Two-Minute Drill: Adjustments
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Schedules weren’t the only things requiring modification in advance of Kansas football’s first two-a-day practice of the year on Wednesday.
Several players were spotted having to take a minute on the sideline to readjust their helmets and shoulder pads from the jarring collisions that took place in the evening session on the grass fields behind Anschutz Pavilion.
The in-your-face physicality of the fully-padded second practice was a change of pace from the 9:40 a.m., helmet and shoulder pad workout the team endured on the turf practice fields adjacent to Memorial Stadium.
As is done most days, the coaching staff drilled special teams relentlessly. A person would be amazed at how many different types of special teams specific drills special teams coordinator Gary Hyman can put the team through.
Individual defensive techniques were showcased in the morning as Hyman instructed each different facet of kick coverage on how to fight through both one-on-one and wedge blocking schemes.
The return-game shown some love too later on, but it wasn’t the guys returning the ball who were being drilled. An offensive player would matchup one-on-one with a gunner and run down the field toward the kick. After getting close enough to the returner to make sure there wasn’t a muff on the play, the offensive player would practice boxing out, or obstructing the defender from the ball carrier in order to create a lane for the returner to jet through.
This morning’s practice was concluded with an 11-on-11 two-minute drill to get a taste of how fast the offense could really go, and to see if the defense could properly execute at a break-neck pace.
Both sides won their fair share of possessions, however, overall for the coaching staff the teaching moments were the most important part of the drill. Players had it drilled in their heads from the beginning on what to do.
Quarterbacks: Make quick reads, run if there’s a lane – but get down when the first down is reached or hurry out of bounds, run the play quickly – just make sure everyone is set to avoid a penalty, get out of the pocket and throw the ball away, and lastly, DON’T GET SACKED.
Receivers/Running backs: Make the catch first. If you catch it between the numbers cut up the field and try to move the chains; if you catch outside of the numbers, get out of bounds.
Offensive Line: Hold a clean pocket, watch for a delayed blitz, get up to the line of scrimmage quickly and get set after a play the clock doesn’t stop. DON’T GIVE UP A SACK.
Defense: Create pressure, disguise coverages, if there’s a turnover – get down… the game’s over.
The evening practice at 5:45 p.m. also had its fair share of situational football – just of a little different variety. Over on the softer grass offensive coordinator Rob Likens set the tone of what was to come after stretching.
“There’s nothing that’s going to be easy about the rest of this practice,” Likens informed the offense. “Your legs are tired. It’s hot. Are you going to use that as an excuse?”
Both sides of the ball needed to muster whatever amount of energy they could because instead of competing with the clock, it was 22 men competing for a few inches of grass.
The down-marker was set to third and the ball was spotted just inches away from the first down.
The defense started off with four-straight victories in the live-contact drill, stymieing the ball carrier short of the goal. When Likens and the offense dialed-up a pass play, defensive end Damani Mosby got pressure on the quarterback more than once resulting in a fourth down.
The offense bounced back to convert a couple of times as the drill ended and segued into – you guessed it, another special teams period. The evening focused on 11-on-11 rather than individual.
Just before the team’s 11-on-11 portion and the end of practice ball security regiment they run through daily, the kickers were put to the test with the game on the line.
On a practice field with no crowd, no scoreboard and no real actual pressure of the game on the line – the two kickers put Kansas on the winning end of the scoreboard 5-of-6 times from 35 yards out.
Reports Fall Camp ArchiveCamp Central
8/5 – Football is Back!
8/6 – Substitutions?
8/7 – The Little Things
8/8 – Media Day
8/8 – Thru the Lens
8/10 – Back to Work
8/11 – Physical
8/12 – Adjustments
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