Monday football practice quick hits: Jakes named starting QB

By Zach Greenwell

Well, what started out as an uneventful Monday morning practice picked up when reporters were informed that sophomore Kawaun Jakes has been named Western’s starting quarterback by Head Coach Willie Taggart.

Taggart said that he’s been impressed by how Jakes bounced back from his basketball-related ankle injury in the spring, as well as how quickly he’s picked up the West Coast offense. Taggart also said that having not seen much of Jakes in the spring, he was surprised by his ability to throw the ball.

Junior Matt Pelesasa will continue to back up Jakes in the No. 2 slot, and Taggart insinuated that true freshman Brandon Doughty will not automatically redshirt. The Toppers only have three quarterbacks on roster, so Taggart said Doughty will travel with the team and would be used in an “emergency situation.”

This is the fifth straight year that Western has had a different starting quarterback to start the season — Jakes, Brandon Smith in 2009, K.J. Black in 2008, David Wolke in 2007 and Justin Haddix in 2006.

I’ll have plenty more on the QB situation — including quotes and video from Taggart, Jakes and Pelesasa — at wkuherald.com later today.

A few other notes:

— Taggart said that the rest of the depth chart for Nebraska would start to fall into place over the next couple days. He also said that the team will firmly turn its attention to the Huskers later in the week.

— Junior running back Bobby Rainey sat out his fourth straight practice with a sore shoulder today, but Taggart officially went on record that he’d just prefer to let Rainey sit for right now and “save it for Nebraska.”

— The Herald’s still working to find out the latest on the “Antonio Andrews to Western” whispers. Andrews, a former Fort Campbell standout and Kentucky Mr. Football, is no longer on Air Force’s roster and is rumored to be coming to Western. No official word is out on that yet, and Western can’t comment until he’s officially on the team, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

We’re still working that from different angles, however, so stay tuned.

Friday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

Just got back from Western’s situational scrimmage football practice.

The Toppers worked through several different situations, lining up on the 35- and 50-yard lines early in practice, then moving to midfield and the red zone before backing up to the offense’s own goal line toward the end.

It was a poor day for the offense — probably one of its weakest so far this camp. The offense had several penalties and missed routes, and Head Coach Willie Taggart said he was kind of perplexed by the lack of focus.

Of the three quarterbacks, sophomore Kawaun Jakes was the clear winner today. Taggart said freshman Brandon Doughty began the day with two straight interceptions, and Pelesasa, who has returned from a tired throwing arm, never looked sharp and missed several throws.

It was just a weird day from the offense, to be honest. It probably comes down to a lack of mental focus — the kind of off day Taggart said he’d been waiting for — so it will be interesting to see how the Toppers respond tomorrow.

A few other thoughts from today’s scrimmage:

— Just a few people I saw sitting out of today’s practice — running backs Bobby Rainey and Avery Hibbitt, offensive lineman Adam Smith, receiver Dexter Haynes and linebacker Ben Duvall.

— Speaking of Rainey, I had a chance to talk with him after practice today. Rainey missed practice yesterday also with a sore shoulder, but I think both days have been purely precautionary. He should return to the field soon, yellow jersey in tote.

The conversation I had with Rainey was a pretty funny one. We talked football and just about everything outside it, including his tendency to play with himself on NCAA Football ’11 for Playstation 3.

Rainey commented on whether or not he’s rated fairly on the video game and even admitted that he sometimes puts himself in at QB when Jakes goes down hurt.

We of course also talked about the upcoming season and his expectations as an offensive leader. I’ll have that feature on Sunday, which is the team’s first day off since camp started.

I’ll have a notebook from today’s practice on the Web site soon, along with a feature on senior wide receiver Quinterrance Cooper. Cooper’s seen more losses than just about anybody on this Western squad, and he’ll be the first to tell you he’ll do anything Taggart says if it means wins.

Look for both of those stories at wkuherald.com later tonight.

Thursday football quick hits: Pelesasa, Rainey sit with minor injuries

By Zach Greenwell

It was a fairly light news day at Western’s football practice Thursday morning.

Junior quarterback Matt Pelesasa was once again held out with what’s being called a tired throwing arm. Sophomore Kawaun Jakes and freshman Brandon Doughty again took all of the snaps under center with Pelesasa sidelined, but Head Coach Willie Taggart said Pelesasa would be back for this afternoon’s second practice.

Junior running back Bobby Rainey was also out of pads – and the infamous yellow jersey – and was seen icing his left shoulder.

