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A few more thoughts from practice...

  • Connor Brewer's dad stopped by to say hello to Gerry.

    Mr. Brewer and his wife have a busy schedule these days keeping up with their kids.

    One son is pitching for UCLA this weekend. Another is in spring training and scheduled to pitch Saturday and then Connor and his sister Ashley are in Austin. Ashley attended the practice with her dad and a friend.

    ****

    I thought the best part of the whole practice was a one-on-one blocking drill. We use to call it the board drill, but I'm not sure what the coaches call it these days.

    Here's some of what I have from those match-ups.

    Dez Jackson beat Mason Walters 2x
    Ashton Dorsey beat Dom Espinosa with a straight push
    Steve Edmond blew up Joe Bergeron
    Donald Hawkins held Alex Okafor to a stalemate
    M.J. McFarland handled Alex De La Torre
    Brandon Moore dominated Sedrick Flowers
    Bryant Jackson dominated AJ White

    I like the drill because it's a physical drill and it brought a lot of enthusiasm to the practice. At the end of the drill, the crowd gave an applause because it was fun and physical.

    ****

    Most animated coach on the field?

    It's not close.

    Stacy Searels loves to throw his hat when he's disappointed with the play of a member of his offensive line.

    Duane Akina was challenging his secondary to make receivers fear the middle of the field (reminder: Vacarro did not play much).

    Darrell Wyatt can get after it pretty hard at times, too.

    ****

    In pass protection one-on-ones, here's what occurred:

    Chris Whaley beat Mason Walters
    Brandon Moore beat Trey Hopkins
    Donald Hawkins beat Reggie Wilson 2x
    Mason Walters beat Dez Jackson 2x
    Cedric Reed beat Josh Cochran
    Sedrick Flowers beat Ashton Dorsey

    ****

    Marcus Hutchins worked some at center but not during team drills, only when the QBs needed an extra snapper.

    ****

    Cade McCrary is the holder on snaps. Darius Terrell and DJ Grant are the outside blockers on FGs.

    ****

    Garrett Greenlea looks more fit than a year ago, but he's not getting many meaningful reps for whatever reason.

    ****

    Sedrick Flowers has a very squatty body. But he's very quick and powerful.

    ****

    The coaches were proud of Garrett Porter's off-season effort but he still is a little slow of foot. Yes, he can probably handle a bull rush better than Dom Espinosa, but he's also a full step slower it seems.

    If you're wondering why Porter's been unable to make a move there, foot quickness is probably a primary reason.

    ****

    Luke Poehlmann is working exclusively with the OLs. He's the primary back-up to Josh Cochran.

    ****

    M.J. McFarland had a surprisingly quiet practice.

    ****

    There's a drill the wide receivers run early in practice that I really like. It's basically a ball reaction drill where Bennie Wylie throws a fastball to a cutting player about 10 yards away.

    ****

    There were about 250 high school coaches out there yesterday. They lined both sidelines.

    ****

    In the absence of Demarco Cobbs, watch the weak-side linebacker battle between Tevin Jackson and Kendall Thompson. I think Jackson brngs a little more suddenness to the position but isn't quite as good against the direct run or pass as Thompson.

    ****

    Marquise Goodwin made Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom look bad on back-to-back plays in one-on-one passing drills.

    Goodwin looks like he floats when he runs.

    ****

    Texas has added a new blocking wrinkle on the outside to the jet sweep. Without going too much into it, it'll be interesting to see how it works.

    This post was edited by BobbyBurton on 3/3/2012 at 8:28 AM

    Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BobbyBurton247

    BobbyBurton

  • In the Tevin v Kendall match I also believe Thompson got the strip for a fumble during the 11on11.

    Crazy Horn

  • Could be. Maybe De La Torre was the one who recovered it.

    Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BobbyBurton247

    BobbyBurton

  • BobbyBurton said...
    Donald Hawkins held Alex Okafor to a stalemate

    I got a little chuckle about how calm and simple that looks in print. Like: The two semitrucks met in the intersection.

    I'll bet the collision in that stalemate was fun to see, considering what we're expecting from both of those guys this season.

    Great stuff as always, Bobby. Thanks.

    ExpatriaTex

  • good stuff

    +1

    Those who can, do; those who can't, coach; those who never could, complain about the first two.

