Pokes Practice Report: ‘This Looks Like Football’
LARAMIE -- Jay Sawvel tasked his team with being better prepared during the opening day of fall camp than it was after 15 spring practices last April.
Mission accomplished.
"I felt today we were, in that regard. I thought there were a lot of good things," Wyoming's rookie head coach said after a two-hour workout inside a sun-scorched War Memorial Stadium. "So, we didn't start over and then have to take six practices to get back on track. I think that's a big key."
Sawvel praised this roster for its dedication in the weight room and training during the offseason. He was impressed with the limited procedural penalties and the compete level on both sides of the ball. Throws were mainly crisp and on time. The battles on the perimeter between wide receivers and defensive backs were competitive and, at times, heated.
TK King and Tyrecus Davis had a dust up to conclude the first period that lingered from Jonah Field all the way to the indoor facility.
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This may have been the first official practice of the fall, quarterback Evan Svoboda said, but this unit has been working between the white lines all summer.
"It was super organized this summer," the 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior said. "We were throwing twice a week and meeting almost three times a week. So, we were getting after it with each other again and building the chemistry."
Was it just Svoboda and a select group of pass catchers on the practice field? Hardly.
"Everybody," he said with a grin.
Sawvel simply said, it looked like football.
"To get a chance to do everything that we did in the summer but now put it into team concepts and team situations and do all that and get everybody working, I thought the pace was good for the periods we were out there," he added. "The engagement level was good for everybody. It was a good first day."
Sawvel opened this practice up to the local media. As of now, it will be the only workout we will witness until next spring. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday at The War:
* Jake Davies, all 6-foot-7, 295 pounds of him, lined up at left tackle during drills Wednesday, joining last year's starters Wes King (from left to right), Nofoafia Tulafono, Jack Walsh and Caden Barnett. Davies appeared in just one game last fall, but has since grabbed the attention of this staff, adding 30 pounds to his frame during the offseason.
* Sawvel and Co. are not only looking for one additional offensive lineman -- along with depth players -- they are also in search of a cornerback to work opposite of Davis. That man might be sophomore Keany Parks. The running back turned DB picked off Svoboda on an out route early in practice. The very next play, the Kenosha, Wisc., product batted down another pass to the perimeter. "I think, in his situation, there's a lot of upside to be excited about," Sawvel said. Ian Bell is recovering from an injury, but could also be in the mix at corner this fall. Same can be said for Naz Hill and Caleb Merritt. The latter, a former wide receiver, also made a handful of plays on Wednesday.
* Chris Durr Jr. continues to impress. The true freshman wide receiver snagged a throw over the middle off the right arm of Jayden Clemons Wednesday and turned what looked to be a 10-yard gain into a 65-yard jaunt to the end zone. The Chicago product, who graduated early and joined the team this spring, ran with the first-team offense all afternoon and was seen handling some kickoff duties. Durr caught a game-high 12 passes for 121 yards in the annual spring game. Sawvel acknowledged his talent, but said if he hoped to get on the field this fall, he would have to prove it in the offseason. All Durr did was go from 148 pounds to 171 in a matter of months. "He's a great talent," Svoboda said on Wednesday. "He's just a young kid, too. It's crazy how talented he is."
* Speaking of returning kickoffs, Devon Boddie Jr., Chris Cooley, Bricen Brantley, Durr and King were all hauling in sky-high spirals Wednesday off the Jugs machine.
* Deyon Batiste is massive. The former Iowa State commit stood out Wednesday for a number of reasons. For one, he's a southpaw. Secondly, he's every bit of 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. The three-star signal caller from Texas made some impressive throws and looked poised for his first college practice. He is currently running the fourth team along with fellow QB Gage Brook.
* Caleb Driskill made plays in the passing game during the annual spring game, proving he's not just your prototypical head-bashing full back. He was again lineup in the slot Wednesday in Jay Johnson's "multiple-formation" offense. The Gillette product dropped 10 pounds this offseason and is now operating at 235. Route running will do that to a guy.
* Don't be surprised this season when the Cowboys are on offense and three players, including a back-up QB, are sending in signals to the unit from the sideline while Johnson is in Svoboda's ear via radio. This isn't your typical pro-style offense anymore. It didn't matter who was under center Wednesday, players were getting lined up over the ball and play calls were rapidly fired. There wasn't a single huddle.
* Cooley had a couple of nice moments in this one. The 5-foot-7, 178-pound senior snagged a pass near the sideline and managed to tap both feet in bounds. A play later, a Kaden Anderson pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and destined to become a pick six. Cooley didn't let that happen, hustling back to the ball and batting it away just in time.
* Wide receivers coach Mike Grant sported his trademark floppy sombrero, Bon Jovi's hit song "Wanted Dead or Alive" blared from the speakers and pads popped and echoed throughout War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. That was the normal part. Craig Bohl not being in attendance for the first time in a decade was certainly different. So were the construction workers in the west stands, who likely didn't get as much done today as they also watched the action.
* Another familiar face was roaming the green turf Wednesday -- Jovon Bouknight. One of the best wide receivers in school history joined the staff July 22 as an analyst after a brief stint at Marshall. He will also tutor pass catchers this fall along with Grant. "I really like him as a person. He's a good football coach and has had a lot of experience," Sawvel said, referring to Bouknight's career, which has taken him from UW to Utah State to Texas Tech to Oregon and eventually Kentucky. "It's a big bonus and benefit that he's a Hall of Famer at Wyoming." Bouknight will be inducted into the school's HOF this fall. Sawvel said he's already prepared to get the Denver product on the field to be recognized at halftime. "I think we have to run him out of the press box at like the second quarter so he can get inducted in the Hall of Fame," the head coach joked. "So we'll figure that out."
* This was the first of 20 practices this fall, leading up to the Cowboys opening-day showdown in the desert with Arizona State.
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