Taggart said that Rainey landed awkwardly on the shoulder during a drill, but that holding him out was just precautionary.

“He sprained his shoulder in the summer, and he went to catch a ball and just landed on it,” Taggart said. “He’ll be fine though.”

We’ve seen similar situations from Taggart a lot this fall with tackle Wes Jeffries, kicker Casey Tinius and of course, Pelesasa. It’s pretty clear that when a proven playmaker goes down with a minor injury, this staff would prefer to give him a few days rest over risking something more serious.

Doughty looks strong

We didn’t get to see much 11-on-11 today, but in the few drives we did see, I was really impressed by Doughty.

The true freshman’s mid-range to deep ball looked the best it has, hooking up with tight end Tristan Jones and receivers Quinterrance Cooper and Blake Ayers for receptions of 15 yards or more.

Although I don’t think these last couple days are enough to pull Doughty back into the race with Pelesasa and Jakes, it does make it seem like the future could be bright for him.

Of course, with the offense having such big success, that means that the defense didn’t have its best day.

Taggart said it’s been two straight days where the offense has decisively gotten the better of the D, and he said the latter needs to learn when to say “enough is enough.”

“We were a lot better offensively today than we were defensively,” Taggart said. “But the thing I did like about the defense was that we were running to the ball. It just wasn’t as much energy as there has been.

“The guys feed off each other. When they’re fired up, it’s hard to move the ball on them. When they’re just out there and quiet, it comes really easy for the offense.”

Taggart goes ‘big-time’

On a lighter note, Taggart elaborated on his dinner last night at the governor’s mansion with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and his wife.

Taggart was joined by Western Director of Athletics Ross Bjork and President Gary Ransdell.

“I had all the questions I could,” Taggart said. “It’s not like I get to talk to the governor every day. I said I wanted to make sure I got it all out while I was there.

“I felt big-time. I felt like I arrived a little bit there. I walked out with my chest up and a little pep in my step after that.”

Taggart was asked what he had to eat at the dinner and excitedly answered steak and potatoes.

“We were keeping it country,” Taggart said. “Keeping it country in the governor’s mansion.”

Wednesday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

Sorry I’m a little late today. The Toppers finished practice Wednesday right around noon, but I hung around after to chat with receivers coach Terry Obee.

I talked to Obee about the potential of freshman Willie McNeal, and how he can be an explosive piece of Western’s offense. Look for more on McNeal’s role this season at wkuherald.com later today.

Pelesasa rests

The biggest news of Wednesday’s practice was that junior quarterback Matt Pelesasa sat out for nearly all drills because of a sore throwing arm, according to Head Coach Willie Taggart.

I only saw Pelesasa take one rep during the time I was at practice, which was a ball greatly overthrown to Bobby Rainey.

In Pelesasa’s absence, I’d say sophomore Kawaun Jakes took about 70 percent of the snaps, while freshman Brandon Doughty got the rest.

It was a good day for both quarterbacks, as Western worked on attacking a nickel defense with short, quick passes.

I’ll have more quarterback updates in a notebook on the Herald’s Web site today.

A few other notes from today’s practice:

— Junior tackle Wes Jeffries was in a sling at practice Wednesday, but Taggart said that it was a minor arm injury that he has been nursing all camp. We’ll keep an eye on that situation, because Jeffries is simply a lineman that the Toppers can’t afford to lose.

— Senior linebacker Chris Bullard was back on the field with the first-team defense today. Bullard had been sidelined for the first week of camp after having minor knee surgery this summer.

— With kicker/punter Casey Tinius still out with a groin injury, freshman Hendrix Brakefield looked as impressive to me as he has all camp.

Brakefield rattled off about five or six straight solid punts at one point, showing that potential that Taggart has mentioned before.

Freshman kicker Monte Merrick, filling in for Tinius, also made the first field goal I can recall seeing him make so far, a chip shot from about 21 yards.

— A couple guys that impressed me today: receiver Jamarielle Brown and running back Dalton Cissell.

I know we’ve tooted Cissell’s horn on a few occasions to this point, but the freshman has frankly looked better than any RB in camp not named Bobby Rainey. Cissell’s biggest play of the day was a strong run of about 25 yards, taking down numerous tacklers along the way.

Again, look for a story on Willie McNeal and a full notebook on the day’s action at wkuherald.com in a little bit.

Tuesday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

Finally, they speak.

Western’s three quarterbacks became available to the media for the first time after Tuesday morning’s practice, and the standard line from all of them was that it’s more about improving right now than winning the starting job.

