U of L football veterans run through first practice
The so-called veterans practice finished just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, completing Louisville's first day back on the field ahead of the 2014 football season.
The returning players looked much bigger than the newcomers, as you'd expect, but they had similar consistency issues.
"First day's always the hardest, trying to get into football shape, which is totally different than running shape," tackle Jamon Brown said.
"But you know a lot of guys look forward to the first day because that means we'll be kicking off for the first day soon. It gets your taste buds wet."
Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said his team's fatigue forced them to push through the last sessions of practice, something they'll face throughout the season.
Quarterback Will Gardner, the expected starter, struggled at times in 11-on-11 drills, missing throws and having one picked off by safety Gerod Holliman.
But in all, Gardner still carried himself like the No. 1 quarterback, and the talent around him had the same moxie. Running back Dominique Brown showed off his 233-pound frame, and fellow tailback Michael Dyer looked just as fast and elusive as he did in spring practices.
"It was a fun day," Petrino said. "I thought they did a good job. It was fun to watch the new guys run around ... We got a lot out of it."
The newcomers are back at it at 8:50 tomorrow morning.
DAY 1 STANDOUTS
In the afternoon practice, there were a few. Safety Gerod Holliman had two interceptions in team drills, including one where he stuck with a receiver through three different moves, then cut inside of him in anticipation of the pass and picked it off.
Michael Dyer once again looked sharp running the ball, moving with speed and decisiveness.
Running back Dominique Brown caught a pass with one hand behind him after the ball was thrown late.
NOTABLE
The first day's first units are always interesting. They rarely stay the same, with small personnel tweaks here and there, but the first groups Louisville trotted out on Tuesday said a lot.
In the new 3-4 base defense, Louisville mostly stuck to the media guide preseason depth chart, with two exceptions: Terell Floyd moved to safety and Keith Kelsey played middle linebacker.
The setup: BJ DuBose and Sheldon Rankins at end, with DeAngelo Brown at nose tackle. Lorenzo Mauldin and Deiontrez Mount were the outside linebackers, with Kelsey and James Burgess on the inside. Charles Gaines and Andrew Johnson played cornerback, with Floyd and Gerod Holliman at safety.
On offense, the right side of the offensive line looked very different. Junior-college transfer Kelby Johnson and senior Chris Acosta lined up at tackle and guard, with Jake Smith at center and Jamon Brown (tackle) and John Miller (guard) on the left side.
Will Gardner was still the first-team quarterback, as you'd expect. Eli Rogers and DeVante Parker lined up as first-team receivers, with surprise inclusion Matt Milton, who played in place of James Quick. Dominique Brown was the single back, with Gerald Christian at tight end.
QUOTABLE
"I'll give him a break. We're both cheaters ... I don't know -- he was born earlier than me." -- cornerback Charles Gaines, searching for answers as to how running back Corvin Lamb beat him in the race to be Louisville's fastest player.
INJURY UPDATE
Freshman running back LJ Scott hobbled off the field while clutching his hamstring after a run off the tackle to the right sideline. The training staff worked on him and had him jog, then he stretched on his own. Practice ended when he was done stretching, so we'll see if he's out there tomorrow.
Linebacker Keith Brown is back on the field and fully healthy. He wore a knee brace but said he didn't even think about it when he was running through drills with the second-team defense.
Receiver Michaelee Harris, whose injuries nagged him through spring, went through practice without a hitch and appeared 100 percent.