It was a Friday night under the lights at the Kajikawa Practice Facility for the final practice ahead of Saturday’s spring game at Sun Devil Stadium. There was much more team action and higher-contact drills between the offense and defense on Friday, a precursor for tomorrow’s action. Mac Friday (on a Friday) reporting on offense, Cole Topham on defense.
Attendance
OL Ben Bray was at practice but did not participate. He was in street clothes and assisted with the practice.
WR LV Bunkley-Shelton was present but did not participate. He made a brief appearance on special teams with the hands team.
OL Des Holmes returned to full participation after a few practices. He replaced Emmitt Bohle, bumping Isaia Glass to left tackle as Holmes returned to the right side.
First-team offense
QB Trenton Bourguet
RB Daniyel Ngata/Xazavian Valladay
WR Bryan Thompson
WR Ricky Pearsall
WR Elijhah Badger
TE Messiah Swinson
OL left to right: Isaia Glass, LaDarius Henderson, Ben Scott, Spencer Lovell/Chris Martinez and Des Holmes
TE Jalin Conyers came in for double tight sets.
**QB Paul Tyson ran with the first group during the extended team period. He is the second-string guy, but Daylin McLemore worked with the second group on Friday.**
Second-team offense
QB Daylin McLemore
RB George Hart III
WR Andre Johnson
WR Giovanni Sanders
WR Javen Jacobs
TE Bryce Pierre
OL left to right: Emmitt Bohle, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Spencer Lovell/Chris Martinez and Austin Barry
Drills
Practice for the offense began with a variety of walk-throughs before team stretch. The offensive line was the most involved, working on 1-on-1 handwork with offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, mostly their punch and club moves.
“Be violent, be violent, be violent!” Cavanaugh shouted.
The offensive line and running backs got together with QB Finn Collins for inside run install before the entire offense got together for a quick team refresher and install against a skeleton defense.
Next came special teams, in which the offensive line worked on firing out of their stances just offset out of the endzone, making sure to stay out of the way. First, the group worked on driving to the left, then the right, then straight up the middle.
“I want you takin’ off like a fricking airplane,” Cavanaugh told the group. “You should hear an airplane takin’ off. Take off like an airplane."
Meanwhile, the quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends practiced in a condensed routes-on-air session working short routes that they would later employ in team sessions. They only had about 30-odd yards to work with, as the defense came over to the offensive field to simulate the limited space the team will have to work with during Saturday’s session at Sun Devil Stadium. Bourguet and Tyson looked effective and fired up during their throws, touching just a little bit of extra fizz out of the hand in the evening chaos. The quarterbacks threw passes to the skill players in a zone-cushioned defensive drill next – mostly slants and check downs.
Next, Robert Rodriguez’s defensive line corps came over to challenge Cavanaugh’s men in a light-contact, but more than THUD one-on-one session. LaDarius Henderson held firm in his matchup, but others like Lovell and Barry struggled against Rod’s wolfpack.
For team, the offense split into two huddles. Here are the play results.
1. Bourguet hit Swinson on a corner route going left. The ball was a little bit overthrown, but Swinson’s 6-foot-7 frame and long arms enabled the catch. Good for a first down, heck of a catch on the sideline.
2. Daniyel Ngata scampered behind Martinez, who subbed for Lovell at right guard. Minimal gain.
3. Bourguet scrambled to the right and hits Thompson on a slant but was nearly sacked after Holmes was beaten on the right side. Good for a first down.
4. Play action pass from Bourguet to Badger, incomplete.
5. Daylin McLemore and the twos step in for a tunnel screen to Bryce Pierre. It was blown up.
6. Inside run to the right by Valladay. Minimal gain.
7. Joe Moore III sacked McLemore in the backfield after beating Austin Barry at right tackle.
8. Finn Collins handoff up the middle to Tevin White, who bounced into the right-side B-gap for minimal gain.
9. Collins threw a slant to Giovanni Sanders, who let the ball go right through his hands. The ball was intercepted by a defensive back, who demanded, “I need my respect!” (See Cole’s defense report for more.)
10. Paul Tyson stepped into work with the first group, dumped it off to the right to Ngata. Minimal gain.
11. Misdirection run out of the pistol for Ngata.
12. Play action pass from Tyson to Conyers on a streak up the seam. Pass is complete and good for 20-30 yards, if not more. Tremendous throw – Conyers came over to dap up Tyson after.
