With just three days before OSU’s season opener against Colorado State, the Beavers are looking to put the finishing touches on fall camp. Here are the most newsworthy practice nuggets from Brenden Slaughter from inside Reser Stadium.
Practice Nuggets
-The emphasis for the Beavers during the portion of practice open to the media today was red zone work. The Beavers were placing very high importance on getting the right personnel groupings in the red zone and making the easy plays. Given how important touchdowns could be against CSU rather than field goals, this is a good practicing point for the Beavers.
-Backup quarterback Darell Garretson was very impressive during red zone work. He looked especially sharp in all aspects, most notably being able to roll out of the pocket and throw on the run. Garretson is OSU’s most athletic quarterback and Andersen hinted that we might see him at times this season. Jake Luton is still the guy for OSU, but there could be the potential be some designed plays and situations where we see Garretson.
-Thomas Tyner was working with Garretson and the second unit. He looked really good in the redzone being able to bounce off would be tacklers to make it to the end zone. Andersen noted yesterday that all of the running backs have gotten better at pass protection and today Tyner looked really good in blocking situations.
-From what I could tell today, Tyner and Artavis Pierce are still getting equal backup reps to Ryan Nall. Nall didn’t practice today as the Beavers are certainly trying to save him for CSU, but there isn’t a clear No. 2 behind Nall. Both Pierce and Tyner will be fighting for those carries right behind him.
-Luton worked on designed quarterback rollouts today in the red zone work. He took the snap and rolled out to the right before stopping mid stride to fire a pass into the endzone for a score. He is getting more and more comfortable throwing from outside of the pocket and that is going to benefit OSU greatly in the season. CSU will be looking to put pressure on Luton in his first game at OSU, and if the Beavers can protect him enough to move out of the pocket and make plays, the Beavers have a great chance to put up points against CSU.
-Trevon Bradford continues to look very good in the absence of slot receiver Seth Collins. Today he was used in multiple receiver sets, and also showed his ability to run the ball on fly sweeps. Replacing Collins isn't easy, but Bradford seems to be doing his best to play well for the Beavers on gameday. Look for him to have a big role in the offense against CSU.
-Trevorris Johnson has no lingering issues from his injury that he suffered during OSU’s last scrimmage. He was bouncing around and powering through the hole with power. He received extensive reps in the red zone, and I’m not surprised given his physical style of running. The Beavers could certainly feature Johnson as more of goal line running back due to his ability to fight through tackles and power into the endzone.
-The defensive line continues to look better by the day. Today, Baker Pritchard, Kalani Vakameilalo, and Titus Failauga were all showing tremendous footwork as they were able to pressure the scout team quarterback Aidan Willard to making quick and hurried throws. Given how Andersen called out this group early in the season, it’s good to see for the Beavers that they’ve been able to make the adjustments towards being a more well-rounded and complete defensive unit. The second team d-line was also impressive with Elu Aydon, Paisa Savea, and Phillip Napoleon. One of the bigger concerns earlier in the season was depth on the defensive line, and today defensive coordinator Kevin Clune said he feels a lot better with where they stand heading into their first game.
-Speaking of the defensive line, their versatility was on display when they defended a screen pass today. The line got immediate pressure on Willard and forced him to throw a quick pass to the RB. The line was quick enough to make the adjustment and stop the running back in space before he could get upfield.
-In terms of the defense, it appears that the first teamers have solidified themselves. The starting group was exactly the same as the depth chart read, and the second team was nearly on par with the depth chart as well. This is good to see from the Beavers as they are trying to develop cohesiveness and chemistry within the defense.
Kevin Clune interview
Jonathan Willis interview
Kalani Vakameilalo interview
Practice Nuggets
-The emphasis for the Beavers during the portion of practice open to the media today was red zone work. The Beavers were placing very high importance on getting the right personnel groupings in the red zone and making the easy plays. Given how important touchdowns could be against CSU rather than field goals, this is a good practicing point for the Beavers.
-Backup quarterback Darell Garretson was very impressive during red zone work. He looked especially sharp in all aspects, most notably being able to roll out of the pocket and throw on the run. Garretson is OSU’s most athletic quarterback and Andersen hinted that we might see him at times this season. Jake Luton is still the guy for OSU, but there could be the potential be some designed plays and situations where we see Garretson.
-Thomas Tyner was working with Garretson and the second unit. He looked really good in the redzone being able to bounce off would be tacklers to make it to the end zone. Andersen noted yesterday that all of the running backs have gotten better at pass protection and today Tyner looked really good in blocking situations.
-From what I could tell today, Tyner and Artavis Pierce are still getting equal backup reps to Ryan Nall. Nall didn’t practice today as the Beavers are certainly trying to save him for CSU, but there isn’t a clear No. 2 behind Nall. Both Pierce and Tyner will be fighting for those carries right behind him.
-Luton worked on designed quarterback rollouts today in the red zone work. He took the snap and rolled out to the right before stopping mid stride to fire a pass into the endzone for a score. He is getting more and more comfortable throwing from outside of the pocket and that is going to benefit OSU greatly in the season. CSU will be looking to put pressure on Luton in his first game at OSU, and if the Beavers can protect him enough to move out of the pocket and make plays, the Beavers have a great chance to put up points against CSU.
-Trevon Bradford continues to look very good in the absence of slot receiver Seth Collins. Today he was used in multiple receiver sets, and also showed his ability to run the ball on fly sweeps. Replacing Collins isn't easy, but Bradford seems to be doing his best to play well for the Beavers on gameday. Look for him to have a big role in the offense against CSU.
-Trevorris Johnson has no lingering issues from his injury that he suffered during OSU’s last scrimmage. He was bouncing around and powering through the hole with power. He received extensive reps in the red zone, and I’m not surprised given his physical style of running. The Beavers could certainly feature Johnson as more of goal line running back due to his ability to fight through tackles and power into the endzone.
-The defensive line continues to look better by the day. Today, Baker Pritchard, Kalani Vakameilalo, and Titus Failauga were all showing tremendous footwork as they were able to pressure the scout team quarterback Aidan Willard to making quick and hurried throws. Given how Andersen called out this group early in the season, it’s good to see for the Beavers that they’ve been able to make the adjustments towards being a more well-rounded and complete defensive unit. The second team d-line was also impressive with Elu Aydon, Paisa Savea, and Phillip Napoleon. One of the bigger concerns earlier in the season was depth on the defensive line, and today defensive coordinator Kevin Clune said he feels a lot better with where they stand heading into their first game.
-Speaking of the defensive line, their versatility was on display when they defended a screen pass today. The line got immediate pressure on Willard and forced him to throw a quick pass to the RB. The line was quick enough to make the adjustment and stop the running back in space before he could get upfield.
-In terms of the defense, it appears that the first teamers have solidified themselves. The starting group was exactly the same as the depth chart read, and the second team was nearly on par with the depth chart as well. This is good to see from the Beavers as they are trying to develop cohesiveness and chemistry within the defense.
Kevin Clune interview
Jonathan Willis interview
Kalani Vakameilalo interview
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