Here are my notes, quotes and observations from Northwestern’s Friday practice:
- You could feel the step up in intensity on Friday, as it was NU’s first full-go, full-contact practice. The sidelines were alive with whoops and hollers and the play was just a notch higher than it was on Wednesday. Things got heated early as Charlie Fessler got tangled up with JR Pace after a pass on the sideline fell incomplete. The two squared off and started pushing each other, and then Pace took a swing at Fessler. (This was Fessler’s day in more ways than one, I guess.) Coaches don’t like taking swings – not only is it stupid, but it also gets you thrown out of the game. So Pace and Fessler had to hold hands and walk together all the way around the field.
- Fessler, as I reported on the Football Board, was the star today with three spectacular, SportsCenter Top 10 catches that required him to use every one of his 75 inches in height to highpoint and come down with the ball. On his last big one of the day, Alviti, under heavy pressure, just heaved the ball in Fessler’s direction. The wideout somehow leaped up and stole the ball away from a D-back who had inside position and two others that were closing on the ball. Both sidelines erupted on that one and it went for about 40 yards.
- Fessler wasn’t the only receiver to make a highlight-reel catch, though. Riley Lees had the catch I was most impressed with. He was on a crossing route over the middle and TJ Green threw the ball way behind him. Lees threw his body backward while sliding forward, reached back with one hand and made the grab. His reflexes are as quick as his feet; there’s no way that ball should have been a completion. Freshman walkon Jackson Tirmonia also made a sensational one-handed catch of a high sideline throw, right in front of me.
- I’m going to write a full feature on the offensive line, but the lineups were pretty crazy out there today. When Fitz said that guys would be playing in different spots, he meant it. Jared Thomas, just as he was on Wednesday, was the first-team left tackle. Blake Hance, the former left tackle, was playing left guard. Then, Brad North was at center, Tommy Doles at right guard and Gunnar Vogel at right tackle. Later, however, Andrew Otterman went in at right tackle. The second offensive line was, from left to right tackle, Rashawn Slater, Trey Klock, JB Butler, Nik Urban and Gunnar Vogel. Then Vogel went back to the 1s, but Butler remained with the 2s at center. Thomas, though, seemed to stay with the first team all day. When Fitz and Adam Cushing say they will try different combinations to find the best five, they mean it.
- I wrote on Wednesday that Aidan Smith floated a pass or two. Well, his ball had a lot of zip today, so I’m going to amend that statement. He’s got sort of a hitch in his release because he throws straight over the top, but he throws a pretty good ball. He doesn’t have a Clayton Thorson-level arm, but he can make the throws they need him to. He also has a nice, easy touch on throws to backs on wheel routes. He hit Berkeley Holman (very quick on his feet) and Jeremy Larkin on a couple nice ones. Smith, by the way, is the first QB in after Thorson. I suspect that’s to get him extra reps; they already know all about Matt Alviti, and he knows everything there is to know about the offense.
- Larkin again had a nice catch and run, weaving through tacklers for a touchdown. But what really cut my eye was a block on a pass, when he cut a blitzing linebacker in half (it was Paddy Fisher, I think).
- Pace had an interception when Smith threw one right to the freshman safety. That was as easy a pick as he’ll ever get, but his return was impressive. He’s a very smooth runner with some moves.
- Warren Long is getting a lot of reps, but he showed himself to be a rookie on one play. Alviti dumped one in the flat to Holman and Long came in full speed. Holman made a simple stutter-step move and Long flew right past him. He was dejected after that one, taking a few moments to get back up. But Brett Walsh was there to pick him up. “You’re close, baby,” he said. “If you make that play, you’re going to be a great player.” Long just has to learn to cool his jets and break himself down when approaching a ballcarrier one-on-one in space.
- One funny moment came when Alviti, under pressure, threw the ball to the sideline and hit a wide-open Venric Mark – who is now, of course, a recruiting assistant and not a running back.
- As Catreporter stated, Keith Watkins participated in the scrimmage today and looked like his fearless, physical self. Once again, the defense looked very good; there just isn’t a whole lot of room out there. Jordan Thompson seems to be the vocal leader of that defensive line; Lancaster is more the quiet type who leads by example. I don't think many teams have a formidable pair of DTs as those two.
- Once again, there were a lot of guys not in pads today. Cameron Ruiz, Alonzo Mayo, Tommy Carnifax, Trevor Kent and Fred Wyatt were a few of the players who were sidelined. Jango Glackin tweaked something in practice before I got there and was held out of the scrimmage.
- One thing I noticed during the two practices this week is that superbacks coach Bob Heffner is spending much more time with the offensive line than he has in the past. He always helped out, but this year, when the team breaks in the position groups, Heff stays with the OL while superbacks are somewhere else. I asked Cushing and he said that Tim Brandon, a grad assistant, works with the superbacks the majority of time, freeing up Heff to work with the OL. It’s Brandon’s second year as a GA, so the team trusts him with the superbacks. Heff, as we know, spent the majority of his 30-plus-year career as a OL coach.
