A slew of Syracuse players weren’t in pads at Monday’s practice, or were simply absent altogether.

Kicker Ross Krautman was out again after he missed SU’s scrimmage in Fort Drum, N.Y., on Thursday with what head coach Scott Shafer called a slight groin strain.

Linebackers Oliver Vigille and Josh Kirkland, who has now missed more than a week, were both at practice but not in pads. Wide receiver Corey Winfield, defensive back Josh Mims and offensive lineman Kyle Knapp were also at practice, but didn’t wear pads and didn’t participate in drills. Knapp was absent from practice during the Orange’s entire week in Fort Drum.

Defensive end Tyler Marona was once again absent from practice. He’s missed more than a week now.

Allen takes 1st-team reps

Drew Allen has split first-team reps evenly at the quarterback position with Terrel Hunt during training camp, but Hunt has taken the majority of the looks with the first-team during the hurry-up drill Syracuse often runs during practice.

Not on Monday. Allen had taken his place, working with the starters as they quickly marched up and back on the short field, working without a huddle. Allen also was the first quarterback to work with the first team during the Orange’s scrimmage in Fort Drum.

Wide receiver Jarrod West, who had been working a bit with the second team, was also back with the first-team offense.

Quarterbacks pooch punting

Kickers pooch punting has been a regular occurrence through the first couple weeks of Syracuse training camp. Monday, the Orange added a wrinkle to the play as the quarterbacks worked on floating shallow punts into the left corner from midfield at the start of practice.

Hunt displayed the most proficiency, knocking a trickler inside the 5-yard line. He left a couple others short though and freshmen Austin Wilson and Mitch Kimble were no better.

An interesting, albeit possibly only-for-fun drill, but if nothing else Shafer is preparing the signal-callers for some 4th-and-short trickery.

Unique offensive line drill emphasizes pulling

Three-foot tall, red kickballs were rolling around the Manley Field House grass on Monday. But there weren’t any bases and nobody was calling for monkey ball.

The interior offensive linemen were working on pulling.

Offensive line coach Tim Daoust stood 10 yards in front of a single-file line of centers and guards, ball resting at his feet. One by one, he rolled the ball diagonally forward left or right as each lineman sprinted and dove around it.

They’d swing their inside elbow inside the ball as if it were a linebacker, theoretically freeing the SU ballcarrier to break outside for a big gain.

Published on August 19, 2013 at 6:08 pm