Head Coach Willie Taggart reiterated today that junior Matt Pelesasa and sophomore Kawaun Jakes have distanced themselves from true freshman Brandon Doughty, although Taggart hesitated to say that Doughty was out of the race altogether.

“Every year, as long as I’m head coach, we’re going to have some competition at that position,” Taggart said. “We need it. We need the best out of those guys all the time.

“Kawaun had a really good day today, but again, Matt made some good plays. Both those guys are coming. I’m happy with where they’re at, but they’ve got to continue working to separate themselves.”

Both Pelesasa and Jakes made some big plays Tuesday, with quite a bit of help from their receivers.

It was honestly one of the best days I’ve seen from the Toppers’ receiving corps, as everyone made both the routine and spectacular catch.

Pelesasa’s biggest score was on a pass to junior running back Bobby Rainey, who soared up to catch a ball well over his head in the end zone.

Jakes answered with an uncharacteristic long ball, a 65-yard bomb to senior Quinterrance Cooper for a touchdown.

Receivers Dexter Haynes and Willie McNeal also had some solid receptions.

If Pelesasa had any sort of lead over Jakes early in camp, I think it’s safe to say that Jakes has brought that battle back to neck-and-neck.

I’ll have a whole lot more on the quarterback situation, including videos of each of the candidates, at wkuherald.com later today.

Getting their kicks

We learned today that junior kicker/punter Casey Tinius has been suffering from a strained groin over the last few days.

In his absence, freshmen punters Hendrix Brakefield and Kevin Carrillo and freshman kicker Monte Merrick have handled the special teams duties.

Western will definitely need the services of Tinius, however, because although each of his replacements have shown flashes of brilliance, not every kick or punt has been gold.

Merrick’s only field goal try of the day was from about 38 yards, and it came up about five yards short and to the right.

“We’ve got to have a kicker,” Taggart said. “That kicker’s got to be great. We’re going to make sure (Tinius) is healthy, and make sure he’s ready to roll for us, because we’re going to need some field goals.”

Whoever wins the punting job will have to replace standout Jeremy Moore, who was a bright spot in last year’s 0-12 season.

Brakefield, a Nashville, Tenn., native, is listed as the starting punter on Western’s fall depth chart.

“There’s competition there too,” Taggart said. “We need someone to step up and do that part for our team. We look for those guys to be great at doing that.

“Some of those guys, like Brakefield, will kick the ball 60 yards, and then he’ll come back and kick it 20. We need some consistency, because he can do it.”

Monday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

Not a whole lot of news to report from Western’s football practice today, although we’re starting to see a lot more of quarterbacks Matt Pelesasa and Kawuan Jakes volleying for the starting job.

Jakes has really looked much better over the last couple days, and I’d say today was probably the best he’s looked so far in camp.

Jakes scored on a scramble of about 30 yards as soon as I arrived at Houchens-Smith Stadium, and he was able to make several solid short passes — basically chipping his way down the field.

Head Coach Willie Taggart said that Pelesasa didn’t have his best practice last night, and to be honest, I feel like Jakes has tightened that race considerably over the past couple days.

We’ll gain more perspective into that situation tomorrow when the quarterbacks become available for interviews for the first time after Tuesday’s practice.

A few other notes:

— Not only has the entire offensive line boycotted interviews until the Toppers win a game, but they’ve gotten their coach involved too. Offensive line coach Walt Wells was geared up to talk to me for a few minutes one-on-one today, until he was urged not to do so by his players.

I’ll have a feature on the veteran offensive line and their silence in a little bit, with some interesting quotes from Taggart and tight end Jack Doyle — assuming the O-line doesn’t find  a way to get the story off the Web.

— Junior running back Bobby Rainey has been wearing a yellow jersey in practice, and Taggart explained today that the jersey signifies that Rainey is not to be touched during drills.

Taggart said his first year at Stanford, when his running back corps went through six starters because of injury, persuaded him to protect Rainey, one of his biggest playmakers. Look for more on that in a notebook in a while.

— A few guys that stood out to me in practice today — running back Keyshawn Simpson, receiver Marcus Vasquez and defensive back Tyree Robinson.

Robinson was especially impressive, breaking up a pass in the end zone and intercepting another. If there was any position where I would expect some freshmen to break through, I’d imagine it would be in the inexperienced secondary.

Check wkuherald.com later tonight for full coverage of today’s practice.