Questions? Fire away…
- You could feel the step up in intensity on Friday, as it was NU’s first full-go, full-contact practice. The sidelines were alive with whoops and hollers and the play was just a notch higher than it was on Wednesday. Things got heated early as Charlie Fessler got tangled up with JR Pace after a pass on the sideline fell incomplete. The two squared off and started pushing each other, and then Pace took a swing at Fessler. (This was Fessler’s day in more ways than one, I guess.) Coaches don’t like taking swings – not only is it stupid, but it also gets you thrown out of the game. So Pace and Fessler had to hold hands and walk together all the way around the field.
- Fessler, as I reported on the Football Board, was the star today with three spectacular, SportsCenter Top 10 catches that required him to use every one of his 75 inches in height to highpoint and come down with the ball. On his last big one of the day, Alviti, under heavy pressure, just heaved the ball in Fessler’s direction. The wideout somehow leaped up and stole the ball away from a D-back who had inside position and two others that were closing on the ball. Both sidelines erupted on that one and it went for about 40 yards.
- Fessler wasn’t the only receiver to make a highlight-reel catch, though. Riley Lees had the catch I was most impressed with. He was on a crossing route over the middle and TJ Green threw the ball way behind him. Lees threw his body backward while sliding forward, reached back with one hand and made the grab. His reflexes are as quick as his feet; there’s no way that ball should have been a completion. Freshman walkon Jackson Tirmonia also made a sensational one-handed catch of a high sideline throw, right in front of me.
- I’m going to write a full feature on the offensive line, but the lineups were pretty crazy out there today. When Fitz said that guys would be playing in different spots, he meant it. Jared Thomas, just as he was on Wednesday, was the first-team left tackle. Blake Hance, the former left tackle, was playing left guard. Then, Brad North was at center, Tommy Doles at right guard and Gunnar Vogel at right tackle. Later, however, Andrew Otterman went in at right tackle. The second offensive line was, from left to right tackle, Rashawn Slater, Trey Klock, JB Butler, Nik Urban and Gunnar Vogel. Then Vogel went back to the 1s, but Butler remained with the 2s at center. Thomas, though, seemed to stay with the first team all day. When Fitz and Adam Cushing say they will try different combinations to find the best five, they mean it.
- I wrote on Wednesday that Aidan Smith floated a pass or two. Well, his ball had a lot of zip today, so I’m going to amend that statement. He’s got sort of a hitch in his release because he throws straight over the top, but he throws a pretty good ball. He doesn’t have a Clayton Thorson-level arm, but he can make the throws they need him to. He also has a nice, easy touch on throws to backs on wheel routes. He hit Berkeley Holman (very quick on his feet) and Jeremy Larkin on a couple nice ones. Smith, by the way, is the first QB in after Thorson. I suspect that’s to get him extra reps; they already know all about Matt Alviti, and he knows everything there is to know about the offense.
- Larkin again had a nice catch and run, weaving through tacklers for a touchdown. But what really cut my eye was a block on a pass, when he cut a blitzing linebacker in half (it was Paddy Fisher, I think).
- Pace had an interception when Smith threw one right to the freshman safety. That was as easy a pick as he’ll ever get, but his return was impressive. He’s a very smooth runner with some moves.
- Warren Long is getting a lot of reps, but he showed himself to be a rookie on one play. Alviti dumped one in the flat to Holman and Long came in full speed. Holman made a simple stutter-step move and Long flew right past him. He was dejected after that one, taking a few moments to get back up. But Brett Walsh was there to pick him up. “You’re close, baby,” he said. “If you make that play, you’re going to be a great player.” Long just has to learn to cool his jets and break himself down when approaching a ballcarrier one-on-one in space.
- One funny moment came when Alviti, under pressure, threw the ball to the sideline and hit a wide-open Venric Mark – who is now, of course, a recruiting assistant and not a running back.
- As Catreporter stated, Keith Watkins participated in the scrimmage today and looked like his fearless, physical self. Once again, the defense looked very good; there just isn’t a whole lot of room out there. Jordan Thompson seems to be the vocal leader of that defensive line; Lancaster is more the quiet type who leads by example. I don't think many teams have a formidable pair of DTs as those two.
- Once again, there were a lot of guys not in pads today. Cameron Ruiz, Alonzo Mayo, Tommy Carnifax, Trevor Kent and Fred Wyatt were a few of the players who were sidelined. Jango Glackin tweaked something in practice before I got there and was held out of the scrimmage.
- One thing I noticed during the two practices this week is that superbacks coach Bob Heffner is spending much more time with the offensive line than he has in the past. He always helped out, but this year, when the team breaks in the position groups, Heff stays with the OL while superbacks are somewhere else. I asked Cushing and he said that Tim Brandon, a grad assistant, works with the superbacks the majority of time, freeing up Heff to work with the OL. It’s Brandon’s second year as a GA, so the team trusts him with the superbacks. Heff, as we know, spent the majority of his 30-plus-year career as a OL coach.
Questions? Fire away…
