Cal Football Spring Ball 2018: Practice Notebook #4

There was high energy on the field today, drills seemed to run smoother and players seemed to have run faster. Overall, there was more hustle. Whether my anticipation of the players being fully geared had exaggerated my observation is unclear. Regardless, it was evident that the players were excited to practice today. Eight practices in, everyone looked more familiar with game plays and position-specific drills than even earlier this week.

Notes:

• Bowers perfect pass to Laird
• Derron Brown stops running backs at every rep
• Chase Forrest inconsistent with his passes. Can get an accurate 20 yard throw, but then follows with a a diagonal 10 yard pass that falls short
• Hiroaki Endo with a beautiful catch at the 5 yard line from a tip off of Branden Smith
• Mcllwain hits target right on the chest during drills. Bowers consistently comes up high, either at the players’ chin or top of the helmet. Garbers is consistently low, hitting the player’s upper thigh.
• Pseudo Oklahoma Drill: Cameron Goode lays an anchored tackle on Derrick Clark twice in a row. Netherda with a pretty spin move to get past the defense. Malik Psalms gets a solid tackle. Overall, defense looked stronger tracking left than right in this drill.
• Netherda easy run down the field off a hand off. Once again, he uses his ability to find open spaces in the defense to run his own path.
• Biaggio Walsh gets a hand off from Garbers, gets through a gaping big hole on the right of defense.
• Coutts pulling up short on his punts. All three landed around the 17 yard line after kicking from the 30 yard line of the opposing side
• Bowers great 35 yard throw to Tight End Ray Hudson straight down the center
• Laird uses speed to run down the right sideline for an easy touchdown
• Daniel Scott lays Jake Ashton down, while he is midair, after he caught a throw from Garbers center field.
• Bynum intercepts Chase Garbers intended for Ricky Walker.
• Bowers and Taariq Johnson consecutively gaining yards in 3rd down drill
• Clark finds a gap, gains 30 yards off a hand off from Forrest.
• Netherda again! Three times in a row! From a hand off, Netherda, pushed through defense all the way to the end zone.
• Reinwald and Garbers had a couple great plays today
• Off pass from Mcllwain, but Ricky Walker executes a beautiful catch at 50 yards, capping it off with a touchdown.