NOTEBOOK: WKU adjusting to Taggart’s West Coast offense

Western Head Coach Willie Taggart addresses the Toppers after their Sunday morning practice. Taggart, Western's first-year coach, is working in the West Coast offense. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN RANDOLPH/HERALD

By Zach Greenwell

Willie Taggart may be in charge of the entire Western team this season, but sometimes he can’t hide his offensive roots.

The former standout Topper quarterback said after Sunday’s practice that he still gets a chuckle out of tricking the defense with wrinkles in his West Coast offense  — even if it’s his own D.

“Some of those defense guys will say, ‘Oh come on, we stopped playing that video game-type stuff,’ but you know, it’s legal,” Taggart said. “For us, we’re thinking outside the box and doing anything we can do to make ourselves better.

“Our offensive players love it, and it’s effective. You don’t just line up and let them tee off, but we’re going to make the defense think a little bit before they react.”

Related: Brooks leaves WR instincts behind with move to DB (w/video)

Western showed off a few of the new layers of its offense on Sunday, mixing several play-action passes into what was a run-heavy first practice.

Freshmen fullbacks Nick Baisch and Cy Schroeder were just a couple of the unlikely players to get involved with the passing game, each catching a few passes on rollouts. Junior tight end Tristan Jones also caught a couple balls out of a two-tight-end set with sophomore Jack Doyle.

Taggart said the coaching staff had to worry about the basics during the spring, but that they feel much more comfortable just letting people make plays now.

“In the spring, you had to tell those guys, but I think they took that and worked on it in the summer,” he said. “We’re not having a lot of missed assignments, which is great in this offense. It’s about winning the one-on-one battle.”

The coaching staff has been present during each offensive huddle so far this fall. Taggart said that it will stay that way until the Toppers scrimmage, and that’s when things like the play clock will become a factor.

“When we’re in practice, we want to make sure they know the play and can go out and execute it,” Taggart said. “Right now, we just want to make sure they get the snap and line up right and do things the right way.”

Taggart was asked how hard it can be for players to keep up with the difficult play calls in the new offense, and the first-year coach decided to rattle off a few play names for the media.

Most of them came out too fast to even be discernible on a recorder, and Taggart said that even he was fumbling over one or two in the huddle.

“If you’re new to it, it is (tough), but once you get it down — all you’ve got to be able to do is read as a quarterback,” said Taggart, tongue firmly in cheek. “If you can read, we’ll be fine. It’s not that hard.”

Cissell ‘calls out’ coach T

Freshman running back Dalton Cissell celebrates Sunday with freshman tight end Cy Schroeder after Cissell scored from three yards out. PHOTO BY PETE RODMAN/HERALD

One of the biggest surprises during the Toppers’ 11-on-11 drills Sunday was freshman running back Dalton Cissell.

Cissell, a 5-9, 193-pound walk-on from Shepherdsville, bowled over the defense on a drive led by junior quarterback Matt Pelesasa.

Cissell broke several tackles on a run of about 12 yards in the red zone, then forced his way in for a touchdown on a 3-yard run up the gut.

“I think he’s getting tired of coach Taggart yelling at him when he doesn’t run it in there hard,” Taggart said of Cissell. “I think he was calling me out on that – ‘Coach, I’ll show you I can run the ball in there.’ That’s how we want our running backs to run the ball. Rather than getting hit, we want them to deliver the hit.”

Muzzles coming off QBs soon

Western media relations informed reporters Sunday that Western’s three quarterbacks – Pelesasa, sophomore Kawaun Jakes and freshman Brandon Doughty – will likely become available for their first interviews this fall sometime this week.

For the portion of practice attended by media, Jakes worked with the first-team offense, while Pelesasa went with the second. Doughty did not take a rep for the final 45 minutes.

Taggart said the order at the end of practice was not an indication of who’s leading the race, because each quarterback rotates through the different strings.

“For those guys, it’s being consistent,” Taggart said. “Come next week, a guy’s going to start spending more time with the (first team) – whoever’s taking care of their business. Those guys understand that, and they’re taking it the right way.”

Taggart added that it’s been the plan all along to spread out each quarterback’s reps for the first week before gradually widening the gap.

“I wanted to come in this week and let them compete,” he said. “I wanted it to be fair, let them get reps and see who can move our offense. Not just going out and executing the plays, but leading our offense in the huddle and motivating their teammates.

“They all have those opportunities, and I’m looking to see who grabs it.”

Follow on Twitter (@chheraldsports) for daily football updates.

Sunday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

I just got in from Western’s first practice of the day. Today marks the Toppers’ first two-a-day session, as they will head back out to the field tonight for a second practice from 6:45-9:15 p.m.

