*Another weather threat had the Bulldogs begin work indoors today. But unlike Sunday with lightning just close and often enough to keep them in Palmeiro, conditions cleared after about a half-hour. The team made the trek across the parking lot to pick up practicing as they’d begun.

Sort of. As the four defensive groups gathered on the far field coordinator Zach Arnett shouted that because the weather had, ahhhh, interfered with the day’s practice schedule “We’re going to have to do this on the fly!” Whether he meant just drills or the whole afternoon, there didn’t seem to be any discombobulation on that side of the squad.

Certainly not when the units made the four-stop cycle with each coach for tackling or first-contact practices. Such as hitting a tackling dummy low, wrapping and rolling. Or coming up on a receiver for a strip-try (safeties, corners) or a good stiff shoulder shot (linebackers). The victims, umm, partners in helping this drill were a foursome of reserve receivers Jace Dean, Kade Kolka, Braden Coffey, and Nick Lauderdale. To protect pride we won’t ID which one of these who chose the wiser path by just running away from Sherman Timbs.

*It was entertaining to watch interior linemen going for first contact with a ‘runner’ since one of their own was toting the ball and half-speed. Let’s just say Nathan Pickering is a strong young man, because instead of trying to avoid anyone he ran right at Jaden Crumedy and Randy Charlton. Neither could strip the ball, in fact they could barely budge his forearms dragging at them from both sides.

The other guys toting the ball usually angled away so only one teammate could give them a lick.

*While to be factual specialists were first on the outdoor fields, among position groups the linemen made a quick trot over and all the way to the far end for drills. Hmmm. Maybe it means nothing but then might it also be a good sign that the big Dogs cleared the way to practice? Hey, it’s preseason, we look for anything to talk about here.

*Full-team and full-length of the field finally started at 4:05, with one long and mostly situational series given to each offense.

For the first offense which went mostly against the second defense this period, Will Rogers was 6-of-9 passing and 5-of-6 to begin, including a step-up as pressure flowed to either side and strike to Tulu Griffin for 15 yards and move of chains. From the 27-yard line he had time to find Rara Thomas crossing to a sideline for the open catch and touchdown.

Per the practice script this was followed by a red zone situation and the offense won again, this time against the #1 defense. A tunnel screen to Griffin, catching star of the afternoon, worked for the four-yard touchdown.

One more goal line situation ended with a flash as Rufus Harvey zigged out to the left pylon and turned with a defender on his back, never mind the limited-contact yellow jersey. Harvey managed while falling back to pull in the throw for his own touchdown despite the coverage.

Harvey was so excited he got up and punted the ball waaay high and didn’t wait for it to come down.

Rogers did miss a big strike though, and to Griffin at that. Tulu just plain ran past the corner and down the left sideline to get so easily open. Rogers went for it all and led Griffin just a half-step too far on the bomb. Which might dampen some lingering notions that the junior can’t go deep since Griffin was full-speed and the ball a tight spiral.

The second offense and Sawyer Robertson had a few more struggles getting the length of the field with some arbitrary conversions allowed. Still at one point with third down and defensive players shouting get off the field, well, they did…just not as hoped. Because Robertson had time to see Jaden Walley coming across for the catch, a spin off of would-be tackler Corey Ellington, and run for touchdown.

It wasn’t all air raiding either. On a third-and-eight Simeon Price took a draw handoff and even had tackling been allowed he was going a very long way straight up the middle. As it was the whistle stopped his gain around 20 yards.

*One ‘conversion’ was easy as defensive end Jordan Davis jumped the snap count just enough for right tackle Albert Reese to alertly slap the headgear and nail down an off-sides call.

LaQuinston Sharp began and ended the period at first center, but midway he took a break so transfer Stephen Losoya could snap to Rogers also. One hike was pretty low, with Rogers recovering nicely to keep the play going anyway. There were no other issues snapping.

