UConn Football First 2012 Preseason Practice Is In The Books

What’s goin on?

Some thoughts from UConn Coach Paul Pasqualoni following the first practice (which was only in helmets, shorts and shirts, no pads)

“I thought we did some things well today and did some things not so well today….I think when you look at the overall day and everything we got done I thought really we got a lot done but as I just said to (the team) we’ve got to do a lot better,” Pasquloni said.

On naming Chandler Whitmer the starting QB heading into camp: “I wanted to give the starter coming into camp more of an opportunity with the reps and to work with the first team guys in an effort to develop the communication aspect, the feel for each other aspect and under the conditions of the position right now I just thought we’d go this way. It’s a judgment call on my part. Sometimes you gather all the important information you can and make a gut call and I just think right now it’s going to help Chandler and who the selection of the backup is going to be.”

Chandler Whitmer on being named No.1 heading into camp:

“It’s good. I think it’s good for everybody being on the same page,” Whitmer said. “I know guys were saying that in the past it hasn’t always been clear going into camp but it’s good. We can get clicking with those 1s (first teamers, starters) that’s the most important thing in the preseason is to get ready for the season.

Whitmer had a couple Pick 6′s go against him, one by linebacker Jory Johnson and another by cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson. He also drilled a couple in tight spots. He really throws a nice deep ball. He hit Geremy Davis once beautifully in stride for 6.

“There was a little rust but that’s first day every time,” Whitmer said. “It felt good though getting back out there running around. It was warm so that was good. It was fun.”

As you know Scott McCummings is out a bit attending to some personal business. Pasqualoni said he excused McCummins and he expects him back soon. He didn’t say when.

“He’s attending some personal things, he has my permission so I’m good with it,” Pasqualoni said.

That’s going to lead us to the young man, sophomore quarterback  Michael Nebrich. To me, he is nothing like the thrower he was even in the spring – and I thought he made a significant jump then but now this kid is really slinging the ball.

He threw the best pass of the day, to me, when his bomb died down perfectly between safety Andrew Adams and cornerback Dwayne Gratz and into the hands of Nick Williams (kid looks great, too) and the pass led him out of bounds.

You don’t see many delivered and caught like that. It was perfect spiral, too.

“I’ll tell you what he threw some deep balls pretty good today, completed a couple right in a row there, great to see,” Pasqualoni said. “He’s getting better. He’s getting better from a drop-back pass standpoint and [quarterbacks coach Shane Day] has said that all summer and all spring that he’s just got to keep getting better a little bit at a time. I think he’s focusing on it and is trying real hard and was pretty evident today that the timing of what he did, the read and the placement of the ball was really pretty good.”

Mmmm..

Um, let’s see…one thing I noticed in practice today is that when the receivers caught balls the coaches really didn’t blow whistles. They let them play on.

“Once you got tagged they didn’t blow the whistle either,” sophomore transfer receiver Shakim Phillips said. “They expect you to keep running. We’re working on the yards-after-the-catch. As we keep working on that we develop the skill of catching it and keep running with it. No whistle. Even if you get tagged off, no whistle…run. Keep running. That will help a lot.”

Sophomore linebacker Yawin Smallwood was limited with a left leg injury.

“He’s got a little soreness. He’s moving, somewaht limited but I’m hoping he’ll be better fast.”

UConn athletic director Warde Manuel - a Michigan Man – was at practice Friday. He said he was heading out to the Olympics Tuesday, invited by the UConn Alumni Association which will be out there to support the UConn women on the basketball team as well as others. There’s supposed to be a big gathering of the group on Wednesday.

Manuel is expecting a gold medal for the womens basketball team – who isn’t – but he also expects to work on football scheduling for the years 2014-17 when he returns, all this year he plans to get those schedules done he said.

He said there have been preliminary discussions with some schools but he didn’t offer any for fear of breaking any potential deals – for any number of reasons – before they’re made.

- Had a great conversation with big left tackle Jimmy Bennett who completed his first practice since last season’s knee injury. The coaches are extremely high on the 6 foot 6, 309-pounder. Bennett’s not worried about that. He just wants to complete a full season healthy.

We’ll hear from Jimmy on Sunday…

Peace,

DC