Colorado State University Athletics
CSU football camp blog: Practice 8
8/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 11, 2011
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By Nick Frank
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Forget all the puns, running back Derek Good has been flat out good this fall.
The former walk-on was a bright spot for the offense during the live period of practice Thursday morning. Good had two carries for 49 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown run was capped by an impressive balancing act as defenders pushed Good within centimeters of stepping out of bounds.
Thus far in the live portions of fall camp, Good has paced the running backs with six carries for 165 yards and one touchdown. Recently, Head Coach Steve Fairchild acknowledged Good’s strong play.
“Derek Good continues to impress me every time we hand him the ball,” said Fairchild.
Good also figures to be in the mix for returning kickoffs. Last season, he set the Mountain West Conference record for kickoff return yards in a game (263) against Air Force, and led the country at one point in average.
Outside of Good, the offense was hard-pressed to find playmakers Thursday. The defense controlled most of practice, including third-down and goal-line situations. After practice, Fairchild attributed the defense’s dominance not to superior talent, but to their desire and passion to outwork the offense.
Maybe the most-improved area on the Rams defense is the secondary. On back-to-back plays at practice, the secondary came through with big pass breakups, coming from senior leaders Elijah-Blu Smith and Ivory Herd. Momo Thomas and freshman Austin Gray round out the starting secondary.
The Rams will practice at 4 p.m. Thursday and will only wear shells. Saturday, the team will host the first major scrimmage of the fall at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium at 2 p.m. Parking and admission are free to the public.
Good to go: The file of Brent Williams, who signed a National Letter of Intent with Washington in 2010, finally became complete this week, as transcripts arrived from his junior college, allowing him to begin the five-day NCAA acclimation period with a personal workout Wednesday afternoon while the team went through media day activities. He wasn’t allowed to wear shoulder pads Thursday. After his first shoulder-pad workouts Friday and Saturday, he will be allowed to wear full pads for the first time Monday, after the team’s day off Sunday. Fairchild said he doesn’t yet know whether Williams will be able to make up for time he missed and possibly play this year as technically a true freshman.
Big plays: Defensive end Nordly Capi registered an interception that he would have easily returned for a touchdown while jumping in front of a pass Thursday morning…Thomas Coffman made a diving catch in the end zone, beating out Dominique Vinson for a beautifully thrown ball by Pete Thomas.
Tedford in red: Ben Tedford has missed practice time this week with a shoulder issue, according to Fairchild. But the magnetic resonance imaging test looked favorable, and coaches expect Tedford back on the field soon. In his absence, true freshman Blake Jones has gotten a lot more reps.
Competition at safety: Fairchild remains high on true-freshman safeties Kevin Pierre-Louis and Trent Matthews, saying the transition from high school to college is a big step, but the Rams are going to see whether the duo can do it. Both players continued to take reps with the second-team defense Thursday.
Barrett receives praise: The coach had good things to say about Shaquil Barrett’s transition from more of an outside linebacker at Nebraska-Omaha to a middle linebacker at CSU. The sophomore has spent the fall entrenched as the No. 2 middle linebacker, getting personal tutoring from true senior Michael Kawulok, the starter entering spring whose ACL injury this past March will force him to redshirt this season. James Skelton is the likely starter in the middle, although Barrett (6-foot-2, 241 pounds) should play.
Depth up front: Fairchild said he’s impressed with the offensive line, not only the five likely starters, but also the depth developed by offensive coordinator and position coach Pat Meyer. Fairchild isn’t worried, like many coaches, about the quality of his seventh and eighth guys on that line, he said.
The coach noted that quality offensive-line and quarterback play dictate the desired tempo not only for the offense, but also the entire team during a given practice.
Eat up: After practice, players were fed slices of watermelon as part of the annual tradition set by Athletes in Action, a faith-based group that helps mentor athletes at the collegiate level.
Will the real Brian Wilson please stand up: Center Tyler McDermott resembled another famous sports figure at practice Thursday. Brian Wilson, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, garnered national attention for his eccentric personality and his dyed, jet-black beard. McDermott, who owns an impressive beard of his own, died it dark black in order to “bring out his eyes.”
Fairchild on the live period Thursday:
“The lesson there is who’s on edge, who’s playing with a passion? It has nothing to do with ability. It’s just, who’s dialed in?”
