POST-PRACTICE NON-TRANSCRIPT | The official site has video of head coach Tommy Tuberville in yesterday's post-practice press conference and here's my non-transcript:
Tommy Tuberville: A little more contact today. Didn't do well on offense, didn't do well at all. Way behind on offense. Defense expect to be behind, but want to learn the base stuff defensively. Just kicked it around on offense, made mistakes, never got off the ground. That's the reason you practice and the reason you get better. WR Darrin Moore is getting better, small crack on his wrist. Played well this year, has 2 years remaining. WR Marcus Kennard has bad turf toe and he'll be out a week. We need him out there. Gives other people the opportunity to step up. Different techniques with DC Chad Glasgow, DE Scott Smith looks good, would like to add about 10 to 15 pounds. Is a senior and needs to be a leader. RB Aaron Crawford can be a blocking back. Need to do a few more things out of the running game, had an operation to help his breathing and with the humidity the operation will help. Will have to be a a guy that can be a running back and a blocking back. WR Derek Edwards' head is spinning, needs to gain some weight. He knows that if he wants to play, he's got to make an impact this spring. Next 4-5 months will help him gain strength.
Like clockwork, Tuberville mentions something about the weather, but this time it's about how an operation on Crawford will help his breathing, especially with all of the humidity in West Texas.
I have no answers.
DT BOBBIE (AGOUCHA) HAMPTON, TE BO WHITNEY AND RB TIM GRAVES TO TRANSFER | Per LAJ's Don Williams three players will transfer: DT Bobbie (Agoucha) Hampton, TE Bo Whitney and RB Tim Graves. The loss of Hampton is the biggest loss, but it's not that big of a loss with the arrival of NG Dennell Wesley. If they need a guy that can play 10 to 20 plays at nose guard, I'm guessing that Wesley will be able to fill that role. Hampton was only going to be here for the 2011 season. However, if there are injuries again this year and if Wesley can't play, then this could be a significant transfer, especially with the transfer of DT Myles Wade to Portland State.
Whitney never played last year, despite being available to play and he was the only designated tight end other than Felicia James. I don't think that Graves was a scholarship running back so I'm not sure what to think there other than he wanted an opportunity to play and with the current depth at running back, that wasn't likely.
Williams notes also detail how the offense didn't have a good day yesterday (as noted above) and Tuberville and OC Neal Brown are emphasizing turnovers:
There were at least three dropped passes in the 11-on-11 team period, and offensive coordinator Neal Brown stopped the workout after running backs Harrison Jeffers and Ronnie Daniels fumbled in a span of three plays. Brown made his players do up-downs.
"We told them at the beginning of spring, ‘If you drop the ball on the ground, we’re going to really stress it,’" Tuberville said. "Today we turned the ball over a little bit, and the problem with that was we couldn’t get over that point. We’ve got so many young guys out there, they couldn’t get their focus back."
RECEIVER OUTLOOK | LAJ's Don Williams writes that the receivers will have to pick up for the loss of of graduating seniors Lyle Leong and Detron Lewis. Here's Williams with a bit of a depth chart:
This spring, Lewis’ old flanker spot has Moore, senior Jacoby Franks, redshirt freshman Shawn Corker and newcomer Tyson Williams, the latter a transfer from West Texas A&M who must sit out this season. Leong’s old split end position has sophomore Eric Ward, junior-college transfer Marcus Kennard and first-semester freshman Derek Edwards.
And like a lot of you have said this past year, this team lacked big plays and big-bodied receivers:
Tuberville and offensive coordinator Neal Brown both said last season that a big-bodied receiver was a missing component. The Red Raiders need Moore and the 6-4, 202-pound Kennard to provide that element.
Something else the Raiders had too little of last season were big plays. That was an emphasis of their recent recruiting class. They’d like for Edwards, the former Brenham High School star, to provide a dash of that, though it remains to be seen whether he can help next season.
"I’m kind of in this situation where I’ve got to come in, learn all this stuff and play with the big boys now," Edwards said, "so it’s pretty hectic right now, but I think I’m getting the gist of it down pretty well.
"I have older guys to look up to that are kind of showing me the way, showing me (the light at) the end of the tunnel. All of I’ve got to do is just get to it."
MISCELLANEOUS | I haven't seen this anywhere, TurfBurner's Jay Beck writes about how the Oklahoma Sooners are missing a week of workouts for the following:
According to a letter sent to NCAA director of secondary enforcement Chris Strobel, the university started an investigation after a player refused to sign a weekly practice log and then provided Oklahoma's compliance director with a recording of defensive backs coach Willie Martinez asking why he had missed a voluntary workout.
What? So a player taped a coach asking him about why the player wasn't at a voluntary practice? I hadn't seen that anywhere, good find by Jay . . . NewsOK's Berry Tramel writes that the Big 12 is having problems finding enough quality football game . . . Team Speed Kills cocknfire with two parts (Part I and Part II) of a three-part series on paying players, the NCAA and amateurism. Really fantastic reads . . .