By Bret Strelow | App State Athletics
BOONE, N.C. — Thursday's practice was the first Fall Camp session in full pads. Saturday's practice is the first scrimmage.
Friday's practice — No. 7, if you're counting — provided an opportunity to bridge those days with important work that wasn't overly physical.
"Tomorrow is a big day for us," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "It'll be our first scrimmage with officials out here, and we have two new coordinators with Coach Sloan and Coach Ponce. We'll really see how both staffs interact substitution-wise and getting different packages in the game and seeing if it runs smooth. That's going to be a big key for us to see if it's a successful scrimmage."
Frank Ponce is back for his third stint at App State and his second as the offensive coordinator, a role he also filled in 2021. That season, he called plays from the booth while the other four offensive assistants were at field level, and this is the first season that Ponce is working with receivers coach
Lawrence Dawsey and offensive line coach
Mike Cummings —
Justin Watts (tight ends) and
Brian Haines (running backs) were both at App State in 2021.
In his last stop as a defensive coordinator,
Scot Sloan operated from the sideline, after he worked from the booth as the co-defensive coordinator for the Mountaineers in 2017.
Rod West (cornerbacks) is the lone returning App State defensive assistant from last season, with
AJ Howard (outside linebackers) coming back to coach at his alma mater and join a staff that also includes
Travis Cunningham (inside linebackers) and
Victor Cabral (defensive line). Sloan, Cunningham and Cabral all worked together at Georgia Southern.
The first 11-on-11 portion of Friday's practice began with defensive end
Shawn Collins immediately applying sack-worthy pressure.
Ryan Burger had an early connection to
Dashaun Davis for a big gain, and
Joey Aguilar hit
Makai Jackson for touchdowns on back-to-back plays, although
Kyle Arnholt was bearing down on Aguilar before the second throw.
The Mountaineers practiced some situational and end-of-game scenarios, which can certainly become important. Remember
Chase Brice's delayed, clock-draining kneeldowns at Texas A&M, or the Hail Mary touchdown against Troy?
Grant Tucker, a 6-foot-3 freshman, came down with one long heave toward the end zone.
"It was a big special teams day for us and really situational football," Clark said. "We worked the last plays of the game, the Hail Mary — we always work that. And then third down — you can't get enough third-down pressures to really see if an offensive line can pick it up and see if the defense can cover in man coverage. There are a lot of good signs right now."
Dalton Stroman, the 6-4 receiver who made a leaping tip on the Hail Mary against Troy, continues to be a productive option for Burger and Aguilar despite the presence of tight coverage, although veteran cornerback
Jarrett Paul held his own during one noteworthy breakup in the end zone.
The loudest cheer of the day likely came on a breakup by
Omari Philyaw during a drill in which defensive backs were in one-on-one matchups with receivers close to the end zone.
Burger did find
Kaedin Robinson for a score during some 11-on-11 red-zone work, while running backs
Ahmani Marshall and
Kanye Roberts scored short-distance touchdowns. Summer newcomers
Thornton Gentry and
Griffin Scroggs joined the core of returning offensive linemen in receiving significant reps at times this week.
Outside linebacker
Brendan Harrington had a big breakup in the end zone during the same red-zone session and continued to show his leadership by addressing the entire defense at the end of practice.
"I think we know what we have on the offensive line and defensive line, and some guys have really emerged over the last few days," Clark said. "It's a great competition between Ryan and Joey, and each player, it's going out and competing against yourself. Have fun playing football, and they've done a great job throughout Fall Camp to put our offense in positions to be successful."
