SPORTS

Cards camp notes: Day 3 afternoon session

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj
Quarterback Will Gardner drops back to pass during practice. August 5, 2014

So Day 3 is all done and the veterans just conducted their most intense practice thus far.

The first four days of camp involve a four-part re-installation of the playbook for both the offense and defense. And then after Saturday's team scrimmage, the re-installation process starts all over again.

Whatever they worked on today looked a lot sharper than the past two days. I'm not sure if it was the pads coming on for the first time or what, but something clicked, especially with the offense.

In a world where losing Game 1 of a best-of-seven series is reason enough for the Apocalypse in some sports markets, there was definitely some muffled but noticeable panic among die-hard Louisville football fans when quarterback Will Gardner stumbled out of the gate in his first two days of preseason camp.

His Thursday performance probably quieted those concerns for now. See more on that in the "standouts" section below.

"He's getting a lot better," senior tight end Gerald Christian said of Gardner. "He's more comfortable in the offense. Coming from last year, it's a lot different. The coaches are on him but you can tell he's more relaxed. The first two days, it was a little rough for everybody. It doesn't take much time to get back into it."

For the first time this camp, Gardner was joined by freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, who in three short days has gone from "Can he play full-time quarterback?" questions to looking like the next quarterback in line after Gardner.

He moved up from the morning practices with the newcomers, and not by chance of schedule. It was a purposeful and intentional move, and the Trinity High product did well against the big boys.

"He's very talented," offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. "He's under control. He's done a really good job studying in the offseason and over the summer since he's been here. He's doing a really good job delivering the football. He has some of the intangibles that you can't coach -- the ability to make plays, feel pass rushers and move to certain spots."

DAY 3 AFTERNOON STANDOUTS

* I hate to be too quarterback-centric here, but two of the four stars of Thursday afternoon's practice were, in fact, quarterbacks. Gardner looked like a new man on Thursday, rifling passes around with verve and moxie. He laid two sublime tosses to a streaking Gerald Christian down the seams and at one point connected on five straight passes. He also had noticeable chemistry with DeVante Parker, who seemed open on each play, and pulled off a nice rollout touch pass across his body to James Quick.

* Bonnafon had his share of freshman moments -- a spoon-fed interception -- but he also threw well. The young QB found Gio Pascascio for an easy lob and walk-in score. He had no problem zipping passes around, and he took off on a scramble or two as well.

* I guess I kind of gave away who else I'd want to talk about by mentioning Christian and Parker, who both had sharp third practices. Safety Gerod Holliman had a nice pass breakup on a Gardner pass to Christian. Matt Milton made a nice catch in traffic. Michael Dyer blew through the defense for a touchdown run in 11-on-11 drills, though a safety blew his assignment on the play and left Andrew Johnson alone with Dyer.

NOTABLE

* QB Brett Nelson dropped a nicely lofted pass in the path of Michaelee Harris for a touchdown on what looked like a skinny post -- it was hard to tell from my vantage point.

* James Quick ran a bunch of routes with the first-team receivers today as he's eased back into the fold after some offseason off-the-field trouble.

* From the Don't Read Into It Too Much But How Can You Not Department: Bonnafon took center-quarterback exchange snaps with No. 2 center TC Klusman in team drills while expected starting center Jake Smith worked with Gardner.

* Oh, and another from that department: defensive end-turned-outside linebacker Deiontrez Mount left the field when the 3-4 switched to a 3-3 nickel package. That means the linebackers are Lorenzo Mauldin, James Burges and, at least for now, Keith Kelsey. I'd guess the fifth defensive back in on those packages is probably going to be James Sample, with Holliman staying at safety and Terell Floyd playing nickel back with corners Johnson and Charles Gaines.

QUOTABLE

"I actually watched a couple Trinity games last year. I like Reggie a lot. It's his athleticism and his confidence. For a freshman, he's a real confident kid. In football, if you lose your confidence, you don't have anything." -- senior receiver Matt Milton on freshman QB Reggie Bonnafon

INJURY UPDATE

There's nothing new to report here. Just cramping on Thursday. The players, too.