Practice ‘a lot more real’ as Gamecocks go to full pads
August 07, 2016
South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman said it finally feels real when the full pads come on.
It’s not quite live action, but it gets closer to the real thing. After a summer of player-run practices and meetings, that’s what the Gamecocks want.
“It feels a lot more real,” Holloman said. “In the game, we’re going to wear full pads. Just getting toward the season, full pads is a step closer.”
South Carolina’s football team donned full pads Saturday morning for the first time in August camp. They were still running their thud tempo and not tackling to the ground, but it had the feel of near-full action.
----- Practice observations: Orth, Turner among first-teamers as USC goes full pads -----
The opening period seemed to cater to the change, and at points coaches had to tell players to dial back a bit on the tackling.
Players and staff reacted differently to this landmark in the practice period.
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said it wasn’t that big a change from shoulder pads and shorts (which the team wore earlier in the week), especially because they don’t employ live tackling. Holloman said the first padded practice brings more physicality, as it did in the spring.
“It’s something that you wait for all year,” defensive end Daniel Fennell said. “Then it comes and you’re excited for it. But I don’t think it’ll be much different. We may go full contact in our scrimmages, tackling to the ground. We’re already thudding.”
All the right moves
Fennell has never even played with his hand on the ground before coaches moved him from linebacker to defensive end.
Now he’s working on the minutiae of his craft.
“With Coach P, Mike Peterson, he’s helping me with pass rush moves,” Fennell said. “That’s what we’ve been working all spring, all summer, into this fall camp. I feel like our moves as a whole are coming together. Everyone’s got a move. He says get one or two moves, work on them, perfect them. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
Injury report
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was off to the side Saturday with injured players, though no official word was available yet. True freshman receiver Bryan Edwards was also out and has has been in a yellow, no-contact jersey at least a few days this week. Defensive lineman Dante Sawyer also did not practice during the media viewing period.
Center Alan Knott practiced with a club on his healing right hand.
Tight end Evan Hinson and defensive tackle Stephon Taylor, two freshmen listed on the preseason injury report, both practiced Saturday.
Next
The Gamecocks are set to practice twice Sunday. The team has three afternoon practices among eight total workouts in the upcoming week’s schedule, including its first scrimmage next Saturday (Aug. 13). All of those are closed.
The open-to-the-public practices are 6:30 p.m. Aug 15, 16 and 17.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article94116147.html#storylink=cpy
THE STATE
August 07, 2016
South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman said it finally feels real when the full pads come on.
It’s not quite live action, but it gets closer to the real thing. After a summer of player-run practices and meetings, that’s what the Gamecocks want.
“It feels a lot more real,” Holloman said. “In the game, we’re going to wear full pads. Just getting toward the season, full pads is a step closer.”
South Carolina’s football team donned full pads Saturday morning for the first time in August camp. They were still running their thud tempo and not tackling to the ground, but it had the feel of near-full action.
----- Practice observations: Orth, Turner among first-teamers as USC goes full pads -----
The opening period seemed to cater to the change, and at points coaches had to tell players to dial back a bit on the tackling.
Players and staff reacted differently to this landmark in the practice period.
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said it wasn’t that big a change from shoulder pads and shorts (which the team wore earlier in the week), especially because they don’t employ live tackling. Holloman said the first padded practice brings more physicality, as it did in the spring.
“It’s something that you wait for all year,” defensive end Daniel Fennell said. “Then it comes and you’re excited for it. But I don’t think it’ll be much different. We may go full contact in our scrimmages, tackling to the ground. We’re already thudding.”
All the right moves
Fennell has never even played with his hand on the ground before coaches moved him from linebacker to defensive end.
Now he’s working on the minutiae of his craft.
“With Coach P, Mike Peterson, he’s helping me with pass rush moves,” Fennell said. “That’s what we’ve been working all spring, all summer, into this fall camp. I feel like our moves as a whole are coming together. Everyone’s got a move. He says get one or two moves, work on them, perfect them. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
Injury report
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was off to the side Saturday with injured players, though no official word was available yet. True freshman receiver Bryan Edwards was also out and has has been in a yellow, no-contact jersey at least a few days this week. Defensive lineman Dante Sawyer also did not practice during the media viewing period.
Center Alan Knott practiced with a club on his healing right hand.
Tight end Evan Hinson and defensive tackle Stephon Taylor, two freshmen listed on the preseason injury report, both practiced Saturday.
Next
The Gamecocks are set to practice twice Sunday. The team has three afternoon practices among eight total workouts in the upcoming week’s schedule, including its first scrimmage next Saturday (Aug. 13). All of those are closed.
The open-to-the-public practices are 6:30 p.m. Aug 15, 16 and 17.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article94116147.html#storylink=cpy
THE STATE
