Spring Practice Day 12
April 22, 2011
Corvallis, Ore. -
Head coach Mike Riley was particularly upbeat about the performance in today's live scrimmage, but he maintains there's still plenty of work to be done.
The best weather day of the spring session produced one of the best days of hitting - it was tough out there for both teams. If junior linebacker Tony Wilson wasn't laying into the running backs, junior tight end Colby Prince was smashing the defensive backs.
"It was a pretty lively deal," Riley said. "I thought there was some good hitting - there was some good football."
Prince has shown his unique combination of speed and power all spring, but it was most evident today. He led the receiver group with six catches for 62 yards. Junior wideout Markus Wheaton was second for catches (4) and ended with 43 yards, many of which happened on screens.
Grabbing most of today's attention from the Beaver fans and media soaking up the sun was freshman Obum Gwacham. His abilities in drills carried over well into live action. Early in scrimmage, Gwacham caught a deep ball from sophomore quarterback Cody Vaz for 55 yards - beating junior cornerback Jordan Poyer in the process.
"I'm excited about Obum," Riley said. "He's a very impressive guy, physically. I think that he's obviously a great target... Brent (Brennan) is doing a great job with him. Jay Locey is doing a great job with Colby Prince; he's a much different receiver today than he was in the fall."
Junior quarterback Ryan Katz continued his standard practice - all of the drills, but none of the live scrimmaging. Vaz led the first team, as he has done all spring, and ended the day completing 11 of 16 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
"Every day I see more confidence in him, and I've always loved his demeanor," Riley said of Vaz. "He doesn't get rattled; he's got a coolness about him that I think is special, and I just think he's getting better, more comfortable, and (has) a lot of poise."
Senior linebacker Cameron Collins intercepted one of Vaz' passes. But what was instantly an impressive play quickly turned into an entertaining moment. In an effort to extend the yardage, Collins, facing a charging wall of offensive players, tossed the ball backwards to his teammates - they didn't catch it, and it turned into a mad scramble for a loose ball.
Freshman quarterback Sean Mannion completed 14 of 21 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The Beaver rushing attack had its moments of glory. Sophomore tailback Jovan Stevenson led the rushers with nine carries for 49 yards, while senior Ryan McCants ended with 11 carries for 29 yards. The young Stevenson, despite taking some hard hits, showcased top-notch agility.
It was a kicking duel today, too. Freshmen Max Johnson and Trevor Romaine each had a turn to score from the 35-yard mark. Romaine has drawn attention to himself this spring for his accuracy, but he missed two of his three kicks. Johnson, instead, finished with a clean two for two.
The Beavers are now down to three practices remaining - next Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday (the annual Spring Game). Riley gives a lot of credit to the team as a whole for their effort in the offseason and during spring.
"I think there are a ton of guys that have just noticeably upped their game," Riley said. "That's a real thing for a lot of guys here."
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