*Each of those full-team series was halted for field goals, by both kickers. Massimo Biscardi and Ben Raybon were good each time, from 42 and 44 yards on the separate series.

*Second-year freshman Daniel Greek has been running the scout offense for a couple of days now. But is this really a bad deal in the big picture? Because this way he gets a lot, a whole lot of snaps either in partial- or full-team drills against good defenders. This, while the other reserve quarterbacks spend most of the working day holding helmets and watching.

*Run/skel was a good watch today with the offensive line, quarterback and to begin two backs going against the defensive box sans safeties and corners. The coaches mixed-up the blocking during this period too, giving Percy Lewis first-team snaps at left tackle that have typically gone to Dolla Bill Johnson. Gabe Cavazos got to work at left guard for some series alongside second center Losoya with three regular starters.

Let’s just say the defensive line generally enjoyed this period since A) they knew what was coming and B) they liked what was coming. As in carries entirely between the guards. One play, Charlton simply swallowed up Cavazos while reaching with the free right arm to drag down ball carrier Simeon Price. Tempers flared just a bit a few times with coaches quickly getting everyone back to business. At least both sides really wanted to prove something to the other.

Then it was a scratch sort of line with Jakson Lahue left tackle, Reed Guys left guard, center JT Zakkak, right guard Khalid Moore, and right tackle Jackson Cannon; all going against a backup defense without a lot to show.

Once the regulars lined up to block things got a little better for the backs. Or back in this case. Ke’Travion Hargrove who is getting best known as Bull. For a fellow known previously as a speed back the redshirt showed some muscle. He was called out by his coach after whiffing on a phantom block, told to keep the head and more to point eyes up. “You can’t block if you can’t see,” was the correction.

Sure enough next play Hargrove crashed into his linebacker so Greek could escape pressure from that side. “Better” was the coaching comment. Then he even did a good job slowing De’Monte Russell coming off the right edge so the play could go the other way.

*More Bull. During pass/skel on a catch from Rogers he got to the sideline where linebacker Jett Johnson smashed him with most of those 235 pounds. The 200-even Hargrove bounced it off, flipped the ball to a manager, and jogged back to the huddle. No harm…but maybe a little foul feeling? Because shortly after that Hargrove broke out into the right side a step in front of Nic Mitchell.

A step was all that was needed as Hargrove was gone for a forty-yard play.

Speaking of Johnson, he picked off a Sawyer Robertson pass in the next period. But the ball came right to him in the clear and judging by reactions either of the left-side receivers, Jamire Calvin or Tulu Griffin, did not get to the right place at the right time for the intended throw.

*The hardest working Dog in run drills and maybe the day? That would be right guard Cole Smith. Maybe it was just making up for lost spring time, but the senior ran with the first, second, even third team at times with barely a break. Then when it went to full-team period at the end, there was Smith starting the series.

*One aspect of the program that merits comment is the excellent job done by managers in trainers changing practice field on consecutive days. Sunday, everything had been in place for outdoors work before the whole lock, stock, and Bulldog barrels of hydration needed hauling to Palmeiro. At least they stayed there for the duration.

This time the equipment and training crew had a notion and most gear was ready inside to start the work. Soon as the all-clear was given though everything again needed moving a few hundred yards north. And move it did, not all of it on Gators or carts either. Student staff were toting all sorts of equipage and at full-jog too.

So for all the praise due the team’s strength staff, credit ought also go to these students for their own conditioning under the conditions.

*In our regular report on practice music, it began (outdoors) with the Dropkick Murphys doing the only song I happen to know about them. (Thanks Wiki, it’s ‘Shipping up to Boston’ and Jonathan Papelbon’s famed walk-out tune.)

Tune two might have been a salute to our own Rosebowl Robertson as the team dj spun a Queen cut. Nope, not gonna get into a public argument again about why Freddie Mercury is not the greatest frontman ever. But for the record I saw the Stones live last September. I’ll stand on that one.

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