Spring Break
Smith turns heads at spring practice
Russell Blair
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Sports
With starting wide receivers Brad Kanuch and Kashif Moore returning, and incoming Florida duo from Florida, Dwayne Difton and Michael Lang arriving to Storrs in the summer, the wide receiver position is a immense position battle.
Making quite a case for himself at yesterday's practice was freshman Mike Smith.
Smith, one of just two true freshmen to start on offense last year alongside Jordan Todman, showed not only blistering speed but intelligent route running and the ability to make sharp cuts at the drop of a hat. In one drill early in practice Smith caught the ball on a simple 10-yard out pattern, but instead of simply running out of bounds he cut up field, dashing past the defensive back and off to the races.
"Look at that, what was a 10-yard out is now a 60-yard gain thanks to a great play like that," offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead shouted appreciatively.
In addition to his ability to utilize his speed to get past the defense, Smith showcased his ability to make catches in traffic, coming away with a few big grabs across the middle of the field, particularly on the slant
The Houston native came to Storrs because he knew he could play right away, and he continued to showcase his talents on Tuesday. As a true freshman, Smith racked up 137 yards in 13 games and earned his first collegiate start in UConn's last home game of the 2008 season against Pittsburgh.
"I saw an opportunity to play early when I committed here," Smith said. "When I committed it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I came and I played. I made big plays, I also messed up. But this year I'm working hard and looking to be one of the No. 1 receivers on the team."
Edsall saw the same thing, an explosive receiver who could be thrown into the rotation right away, not just to get reps when games were already decided, but to produce right away and continue to succeed throughout his career at UConn.
"We just saw a guy who we thought was one of the best guys we had from a receiving standpoint," Edsall said. "He understood the game well for a freshman; he knew where seams were and had the ability to catch the ball."
Making quite a case for himself at yesterday's practice was freshman Mike Smith.
Smith, one of just two true freshmen to start on offense last year alongside Jordan Todman, showed not only blistering speed but intelligent route running and the ability to make sharp cuts at the drop of a hat. In one drill early in practice Smith caught the ball on a simple 10-yard out pattern, but instead of simply running out of bounds he cut up field, dashing past the defensive back and off to the races.
"Look at that, what was a 10-yard out is now a 60-yard gain thanks to a great play like that," offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead shouted appreciatively.
In addition to his ability to utilize his speed to get past the defense, Smith showcased his ability to make catches in traffic, coming away with a few big grabs across the middle of the field, particularly on the slant
The Houston native came to Storrs because he knew he could play right away, and he continued to showcase his talents on Tuesday. As a true freshman, Smith racked up 137 yards in 13 games and earned his first collegiate start in UConn's last home game of the 2008 season against Pittsburgh.
"I saw an opportunity to play early when I committed here," Smith said. "When I committed it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I came and I played. I made big plays, I also messed up. But this year I'm working hard and looking to be one of the No. 1 receivers on the team."
Edsall saw the same thing, an explosive receiver who could be thrown into the rotation right away, not just to get reps when games were already decided, but to produce right away and continue to succeed throughout his career at UConn.
"We just saw a guy who we thought was one of the best guys we had from a receiving standpoint," Edsall said. "He understood the game well for a freshman; he knew where seams were and had the ability to catch the ball."
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