Cowboys Practice in War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday
The Wyoming Cowboys practiced in War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. The ninth practice of the season incorporated extensive work on various facets of the kicking game, including: punt and punt coverage, on-side kicks and field goals. Wednesday’s practice concluded with a two-minute drill.
Head coach Craig Bohl said the move to the stadium was in part due to the desire to focus on the kicking game and conduct a two-minute period, as well as to get some work in on artificial turf. The Cowboys have practiced primarily on grass the previous eight practices of the fall.
Several Cowboys returned to practice on Wednesday as they recover from injury and illness.
Wednesday’s Practice Notes
∙Among the players returning to practice on Wednesday were senior fullback Drew Van Maanen. He was out of a red jersey and was back taking reps on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring strain the first week of fall camp.
∙Sophomore wide receiver C.J. Johnson continued to participate in more drills as he recovers from a bout with mononucleosis this past offseason.
∙Sophomore defensive end Shiloh Windsor has transitioned from street clothes to a red jersey, meaning he is still limited but able to participate in some practice activities after he went through concussion protocol.
∙Bohl announced that senior nose tackle Sidney Malauulu tweaked his back in Wednesday’s practice and would likely be held out of practice on Thursday.
∙Junior free safety Marcus Epps intercepted another pass on Wednesday, and nearly had a second interception on a tipped ball.
∙Cowboy quarterbacks Josh Allen and Nick Smith were seen connecting with a number of receivers on big plays, including key receptions by junior wide receiver James Price, sophomore wideout John Okwoli and true freshman wide receiver Jared Scott.
∙A couple of Wyoming natives, redshirt freshman wide receiver Dontae Crow from Sheridan and true freshman center Logan Harris from Torrington rotated in on several reps with the No. 1 offense on Wednesday.
Quoting the Coach (Quotes from Head Coach Craig Bohl)
“We worked out in War Memorial Stadium today to work on some two-minute offense and some kicking,” said Bohl. “It’s also good to get back in our own stadium to get acclimated again. We were not in full gear today. We were in our spiders, trying to do some mental work and break up camp a little bit.
“Some of the individuals who have been pleasant surprises are: Dontae Crow, who is starting to get some meaningful reps with the No. 1s; and Logan Harris, who is a guy we’re looking at at center. He’s taking some reps and is doing a good job. Logan is a strong guy. He’s about 310 pounds and we’re looking at him in a backup role.
“I thought the quarterbacks threw the well today, both Josh (Allen) and Nick (Smith).
“Jared Scott is coming around as a receiver.
“It was somewhat difficult to see some things on defense today due to the fact that we were not in full pads.”
Bohl was asked if Harris was competing for the No. 1 spot at center or the backup position and who else was in the mix?
“Gavin (Rush) is our No. 1 center, but I would say we’re looking at Logan at little bit more right now than Patrick (Arnold),” said Bohl. “We’re going to continue to move those guys back and forth, but Logan has been a pleasant surprise for us. Initially, we thought he would be a developmental guy, but he is a good athlete. He was an outstanding shot putter in track. He’s got a good strong presence, and he doesn’t get flustered much. Obviously, any time we have a player from Wyoming who is doing some good things that is always encouraging.”
The Head Coach was Asked if There Were Some Physical and Mental Improvement by Josh Allen That Bohl Had Seen This Offseason.
“His completion percentage needs to improve and his interception ratio needs to go down, and we’ve seen those improvements in fall camp,” said Bohl. “He’s certainly not a finished product, but the number of good decisions he’s making has improved. We chart those factors -- completion percentage, interceptions and decision making -- every day in practice and we’re well pleased. Certainly there are some days that are better than others, but Josh has owned his work and has really become an effective leader and has improved in his fundamental skills.
“Josh studied a lot of tape during the course of the summer. The advantage that Josh had this summer is he had tape on himself from last year. Sometimes you can watch tape of somebody else but it’s not the same as watching yourself and remembering what you were seeing and feeling on a certain play. It has been encouraging to see his improvement.
Running Back is a Position That Had Three Players Competing for the Starting Spot Entering Fall Camp. Bohl was Asked to Provide an Update on the Competition at the Running Back Position.
“We would like to have someone emerge, but that has really not been the case yet,” said Bohl. “We were really pleased with Kellen’s (Overstreet) movement (coming off an injury and redshirt year last season). We track players’ movement with GPS chips, and his player load and acceleration are better than when he was a freshman. He looked like he was moving better and the data showed that. But he’s been nicked up with a hamstring, so right now it’s been between Milo (Hall) and Nico (Evans) carrying the majority of the load. I would say right now it would be unlikely that we play a freshman at the tailback position. You never know, but that’s how we see it.”
A Young Receiver That the Head Coach was Asked to Comment on was Sophomore John Okwoli.
“Every day is a new day, but yes we do like what we see from John (Okwoli),” said Bohl. “He’s done some good things. I think also what has occurred is last year a lot of those young receivers looked and saw the number of older receivers we had, whether they were tight ends or Tanner (Gentry) or Jake (Maulhardt), and now they look around the meeting room and the field and say now is my time. I think we’ve seen accelerated growth from those players because of that.”
The Final Question of the day was in Regard to the Speed With Which the Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center is Being Constructed.
“Sometimes when we are out on the field going through practice you don’t recognize all the work that has gone on, but we appreciate those guys working on that project,” said Bohl. “They’re making great progress. I was one of those ‘hod carriers’ when I was in college. Once in awhile I look up there and see those guys and it makes me want to go up there and start work.”