    RunRickyRun ●

  • Ashton Dorsey beat Dom Espinosa with a straight push

    Constant theme... I am very scared how seemingly easy it has been to push straight up the gut. Who else do we have that can play C? Unless something magical happens, Don ain't the man.

    - God Bless Texas

    Frisco Horn

  • Frisco Horn said...

    Ashton Dorsey beat Dom Espinosa with a straight push

    Constant theme... I am very scared how seemingly easy it has been to push straight up the gut. Who else do we have that can play C? Unless something magical happens, Don ain't the man.

    I'll admit, it does seem to be a theme. Dom didn't really do anything to dispute that yesterday IMO.

    Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BobbyBurton247

    BobbyBurton

  • I watched a few taped games recently and it just seems he is slow off the ball. The only consistency was him getting beat every time. Before he can get into his set, it's too late and the rush is past him. Are there any alternatives? Who else can we put in?

    - God Bless Texas

    Frisco Horn

  • Frisco Horn said...

    I watched a few taped games recently and it just seems he is slow off the ball. The only consistency was him getting beat every time. Before he can get into his set, it's too late and the rush is past him. Are there any alternatives? Who else can we put in?

    I would like to see what Hopkins could do. Supposedly a very smart kid so might make the mental change more quickly than some others.

    Crazy Horn

  • If Espinosa gets trucked by every mediocre nose guard all season, it doesn't matter what he can do with his quickness at the second level.

    He may be a great kid with a great attitude, but he is still the Achilles heel of the OL. Give me Porter or better yet, why not try Hopkins at C and put Flowers in to start at OG.

    Stacy - put the 5 best on the field.

    unadulteratedtruth

  • Frisco Horn said...

    Ashton Dorsey beat Dom Espinosa with a straight push

    Constant theme... I am very scared how seemingly easy it has been to push straight up the gut. Who else do we have that can play C? Unless something magical happens, Don ain't the man.

    Give him more than a week of county fair and 4 practices to improve. Of he's still having this problem in August then make a move.

    ElRey

  • ElRey said...

    Give him more than a week of county fair and 4 practices to improve. Of he's still having this problem in August then make a move.

    This. Dom hasn't even had the benefit of a full offseason program yet. On what planet do people think he or Ash are going to make major steps in two months of work prior to Spring drills? I'll be pleased if both make some tangible difference by the Spring game, and some meaningful difference by the end of fall ball. These are human beings, not pop tarts.

    I got brains. I got big ol' brains. I got dinosaur brains.

    Bobby_Batronic

  • Frisco Horn said...

    Ashton Dorsey beat Dom Espinosa with a straight push

    Constant theme... I am very scared how seemingly easy it has been to push straight up the gut. Who else do we have that can play C? Unless something magical happens, Don ain't the man.

    He is if nobody beats him out. There is a whole lot of time for the coaches to work this out.

    "I've heard some of our fans say, 'We were always an SEC school. We just didn't know it," athletic director Bill Byrne said.

    Bevo52

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    Top5Pick

  • Bobby_Batronic said...

    This. Dom hasn't even had the benefit of a full offseason program yet. On what planet do people think he or Ash are going to make major steps in two months of work prior to Spring drills? I'll be pleased if both make some tangible difference by the Spring game, and some meaningful difference by the end of fall ball. These are human beings, not pop tarts.


    I wasn't expecting major strides, and I won't be. He's Jason Glynn and the quickness he'll show most of the time will be a product of how quickly he's thrown backwards into the backfield. I was wondering who the next Mack Brown program bleeder was going to be, as there is always someone starting without competition for 2-4 years. If the guy is still the undisputed starter in August, we have our winner.

    Here's hoping that we see Searles start playing with mix and some other guys get looks at center.

    close to jumping

  • Diggs punked Miles O in the bull in the ring drill

    BuschLeague

  • close to jumping said...

    I wasn't expecting major strides, and I won't be. He's Jason Glynn and the quickness he'll show most of the time will be a product of how quickly he's thrown backwards into the backfield. I was wondering who the next Mack Brown program bleeder was going to be, as there is always someone starting without competition for 2-4 years. If the guy is still the undisputed starter in August, we have our winner.

    Here's hoping that we see Searles start playing with mix and some other guys get looks at center.

    That was in reply to El Rey in reply to Frisco, and not really addressing you. If you have a breakdown I've missed it, and would certainly read it.

    The bleeder issue is a concern, but hopefully the last vestige of that policy graduated, and even he was championed by a member of the old guard (who's done enough to earn some slack). I don't think Searles will put up with that nonsense. He may be in the Akina's shoes in that he doesn't have a lot of promising options at the position. Time will tell. Dom may earn the spot without being a definitive plus by first doing no harm. Or as little harm as possible. And even that is yet to be seen. We'll see what shakes out.

    This post was edited by Bobby_Batronic on 3/3/2012 at 11:57 AM

    I got brains. I got big ol' brains. I got dinosaur brains.

    Bobby_Batronic

  • Bobby_Batronic said...

    This. Dom hasn't even had the benefit of a full offseason program yet. On what planet do people think he or Ash are going to make major steps in two months of work prior to Spring drills? I'll be pleased if both make some tangible difference by the Spring game, and some meaningful difference by the end of fall ball. These are human beings, not pop tarts.

    Up vote.

    Everybody wants instant change.

    Doesn't happen in football.

    signature image signature image

    TulsaHorn

  • Bobby_Batronic said...

    That was in reply to El Rey in reply to Frisco, and not really addressing you. If you have a breakdown I've missed it, and would certainly read it.

    The bleeder issue is a concern, but hopefully the last vestige of that policy graduated, and even he was championed by a member of the old guard (who's done enough to earn some slack). I don't think Searles will put up with that nonsense. He may be in the Akina's shoes in that he doesn't have a lot of promising options at the position. Time will tell. Dom may earn the spot without being a definitive plus by first doing no harm. Or as little harm as possible. And even that is yet to be seen. We'll see what shakes out.


    I was jumping into the discussion.

    As far as breakdowns, I am not sure how much of one is really needed. Pick any drive against Missouri or KSU or OU or Cal for that matter. Good schemes and heavy DTs, either or both, just absolutely punish the guy. It's so bad that folks like the gurus here don't even attempt to defend it. They gloss and was poetic about his quickness. Then there are the people who think this whole thing called football is the complex sports equivalent of splitting the atom. A guy like you could any series of drives on YouTube and see very plainly that the play call doesn't even matter. The dude was a swinging door or wearing rollerskates, depending upon who was working him.

    close to jumping

  • close to jumping said...

    I wasn't expecting major strides, and I won't be. He's Jason Glynn and the quickness he'll show most of the time will be a product of how quickly he's thrown backwards into the backfield. I was wondering who the next Mack Brown program bleeder was going to be, as there is always someone starting without competition for 2-4 years. If the guy is still the undisputed starter in August, we have our winner.

    Here's hoping that we see Searles start playing with mix and some other guys get looks at center.

    Instead of constantly whining, say who we should of offered and who we should play.

    This of course, based on your intensive film study of HS players and actualy seeing practice instead of reading reports off the internet.

    signature image signature image

    TulsaHorn

  • Bobby_Batronic said...

    This. Dom hasn't even had the benefit of a full offseason program yet. On what planet do people think he or Ash are going to make major steps in two months of work prior to Spring drills? I'll be pleased if both make some tangible difference by the Spring game, and some meaningful difference by the end of fall ball. These are human beings, not pop tarts.

    When he's ready to step up and earn the job back, after his full offseason, then he can. It makes no sense to keep him in there when there are better players out there, and I doubt Searels does for very much longer.

    WildBill71

  • WildBill71 said...

    When he's ready to step up and earn the job back, after his full offseason, then he can. It makes no sense to keep him in there when there are better players out there, and I doubt Searels does for very much longer.

    Based on your views of spring practice, bowl practices, etc., who should play then?

    signature image signature image

    TulsaHorn

  • They want the best 5 out there, but they also want depth. Would love to see Walters at oc, flowers and Hopkins at og, and Cochran and Hawkins at ot.

    everybodygodeep

  • Thanks bobby for the update.

    everybodygodeep

  • close to jumping said...

    I wasn't expecting major strides, and I won't be. He's Jason Glynn and the quickness he'll show most of the time will be a product of how quickly he's thrown backwards into the backfield. I was wondering who the next Mack Brown program bleeder was going to be, as there is always someone starting without competition for 2-4 years. If the guy is still the undisputed starter in August, we have our winner.

    Here's hoping that we see Searles start playing with mix and some other guys get looks at center.

    So Mack is forcing Searles, Harsin and Applewhite to start Espinosa over a better player?

    Silliness.

    ThornyHorn

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