Practice Report: 08/17
Today was the last day of fall camp that the media will be able to observe before preparations for North Dakota begin. There will be a scrimmage with interview availability on Saturday, but no observation will be allowed. The team looked good and the energy was high. Players on both sides of the ball made big plays, and despite having to do some extra running after practice, a lot of guys left the field with big smiles on their faces.
Theme of the Day: Air it Out
The observation period featured plenty of passing and all four quarterbacks hit big plays. Troy Williams had the best day of the four, as he only had one incompletion, which came by way of a drop. He also threw a touchdown pass to Jake Jackson in goal line drills. Tyler Huntley connected for a touchdown in those same goal line drills and rushed for another score, but also threw an interception. Cooper Bateman probably had the single best throw of the day, a 30+ yard touchdown strike to Raelon Singleton, where Singleton beat Jaylon Johnson on a post route. However, on the very next play, he failed to see a defensive back in coverage and threw an interception right to him. Lastly, Jason Shelley got some reps, and in a fun moment, he found his high school teammate Jaylen Dixon for a long touchdown pass.
A very encouraging aspect of the passing game is that so many different receivers were catching passes today. Jaylen Dixon, Raelon Singleton, Demari Simpkins, Bryan Thompson, Jameson Field, Troy McCormick, and Devonta’e Henry-Cole all had receptions for nice gains. This offense does a good job of using the whole field, which allows playmakers to make more things happen in space.
Key Moment
Today’s key moment was a great defensive play made by Julian Blackmon. The offense had been moving the ball very effectively to this point, but Blackmon had something to say about that. Tyler Huntley was in at quarterback, he took the snap and went through his reads. Huntley fired the ball to the right side of the field, but Blackmon read the play perfectly, jumped the route, and snagged the pass out of the air right in front of the receiver. He stepped out of bounds and his teammates and the defensive coaches went wild congratulating him.
Standout Performers
On offense, other than Troy Williams, Troy McCormick and Raelon Singleton both stood out. Troy McCormick is such a versatile player, and he is a much better fit in this offense than in previous systems. Today he had a nice run and a couple of catches that went for big gains. Singleton had the best catch of the day, which was mentioned above. In one-on-one coverage against Jaylon Johnson, he ran a perfect post route, and snagged a very nice Bateman pass right at the goal line for a touchdown.
On defense, nearly the entire secondary got a shout out from Coach Whittingham. However, three guys in specific that stood out during the observation period were Marquise Blair, Julian Blackmon, and Kenric Young. Aside from Blackmon’s interception, Marquise Blair came down with a nice interception on a not-so-great throw by Cooper Bateman. Last, Young had perfect coverage on a slant route and recorded a break-up on a pass intended for Bronson Boyd.
Quote of the Day
Coach Whittingham spoke about who has separated themselves at their respective positions in the secondary:
“Julian Blackmon, Jaylon Johnson, Casey Hughes. Kenric Young, (he) has really done a nice job since making the transition. Corrion Ballard is a playmaker. I really like Marquise Blair. He's a guy that's a true football player. He makes a lot of plays and he's got a lot of ability… and all three of the nickels, Hobbs, Guidry, and Burgess.”