The Wyoming Cowboys practiced in War Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. The ninth practice of the season incorporated extensive work on various facets of the kicking game, including: punt and punt coverage, on-side kicks and field goals. Wednesday’s practice concluded with a two-minute drill.
Head coach Craig Bohl said the move to the stadium was in part due to the desire to focus on the kicking game and conduct a two-minute period, as well as to get some work in on artificial turf. The Cowboys have practiced primarily on grass the previous eight practices of the fall.
Several Cowboys returned to practice on Wednesday as they recover from injury and illness.
Wednesday’s Practice Notes
∙Among the players returning to practice on Wednesday were senior fullback Drew Van Maanen. He was out of a red jersey and was back taking reps on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring strain the first week of fall camp.
∙Sophomore wide receiver C.J. Johnson continued to participate in more drills as he recovers from a bout with mononucleosis this past offseason.
∙Sophomore defensive end Shiloh Windsor has transitioned from street clothes to a red jersey, meaning he is still limited but able to participate in some practice activities after he went through concussion protocol.
∙Bohl announced that senior nose tackle Sidney Malauulu tweaked his back in Wednesday’s practice and would likely be held out of practice on Thursday.
∙Junior free safety Marcus Epps intercepted another pass on Wednesday, and nearly had a second interception on a tipped ball.
∙Cowboy quarterbacks Josh Allen and Nick Smith were seen connecting with a number of receivers on big plays, including key receptions by junior wide receiver James Price, sophomore wideout John Okwoli and true freshman wide receiver Jared Scott.
∙A couple of Wyoming natives, redshirt freshman wide receiver Dontae Crow from Sheridan and true freshman center Logan Harris from Torrington rotated in on several reps with the No. 1 offense on Wednesday.
Quoting the Coach (Quotes from Head Coach Craig Bohl)
“We worked out in War Memorial Stadium today to work on some two-minute offense and some kicking,” said Bohl. “It’s also good to get back in our own stadium to get acclimated again. We were not in full gear today. We were in our spiders, trying to do some mental work and break up camp a little bit.
“Some of the individuals who have been pleasant surprises are: Dontae Crow, who is starting to get some meaningful reps with the No. 1s; and Logan Harris, who is a guy we’re looking at at center. He’s taking some reps and is doing a good job. Logan is a strong guy. He’s about 310 pounds and we’re looking at him in a backup role.
“I thought the quarterbacks threw the well today, both Josh (Allen) and Nick (Smith).
“Jared Scott is coming around as a receiver.
“It was somewhat difficult to see some things on defense today due to the fact that we were not in full pads.”
Bohl was asked if Harris was competing for the No. 1 spot at center or the backup position and who else was in the mix?
“Gavin (Rush) is our No. 1 center, but I would say we’re looking at Logan at little bit more right now than Patrick (Arnold),” said Bohl. “We’re going to continue to move those guys back and forth, but Logan has been a pleasant surprise for us. Initially, we thought he would be a developmental guy, but he is a good athlete. He was an outstanding shot putter in track. He’s got a good strong presence, and he doesn’t get flustered much. Obviously, any time we have a player from Wyoming who is doing some good things that is always encouraging.”
The Head Coach was Asked if There Were Some Physical and Mental Improvement by Josh Allen That Bohl Had Seen This Offseason.
“His completion percentage needs to improve and his interception ratio needs to go down, and we’ve seen those improvements in fall camp,” said Bohl. “He’s certainly not a finished product, but the number of good decisions he’s making has improved. We chart those factors -- completion percentage, interceptions and decision making -- every day in practice and we’re well pleased. Certainly there are some days that are better than others, but Josh has owned his work and has really become an effective leader and has improved in his fundamental skills.
“Josh studied a lot of tape during the course of the summer. The advantage that Josh had this summer is he had tape on himself from last year. Sometimes you can watch tape of somebody else but it’s not the same as watching yourself and remembering what you were seeing and feeling on a certain play. It has been encouraging to see his improvement.
Running Back is a Position That Had Three Players Competing for the Starting Spot Entering Fall Camp. Bohl was Asked to Provide an Update on the Competition at the Running Back Position.
“We would like to have someone emerge, but that has really not been the case yet,” said Bohl. “We were really pleased with Kellen’s (Overstreet) movement (coming off an injury and redshirt year last season). We track players’ movement with GPS chips, and his player load and acceleration are better than when he was a freshman. He looked like he was moving better and the data showed that. But he’s been nicked up with a hamstring, so right now it’s been between Milo (Hall) and Nico (Evans) carrying the majority of the load. I would say right now it would be unlikely that we play a freshman at the tailback position. You never know, but that’s how we see it.”
A Young Receiver That the Head Coach was Asked to Comment on was Sophomore John Okwoli.
“Every day is a new day, but yes we do like what we see from John (Okwoli),” said Bohl. “He’s done some good things. I think also what has occurred is last year a lot of those young receivers looked and saw the number of older receivers we had, whether they were tight ends or Tanner (Gentry) or Jake (Maulhardt), and now they look around the meeting room and the field and say now is my time. I think we’ve seen accelerated growth from those players because of that.”
The Final Question of the day was in Regard to the Speed With Which the Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center is Being Constructed.
“Sometimes when we are out on the field going through practice you don’t recognize all the work that has gone on, but we appreciate those guys working on that project,” said Bohl. “They’re making great progress. I was one of those ‘hod carriers’ when I was in college. Once in awhile I look up there and see those guys and it makes me want to go up there and start work.”
