KoachKrab127
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Sorry I am really late on this report, but Ive been really busy these past few days and havent had time until now.
So, UTSports.com reported that practice Saturday was closed, but when we arrived at gate 25, there was a woman sitting at a desk who graciously welcomed us, handed us a roster, and told us to sit in the stands and enjoy. I believe that every practice is open to the public, but they just dont advertise it that way because they dont want 1000s to show up every day. So, if you wish to visit a practice in the future, I would suggest you dont get discouraged if you hear that its closed to the public. I would just go anyway and youll probably get in easily.
As far as practice went, I had a fun time watching it. They started with traditional pregame warm-ups: stretching, small group drills like route running, pad popping, playing catch, etc. After warm-ups were over, they wasted no time getting right into 11 on 11. They did this for about 10 minutes (nothing special happened). Then they practiced 7 on 7 for about another 10 minutes while the O and D-line did some rushing-the-passer drills on the opposite side of the field. After that, they took a brief break in the locker room (where I imagine they had a pep talk, discussing that this was their first scrimmage) and then ran out of the locker room onto the field like it was the 3rd Saturday in October, with the 100 or so fans that were there cheering like they just ran through the T! Lol
One thing that disappointed me in the scrimmage was they didnt do any kickoffs or punts. I was looking forward to see the punt coverage team as well as the return team, but they just started every drive at the 25 yard line. Rico didnt practice again. He was on the sideline lifting some weights, doing some sit-ups, and riding the bike with a trainer (I assume one of Ausmuss assistants, since Ausmus checked back with them regularly). When the scrimmage started, it was obvious the offense was going to have a great day. Crompton looked the best I have ever seen him, as he was extremely accurate and wasnt playing scared like last year. These guys were playing a real game, too. It was physical, fast, and intense. Hopefully this is a sign of what Crompton will look like in a game this year, considering this was as close to a real game as you can possibly get.
All the RBs looked great. Oku is really quick, shifty and slippery. He always seems to just squeeze through the holes the O-line makes for him. He had a FAST run of about 40 yards at one point, but it was called back because of holding. Brown looked solid. He was breaking lots of tackles. Always seemed to turn nothing into something. He would consistently gain 5 yards on every carry. But Poole stole the show with 2 long TD runs (one about 40 yards, the other about 70). He made a REALLY great juke move on the 2nd TD run to fake out the safety (a walk-on albeit), but it was nice to see something other than Fosters patented stand-in-one-spot-and-shuffle-your-feet type of juke. On the first of those runs, Art Evans injured his leg. He walked off the field with limited help. I hope it was just a cramp. Hardesty didnt play much, I dont know why.
The receivers looked really good. There was always someone getting open. Crompton completed a perfect 50 yard pass to Jones who got tackled at the 2 yard line that led to a Warren TD catch. Stocker made a few good catches. His mom was sitting right next to me, and she screamed really loudly when he made a 25 yard catch. Nick Reveizs mom was also close by, as she went nuts when Shane Reveiz (Nicks brother), made a tackle on 4th and goal at the one early in the scrimmage.
I got distracted for about a half hour in the middle of scrimmage as they were doing some construction on the jumbotron. They were adding the power T that fit smack-dab in the middle. There was a guy standing on top of the jumbotron trying to guide the T onto its spot as the crane slowly lowered it down. I did not envy him
Anyway, to sum up practice, the offense looked great. I hope it was because they were improving and not because the defense turns out to be bad. Crompton and Poole looked great, Stephens looked good too, but not as comfortable as Crompton. Lamaison threw an INT on one of his few drives. The receivers were solid, I didnt notice one drop. If you want any more info on a specific player, feel free to ask.
GO VOLS!!!:rock:
So, UTSports.com reported that practice Saturday was closed, but when we arrived at gate 25, there was a woman sitting at a desk who graciously welcomed us, handed us a roster, and told us to sit in the stands and enjoy. I believe that every practice is open to the public, but they just dont advertise it that way because they dont want 1000s to show up every day. So, if you wish to visit a practice in the future, I would suggest you dont get discouraged if you hear that its closed to the public. I would just go anyway and youll probably get in easily.
As far as practice went, I had a fun time watching it. They started with traditional pregame warm-ups: stretching, small group drills like route running, pad popping, playing catch, etc. After warm-ups were over, they wasted no time getting right into 11 on 11. They did this for about 10 minutes (nothing special happened). Then they practiced 7 on 7 for about another 10 minutes while the O and D-line did some rushing-the-passer drills on the opposite side of the field. After that, they took a brief break in the locker room (where I imagine they had a pep talk, discussing that this was their first scrimmage) and then ran out of the locker room onto the field like it was the 3rd Saturday in October, with the 100 or so fans that were there cheering like they just ran through the T! Lol
One thing that disappointed me in the scrimmage was they didnt do any kickoffs or punts. I was looking forward to see the punt coverage team as well as the return team, but they just started every drive at the 25 yard line. Rico didnt practice again. He was on the sideline lifting some weights, doing some sit-ups, and riding the bike with a trainer (I assume one of Ausmuss assistants, since Ausmus checked back with them regularly). When the scrimmage started, it was obvious the offense was going to have a great day. Crompton looked the best I have ever seen him, as he was extremely accurate and wasnt playing scared like last year. These guys were playing a real game, too. It was physical, fast, and intense. Hopefully this is a sign of what Crompton will look like in a game this year, considering this was as close to a real game as you can possibly get.
All the RBs looked great. Oku is really quick, shifty and slippery. He always seems to just squeeze through the holes the O-line makes for him. He had a FAST run of about 40 yards at one point, but it was called back because of holding. Brown looked solid. He was breaking lots of tackles. Always seemed to turn nothing into something. He would consistently gain 5 yards on every carry. But Poole stole the show with 2 long TD runs (one about 40 yards, the other about 70). He made a REALLY great juke move on the 2nd TD run to fake out the safety (a walk-on albeit), but it was nice to see something other than Fosters patented stand-in-one-spot-and-shuffle-your-feet type of juke. On the first of those runs, Art Evans injured his leg. He walked off the field with limited help. I hope it was just a cramp. Hardesty didnt play much, I dont know why.
The receivers looked really good. There was always someone getting open. Crompton completed a perfect 50 yard pass to Jones who got tackled at the 2 yard line that led to a Warren TD catch. Stocker made a few good catches. His mom was sitting right next to me, and she screamed really loudly when he made a 25 yard catch. Nick Reveizs mom was also close by, as she went nuts when Shane Reveiz (Nicks brother), made a tackle on 4th and goal at the one early in the scrimmage.
I got distracted for about a half hour in the middle of scrimmage as they were doing some construction on the jumbotron. They were adding the power T that fit smack-dab in the middle. There was a guy standing on top of the jumbotron trying to guide the T onto its spot as the crane slowly lowered it down. I did not envy him
Anyway, to sum up practice, the offense looked great. I hope it was because they were improving and not because the defense turns out to be bad. Crompton and Poole looked great, Stephens looked good too, but not as comfortable as Crompton. Lamaison threw an INT on one of his few drives. The receivers were solid, I didnt notice one drop. If you want any more info on a specific player, feel free to ask.
GO VOLS!!!:rock:
