ibieta trusts his arm a little too much at times and does not see defenders in the way. He threw an interception in one-on-one drills earlier in practice when freshman cornerback Kolby Phillips stepped in front of Toles He also bobbled a snap at the end of the practice inside of his own 5-yard line.
Pratt has stuff he needs to clean up, too. He likes making back-shoulder throws on the sideline, but he threw wide of Shae Wyatt for what would have been a big gain on a back-shoulder throw during 7 on 7 work. He then overthrew an open Tyrek Presley deep.
Sincere Haynesworth sat out practice due to cramping issues from the previous two days, so Caleb Thomas filled in as the starting center. Josh Remetich was the first-team right guard, with Rashad Green the first-team right tackle as the Wave continues to double train several of its linemen. The second-team line had Cameron Jackel at left tackle, Jackson Fort and Hutson Lillibridge taking turns at left guard, Ehan Marcus at center, Trey Tuggle at right guard and Timothy Shafter at right tackle.
A play that didn't work yesterday--a throwback to Pratt, worked well today in the goal line drill, but with Ibieta the recipient of a scoring toss against the No. 2 defense.
For the second straight day, Angelo Anderson did not get a First Wave of Defense jersey. I'll be very surprised if he does not start at joker against Oklahoma, but he said defensive coordinator Chris Hampton told him he was not running out every play and he made sure he did Monday in an effort to get back on the first unit. It's an effective motivational technique.
The No. 2 defense had cornerbacks Shi'Keem Laister and Lance Robinson (another surprising omission from the First Wave of Defense), D.J. Douglas and Ajani Kerr rotating at nickelback, Bailey Despanie and Dyson at safety, Marvin Moody and Corey Platt Jr. at linebacker and Anderson, Noah Taliancich, Elijah Champaigne and Michael Lunz up front.
After taking Tuesday off by NCAA rule (the fifth day at the beginning of preseason drills), Tulane will be back Wednesday. Fritz said the first scrimmage would be Saturday.
When Pratt returned for his second set of five plays, the results were the same. Jaetavian Toles dropped one on a slant and Cyron Sutton dropped one on a short out. Then it was Ibieta's turn again, and Tyrek Presley dropped a deep ball after getting open down the middle of the field.
In the 11-on-11 session, Jackson could not bring in a tough, sliding catch on the sideline from a scrambling Pratt and Toles dropped a much easier one. Conway had seen enough by the point, prompting his stern lecture when the team took a three-minute break a little later. It's one thing when this was an issue during the spring--Tulane was depleted at receiver due to multiple injuries and the guys who were healthy were run ragged--and another thing when it's still happening with a nearly full complement of receivers in the preseason. Other than Mykel Jones and Ryan Thompson, who I did not see today, every receiver was out there.
I'm dwelling on the negative, but the receivers responded a bit in a goal-line drill that ended practice. With the ball placed at the 4 and 2, Pratt hit Ygenio Booker in the corner of the end zone after four unsuccessful plays for the offense, and the duo did a celebratory dance as the first-team offense took a break. When Ibieta went in against the No. 2 defense, Sutton beat cornerback Kevaris Hall on a fade route for a score and Huggins made a tough catch on a slant with a defender trying to slap the ball away from him for another score. At the very end, they gave the ball to the offense at its own 1-yard line, and Pratt immediately found Jackson down the sideline for about 25 yards against zone coverage.
It was a good day for the defense overall, particularly at the start of the goal-line drill. Cameron Carroll fumbled on the first play after immediate penetration make the exchange shaky between him and Pratt. Carroll was stuffed on the second play with no hole whatsoever. Pratt tried to run to his left and was surrounded quickly on the third snap before getting sacked by Angelo Anderson and a player I could not identify (one of the 11 players wearing no number and a First Wave of Defense jersey (I incorrectly called it First Line of Defense in yesterday's report). Ibieta's set of plays in the goal-line drill ended well, but on his first one, safety Rudy Dyson jumped a slant route for an interception and ran 100 yards for a touchdown (it would have bene a touchdown in a live drill as well). Those are the plays that separate Ibieta from Pratt, who rarely makes the killer mistake. Ibieta trusts his arm a little too much at times and does not see defenders in the way. He threw an interception in one-on-one drills earlier in practice when freshman cornerback Kolby Phillips stepped in front of Toles He also bobbled a snap at the end of the practice inside of his own 5-yard line.
Pratt has stuff he needs to clean up, too. He likes making back-shoulder throws on the sideline, but he threw wide of Shae Wyatt for what would have been a big gain on a back-shoulder throw during 7 on 7 work. He then overthrew an open Tyrek Presley deep.
Sincere Haynesworth sat out practice due to cramping issues from the previous two days, so Caleb Thomas filled in as the starting center. Josh Remetich was the first-team right guard, with Rashad Green the first-team right tackle as the Wave continues to double train several of its linemen. The second-team line had Cameron Jackel at left tackle, Jackson Fort and Hutson Lillibridge taking turns at left guard, Ehan Marcus at center, Trey Tuggle at right guard and Timothy Shafter at right tackle.
A play that didn't work yesterday--a throwback to Pratt, worked well today in the goal line drill, but with Ibieta the recipient of a scoring toss against the No. 2 defense.
For the second straight day, Angelo Anderson did not get a First Wave of Defense jersey. I'll be very surprised if he does not start at joker against Oklahoma, but he said defensive coordinator Chris Hampton told him he was not running out every play and he made sure he did Monday in an effort to get back on the first unit. It's an effective motivational technique.
The No. 2 defense had cornerbacks Shi'Keem Laister and Lance Robinson (another surprising omission from the First Wave of Defense), D.J. Douglas and Ajani Kerr rotating at nickelback, Bailey Despanie and Dyson at safety, Marvin Moody and Corey Platt Jr. at linebacker and Anderson, Noah Taliancich, Elijah Champaigne and Michael Lunz up front.
After taking Tuesday off by NCAA rule (the fifth day at the beginning of preseason drills), Tulane will be back Wednesday. Fritz said the first scrimmage would be Saturday.