Head Coach Willie Taggart called this morning’s practice the best of fall camp so far, and it was certainly evident that the team was fired up.

The first thing the media saw when we arrived was freshman fullback Nick Baisch catching a rollout pass from sophomore QB Kawaun Jakes for a 2-yard touchdown. The offense celebrated by singing the fight song, which Taggart said is simply more of the attempt to add excitement when the Toppers succeed.

The early practice was much more run-heavy with play-action passes sprinkled in. We saw a lot of unusual suspects — Baisch, fullback Cy Schroeder and junior Tristan Jones in a two-tight-end set — catching balls, but I’ll have more on the complexity of the West Coast offense from Taggart in a little bit.

A few other thoughts from today’s practice:

— With Casey Tinius out the last two days for undisclosed reasons, punters Hendrix Brakefield and Kevin Carrillo took all of the snaps during special teams. Each had a few impressive punts, but there were also several that left something to be desired, to say the least.

Freshman kicker Monte Merrick missed his lone field goal try, but he made an extra point attempt after a touchdown drive led by junior QB Matt Pelesasa.

–Junior running back Bobby Rainey and freshmen receivers Willie McNeal and Donald Campbell were the three players taking punt returns during the drills.

–Freshman running back Dalton Cissell, a walk-on, became the human highlight reel at the end of practice, breaking off a run of about 12 yards up the middle while shedding tackles, before punching it in from 3 yards out to score with Pelesasa under center. Look for more on Cissell from Taggart later today.

-Kawaun Jakes led the first team today during the final 11-on-11 drills, while Pelesasa followed with the second group. Freshman QB Brandon Doughty was not able to take any reps while the media was in attendance, but Taggart said that nothing could be read into the order in which all three lined up.

We also learned that the quarterback trio may become available to media for the first time within the next few days, so be looking for that.

-The only new injury update to pass along is that junior running back Avery Hibbitt has suffered a concussion, according to Taggart. There were several other players not in uniform today, but Taggart said it was just the usual wear-and-tear, and that the team has been extremely fortunate with injuries thus far.

Look for a full notebook and videos later, as well as a feature on the Toppers’ secondary — more specifically junior Derrius Brooks, who converted from receiver to cornerback this offseason — on the Herald’s Web site.

NOTEBOOK: Pelesasa and Jakes take small lead in WKU QB race

Matt Pelesasa, a junior transfer from the College of San Mateo, lines up under center Friday at Western's fifth practice of fall camp. Pelesasa is listed as the No. 1 quarterback ahead of incumbent starter Kawaun Jakes. PHOTO BY ARIANA MLAUGHLIN/HERALD

By Zach Greenwell

After four days of Western’s quarterback situation sitting at a stalemate, Head Coach Willie Taggart said after Friday’s practice that there’s finally been some separation.

Taggart said junior Matt Pelesasa and incumbent starter Kawaun Jakes have lifted themselves slightly above true freshman Brandon Doughty.

Kawaun Jakes is working as the No. 2 quarterback during Western's fall camp, but the starting spot entering the 2010 season remains open. PHOTO BY ARIANA MCLAUGHLIN/HERALD

“I would say Jakes and Matt are really close, and Brandon’s coming, but he’s not far,” Taggart said. “For him to be a freshman and this be new to him, he’s picking it up well, and that speaks volumes of the kid. You’ve got three guys you can probably do something with in our offense, and it has to be that way.”

Pelesasa earned most of the team’s reps in the spring while Jakes was out with an injured ankle.

Doughty, a Rivals three-star recruit from Florida, has closed the gap to the returnees faster than expected, Taggart said.

But while a tight race is healthy for competition, Taggart said someone will eventually have to break away from the pack.

“Guys go out and make good throws, and then the other will come in and do one, and that’s what it’s going to be about,” he said. “We’re not anywhere close to naming one because of how close they are. But one of them’s going to have to separate himself because we’re only going to have one quarterback.”

Making mismatches

One of the biggest highlights of Friday’s practice was the role of different running backs in Western’s passing game.

Junior backs Bobby Rainey and Avery Hibbitt caught several passes from each of the team’s three quarterbacks throughout the day.

Rainey had the most thrilling — a reception of at least 40 yards for a touchdown from Pelesasa.

Pelesasa scrambled out of the pocket and threw the desperation pass to Rainey off his back foot, but Rainey hauled it in on a vertical route for the score.

Hibbitt, a former Bowling Green High School standout, was also heavily involved in the offense, catching several slants across the middle for good gains.