Attendance
OL Ben Bray was at practice but did not participate. He was in street clothes and assisted with the practice.
WR LV Bunkley-Shelton was present but did not participate. He made a brief appearance on special teams with the hands team.
OL Des Holmes returned to full participation after a few practices. He replaced Emmitt Bohle, bumping Isaia Glass to left tackle as Holmes returned to the right side.
First-team offense
QB Trenton Bourguet
RB Daniyel Ngata/Xazavian Valladay
WR Bryan Thompson
WR Ricky Pearsall
WR Elijhah Badger
TE Messiah Swinson
OL left to right: Isaia Glass, LaDarius Henderson, Ben Scott, Spencer Lovell/Chris Martinez and Des Holmes
TE Jalin Conyers came in for double tight sets.
**QB Paul Tyson ran with the first group during the extended team period. He is the second-string guy, but Daylin McLemore worked with the second group on Friday.**
Second-team offense
QB Daylin McLemore
RB George Hart III
WR Andre Johnson
WR Giovanni Sanders
WR Javen Jacobs
TE Bryce Pierre
OL left to right: Emmitt Bohle, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Spencer Lovell/Chris Martinez and Austin Barry
Drills
Practice for the offense began with a variety of walk-throughs before team stretch. The offensive line was the most involved, working on 1-on-1 handwork with offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, mostly their punch and club moves.
“Be violent, be violent, be violent!” Cavanaugh shouted.
The offensive line and running backs got together with QB Finn Collins for inside run install before the entire offense got together for a quick team refresher and install against a skeleton defense.
Next came special teams, in which the offensive line worked on firing out of their stances just offset out of the endzone, making sure to stay out of the way. First, the group worked on driving to the left, then the right, then straight up the middle.
“I want you takin’ off like a fricking airplane,” Cavanaugh told the group. “You should hear an airplane takin’ off. Take off like an airplane."
Meanwhile, the quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends practiced in a condensed routes-on-air session working short routes that they would later employ in team sessions. They only had about 30-odd yards to work with, as the defense came over to the offensive field to simulate the limited space the team will have to work with during Saturday’s session at Sun Devil Stadium. Bourguet and Tyson looked effective and fired up during their throws, touching just a little bit of extra fizz out of the hand in the evening chaos. The quarterbacks threw passes to the skill players in a zone-cushioned defensive drill next – mostly slants and check downs.
Next, Robert Rodriguez’s defensive line corps came over to challenge Cavanaugh’s men in a light-contact, but more than THUD one-on-one session. LaDarius Henderson held firm in his matchup, but others like Lovell and Barry struggled against Rod’s wolfpack.
For team, the offense split into two huddles. Here are the play results.
1. Bourguet hit Swinson on a corner route going left. The ball was a little bit overthrown, but Swinson’s 6-foot-7 frame and long arms enabled the catch. Good for a first down, heck of a catch on the sideline.
2. Daniyel Ngata scampered behind Martinez, who subbed for Lovell at right guard. Minimal gain.
3. Bourguet scrambled to the right and hits Thompson on a slant but was nearly sacked after Holmes was beaten on the right side. Good for a first down.
4. Play action pass from Bourguet to Badger, incomplete.
5. Daylin McLemore and the twos step in for a tunnel screen to Bryce Pierre. It was blown up.
6. Inside run to the right by Valladay. Minimal gain.
7. Joe Moore III sacked McLemore in the backfield after beating Austin Barry at right tackle.
8. Finn Collins handoff up the middle to Tevin White, who bounced into the right-side B-gap for minimal gain.
9. Collins threw a slant to Giovanni Sanders, who let the ball go right through his hands. The ball was intercepted by a defensive back, who demanded, “I need my respect!” (See Cole’s defense report for more.)
10. Paul Tyson stepped into work with the first group, dumped it off to the right to Ngata. Minimal gain.
11. Misdirection run out of the pistol for Ngata.
12. Play action pass from Tyson to Conyers on a streak up the seam. Pass is complete and good for 20-30 yards, if not more. Tremendous throw – Conyers came over to dap up Tyson after.
