Training Camp Day 1 Wrap-Ups

Stephen Tsai writes about yesterday's up-tempo first practice of training camp.

Unlike the previous nine training camps under June Jones, now head coach of Southern Methodist, yesterday's practice was a vision of perpetual motion.

The rapid-fire reps were a rude awakening for day dreamers.

"If you go on the field, you're learning," McMackin said. "They're all getting repetitions. They're not standing around listening to someone orate."

Dave Reardon has a column about Coach Mack's business-like attitude and the implementation of the "sudden change" sprints.

The concept of sudden change was a point of emphasis yesterday, and will be throughout camp and the season.

It means at anytime during practice the entire team may be assembled for, as Monty Python used to say, something completely different. Like basketball-style suicide sprints, which McMackin believes are of more value than the 220-yard conditioning test Jones preferred. To Mack, furlongs are for horses.

"You don't know when that horn's going to go off," defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea said. "You've got to be ready to go run those sprints, come back and do drills again."

Inoke Funaki talks about all the running the team had to do yesterday.

"It was very effective running," junior quarterback Inoke Funaki said. "From what I heard it seems like we're going to be running like that throughout camp, not just the 220 test and then kind of ease off. It's good, even though I complained during the running. I know it's good for us."

Jason Kaneshiro takes a look at the Graunke-less QB battle.

Funaki was first in the rotation yesterday, followed by Alexander and Rausch. But head coach Greg McMackin maintained that the competition would remain open for the first half of camp.

"I'm going to keep the same plan that we had," McMackin said. "We're looking at the JC guys, we'll make a decision in two weeks and all three of them are going to get reps. It's just cut down by one so they're going to get more reps."

Ferd Lewis writes that it's Inoke Funaki's time to shine.

The urgency of a situation that calls for a sharper edge and a commanding voice was not lost on Funaki or overlooked by teammates. He exhorted them, clapped his hands and pumped a fist or two. More important, he sought to lead by example and experience.

Leila Wai highlights the competition at the left tackle spot between Aaron Kia, Laupepa Letuli and Ray Hisatake.

Smith said Kia "separated himself from the other two" in spring ball.

Kia practiced with the first unit yesterday, Letuli with the second and Hisatake with the third, although Smith maintains that the competition will remain open during fall camp.

"Laupepa is smart and Ray is smart and they'll learn fast," Smith said. "They are all three going to get a lot of reps in the first couple of weeks before we make a decision and start seeing if we have to move guys to other spots."

Billy Hull has news and notes about Mana Silva being listed as first team safety, Haku Correa and Geordon Hanohano being held out as paperwork is processed, Alema Tachibana grayshirting, etc.

Stephen Tsai has news and notes about Francis Maka not being granted a medical hardship but remaining on as a student manager, Khevin Peoples moving back to running back, etc. He also takes a look at how the secondary is shaping up:

Miano said he expects Erik "E-Rob" Robinson to push Silva.

"That's a competitive battle that's probably going to go down to the wire," Miano said.

Silva displayed his quickness during yesterday's ladder drill in which players had to run sprints of 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards. Silva finished first.