“He’s really good with the ball in his hands, and we’ve got to do a good job as a coaching staff of putting the ball in his hands and let him do what he’s good at,” Taggart said of Hibbitt. “That’s why we put him back there, and I think he’s excited about it because it lets him do what he does best.”

Related: Energy not an issue at Friday’s practice, but discipline in the works

Hibbitt was recruited as a running back by the Western coaches – including Taggart during his first stint in Bowling Green– but eventually switched to the defensive backfield. It was announced at Monday’s first practice that Hibbitt has returned to his original position this season.

“I think Avery knew he’s an offensive player,” Taggart said. “I told him, ‘I just don’t see the emotion in you … playing defensive back.’ He’s showing it out there, and his teammates are starting to see it.”

If Taggart has it his way, the added complexity in the receiving game won’t end with Rainey and Hibbitt.

Taggart said the West Coast offense allows a team to exploit all kinds of mismatches, which will be the Toppers’ ‘bread and butter.’

“You can utilize all of your skill guys to make plays for us,” he said. “We’ve got to do that with mismatches and stuff. It’ll help us out as a football team to be able to do that, and to get in some passing formations without getting in the pass formation. It’s great to be able to get out three-wide and not have three receivers in there.

“To me, it goes back to backyard ball. Don’t think a lot, and act like you’re in the backyard — run a five-yard cut and then put a move on them. Those guys are catching on to that, and it’s good because we had a successful day throwing the ball to the backs.”

Getting hyped on D

When freshman defensive back Ty Scott intercepted Doughty during an 11-on-11 drill, Taggart said he heard one thing that concerned him — silence.

“I told our defense, ‘When you guys do something, I want you to celebrate. You got an interception and no one said anything.’ I don’t like that. That’s what we’re out there to do, and that’s big-time stuff. I don’t care if it’s in a practice or a game – you’re out here working hard to do it, so go celebrate with them.”

Senior linebacker Thomas Majors agreed that the defense wasn’t as amped as the day before.

Video: Majors talks defense after Friday’s practice

“It wasn’t a bad practice, but it wasn’t where we needed to be at,” Majors said. “We had a lot of enthusiasm yesterday, and I think we need to keep that every day. We didn’t take a step back, but we just need to keep the juice when we’re out there on the field.”

“Juice” has been Taggart’s new go-to catchphrase this fall — the new “Chasing Greatness,” if you will. Several of the players — like Majors — have adopted the term, but Taggart said he wants them to show it on the field as well.

“Don’t just act like, ‘That’s what we do,’ and walk off,” he said. “That doesn’t happen all the time, so when it does, let’s have fun together as a team.”

Follow on Twitter (@chheraldsports) for daily football updates.

Friday football practice quick hits

By Zach Greenwell

We learned a few things at Western’s Friday football practice.

First, in a stunning revelation I’m sure most of you haven’t noticed, it’s scorching outside.

Today was the Toppers’ first day back in Houchens-Smith Stadium since Monday night, and with the heat rising on Feix Field, several players were either already out of practice or went down with cramps during.

Just a quick list of people we saw out of practice today: Freshmen defensive backs Xavius Boyd and Vince Williams, senior receivers Seth Tamme and Quinterrance Cooper and junior defensive end Jared Clendenin, who was carted off the field with what looked like a pretty intense cramp.

We also learned that the entire running back corps will be significant in the passing game — not just junior Bobby Rainey.

Although Rainey did catch a long bomb downfield from junior quarterback Matt Pelesasa for a touchdown today, junior running back Avery Hibbitt, who has switched back to offense after playing defensive back last year, caught several passes across the middle for good gains.

I’ll have more on Hibbitt and the expanded roles of the running backs in Taggart’s West Coast Offense in a little bit.

Other than that, the biggest news of practice was that Taggart says Pelesasa and sophomore Kawaun Jakes are somewhat separated from freshman Brandon Doughty in the quarterback race at this point, although Taggart said Doughty isn’t far behind.

I’ll have more on the quarterbacks situation, as well as Taggart wanting more “juice” from the defense when it makes a big play in a notebook on the blog in a little bit.

Look for a recap of practice at wkuherald.com shortly.

EDIT — Almost forgot to mention that media relations informed us that per senior Preston King, the offensive line will not be speaking to the media until the Toppers win a game this season.

Add that to the fact that all quarterbacks are unavailable to us until further notice, and you see that our updates on offense are going to be limited for a while.

Follow on Twitter (@chheraldsports) for daily football updates.