Monday was a hot start to padded practice sessions for JMU Football as the players began wearing shoulder pads. Coach Houston and his staff really challenged their team about doing things the right way, and as Coach Houston stated after the session, some got it, and some didn’t get it so well. Here are some outtakes from Monday’s Practice:

• The battle in the trenches was a fairly physical affair. The Inside Run portion of the practice in my opinion was a win for the Defense. The front four really is a focal point for this team and it was at least a pretty good start for the defensive line. The Dukes expect to run the ball with efficiency and no doubt both sides of the line will be better because of who they practice against every day.
• Linebacker Landon Word had a good practice. He’s a guy that is going to be counted on a lot this year to fill the void of Kyre Hawkins who graduated and is now learning the ropes of coaching at JMU. Word caused a break up over the middle that concluded with a loud pop of his shoulder pads into the receiver.
• Freshman Devin Ravenel made a couple of catches that raised the eyebrows of those of us on the sideline. Coach Houston said after practice that Ravenel was a little further along than some of the other players at being ready to practice at the college level.
• The QB competition had another good day. Offensive Coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said that having too many good Quarterbacks doesn’t keep him up at night, and that Cole Johnson, Ben DiNucci, and Gage Moloney were progressing nicely but it was still way too early for a starter to be named.
• Practice wrapped up with Coach Houston telling the team that they WOULD practice hard every day and they WOULD be a physical football team and that Tuesday SHOULD yield better results in both areas. “You got me?”