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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Early practice notes: Eltoro still working on side

Just had a 20-minute viewing period at the start of practice. Here's what we saw and heard:
  • LB Eltoro Freeman (turf toe) looked like he was being fitted with some special shoe before practice. It's an improvement over the boot he had on before, but he wasn't with the team stretching and doing drills, instead heading over to the John H. Watson Fieldhouse for some side work. He looked like he was limping pretty good walking over there.
  • John Sullen didn't appear to be doing much at practice today. He was dressed out but watched on the side while the rest of the line did drills. A.J. Greene was working alongside first-team right guard Byron Isom during some drills.
  • Now that classes have started, Auburn can expand its roster again. Walk-on WR Ralph Spry Jr. was at practice because of this.
  • Helmets and shorts but no shoulder pads today.
  • Defensive coordinator Ted Roof had a legitimate long-sleeved jacket on. It was hot out. Don't know how he does that. I was sweating wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
  • Wes Byrum hit 7 of 8 field goals, making all the long ones. He missed bad on a short one, though, pulling a low knuckler that actually hit a helper standing behind the upright.
  • Neil Caudle was the holder. He's been doing that every time during field goal drills.
  • Trooper Taylor had his punt returners practice picking the ball up on a bounce today. He encouraged his players to make a decision right away or get away from it. "At the end of this play, we want to have the football," he said. "Does that make sense?"
  • Auburn did some rugby style punting today. Don't know if I've seen them do that before.
  • On one deep punt, Quindarius Carr retreated to make a catch. Taylor liked it. "You look like a young Trooper Taylor right there," he said.
  • Still no DeAngelo Benton. Didn't even see him out there today.
  • There seemed to be a definite pecking order to the JUGS machine exercises the receivers were doing. Here it was: Darvin Adams, Terrell Zachery, Kodi Burns, Jay Wisner, Travante Stallworth, Philip Pierre-Louis, Trovon Reed, Antonio Goodwin, Derek Winter and a bunch of walk-ons.
  • The quarterbacks practiced play-action screen passes today. Gus Malzahn was trying to hammer home that they have to decide quickly whether to go over the top with the pass or to the side. Cam Newton had one swatted away by a GA.
  • Freshman Shaun Kitchens was working with the running backs during drills, a good indication that Auburn has him slotted for an H-back role this year.
We'll be back later with some more after tonight's interviews.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

what about Blake in the JUGS?

Andy Bitter said...

You know, I don't recall seeing him. Of course, there were players at all sorts of different stations, so he might have been elsewhere.

jdinmacon said...

Bitter, I haven't seen much about Eric Smith - any comments?

Anonymous said...

Kitchens to H-back is BRILLANT. He's big enough and that gives us the depth we need in the backfield. We have PLENTY of WR's right now.