April 2, 2004
WACO, Texas -- For the first time this spring, the Baylor football team practiced on consecutive days, as the Bears again spent the two-hour and 30-minute practice splitting time between the grass practice fields and the new Floyd Casey Stadium turf.
"I was really pleased with the defensive effort today, but we were a little ragged on the offensive side of the ball," Baylor coach Guy Morriss said after putting his team through its sixth workout of the spring and the third this week in helmets and shoulder pads. "I don't exactly know where our minds were offensively, but I think the kids will rally back tomorrow and get those things corrected.
"They did rally at the goal line (in the team's situational practice segment at the end of practice)," he added. "We put them in a tough situation and they fought threw it and got the ball in the end zone. So I was pleased to see them make a rally there at the end. But, overall, during most of the team periods today, offensively, we weren't good enough today."
Sophomore quarterback Shawn Bell, who started spring drills as the Bears' No. 1 signal caller, went through the entire workout Friday after missing some parts of Thursday's practice with a thumb injury.
"He (Bell) seemed to be moving around pretty well," Morriss said. "I don't know if he favored the thumb too much, but he was in there throwing the ball pretty sharp."
Saturday's workout will mark the second time this spring Morriss' team has put on full pads, and the second-year coach is looking for continued improvement from his squad as spring drills in Waco near the half-way point.
"We are going to do some situational work in the stadium after starting on the grass with our individual drills," Morriss said. "We'll put them in some different situations using the chains and the game clock. It'll make for a little more of a game-type atmosphere, which I think we need right now."
Saturday's workout, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on the grass practice fields South of Floyd Casey Stadium.
