Bears Get Break With Half-Pad Practice
8/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 13, 2006
After five consecutive practices in full pads, the Baylor football team got a break on Sunday evening by donning half-pads for the 2-hour, 15-minute workout on the grass practice fields at Floyd Casey Stadium.
"We were a little bit logy early, but I was really pleased with the way the defense picked it up in the team period," said Bears' coach Guy Morriss. "That's kind of a deal where it's not a loaded drill, kind of like the 9-on-7 in their favor and the one-on-one pass rush. They just out-worked us today in the red zone, and that's something we can't allow to happen. I think we all as coaches take responsibility, so we'll come back tomorrow and see if we can't pick it up a little bit."
Eleven Bears, seven on offense and four on defense, continue to be sidelined with injuries. Those who missed Sunday's workout include junior inside receiver Terrance Parks (sore hamstring), senior defensive end Julian Hill (sore knee), senior nose tackle M.T. Robinson (sore hamstring), senior offensive guard Will Blaylock (muscle strain), senior center Yancy Boatner (concussion), sophomore offensive guard Dan Gay (sprained ankle), sophomore inside receiver Carl Sims (hamstring), senior offensive tackle Travis Farst (knee), junior cornerback Braelon Davis (knee), freshman cornerback Roman James (hip-flexor and freshman wide receiver Garfield Hicks (hip-flexor).
In addition, senior preseason All-America punter Daniel Sepulveda continues to be sidelined while recovering from April knee surgery.
"I realize we are tired, but on Sept. 3 when its first-and-goal at the 12 to win the football game, we can't make the mistakes we are making down there," Morriss said. "We gave up a couple of sacks, some guys got pushed in the backfield so penetration killed the play and our centers rolled the ball back to the quarterback. Those are little things that you have got to focus on and correct, so that you can execute when you get tired.
"That's why we are doing this," he added. "We are trying to drive them through this period right now and step back as coaches and see who can do it and who can't. We need to find out now, rather than on Sept. 3. That's kind of the approach we are taking."
The Bears will return to the practice field Monday at 6 p.m. Counting Monday's workout, Baylor has six practices remaining before breaking fall camp and the start of classes, Aug. 21.
Notes: Baylor's annual "Meet the Bears" Day is slated for 4 p.m. on Aug. 19 at Floyd Casey Stadium ... Morriss is slated to speak at the Waco Rotary Club on Monday, Aug. 14 ... Junior reserve defensive end Michael Slaughter, who never appeared in a game for the Bears after redshirting in his first year at Baylor in 2005, has left the program for academic reasons, Morriss announced following Sunday's practice ... Team doctors will re-examine Farst's knee on Monday. He injured his knee during Friday evening's practice ... The remaining two banners, saluting Hall of Famers Mike Singletary and Grant Teaff, will be hung on the press box towers, Aug. 21.
