Read about Idaho State's starting offensive line here ...
Bengals bolstered by experience — ISU tempering O-line’s expectations despite its veteran presence
Find a photo gallery of day 2 here.
And in case you missed it, the Journal's story from day 1 of practice is available here.
Early observation from day 2: Senior running back Daniel McSurdy looks primed for a great senior year. In the first two days of practice, McSurdy has shown great speed and some pop. He's listed at 5-foot-11 and 196 pounds and he'll be a load to stop out of the backfield. As a junior, McSurdy averaged 4.7 yards a carry and finished with 184 yards for the season. He also caught five passes for 35 yards. It will be interesting to see how many touches McSurdy has this season.
Even if McSurdy doesn't have a bigger role in the offense, he'll still be on the field all the time contributing to special teams. Right now, McSurdy and Aaron Prier are the top two kickoff returners for the Bengals.
Quotable quote: From ISU offensive line coach Matt Troxel ...
Troxel talked about Idaho State's two freshmen offensive linemen, Chase Collins and Brian Fineanganofo. Neither is slotted in to start but both have promising futures.
“Brian joined us last spring, so he’s a freshman. He’s a big, long rangy kid. He’s never played offensive line before. He was a defensive lineman, tight end in high school. So it’s going to be fun for us to watch him develop, be able to put some weight on and see where he goes. He’s a heck of an athlete.
"And Chase is in the same boat where he’s 6-6. He got here and he was 250 pounds and now he’s 280. You expect him at some point to be able to push to play also because he’s got the measurables you look for that’s for sure.”
Offensive tackles Collins and Fineanganofo should figure into ISU's depth in the offensive line. The starters (which you can read about here) are set right now. Center Travis Namohala and guard Thomas Vazorka, who have both started in their time at Idaho State, are the immediate backups right now.
So while the Bengals do have five returning starters, the depth behind them isn't great. Nick Beckman, who would have been a senior, did not return to the team after a season-ending knee injury last season, and Colin Prestesater is still recovering from an injury.
If a couple starters go down it's possible the Bengals would have to rely on a freshman to fill in.
Wesley Wingrove on the offensive line's favorite place to eat ...
“We like to go to Wingers. They’ve got all-you-can-eat sticky fingers. You know, us O-lineman, we like to eat. ... On Saturdays at lunchtime it’s $9 bucks. But you can get it at dinner time and it’s like $15. So it’s still a pretty good deal. Usually when we go we take at least six or seven of us. They’ll just bring out three or four big plates. We’ll eat them all and then they’ll just bring out three or four more big plates.”
Additional notes: Freshman Zak Johnson looks like he's the guy for field goals and kickoffs.
Initial order of quarterback Justin Arias' backups right now ... 1) James Delacenserie, 2) Tanner Gueller, 3) Trae Pilster. Both Gueller and Pilster have had some positive moments over the first two days of practice. In one 7-on-7 drill, Gueller nailed Hagen Graves on a post. It was a perfect throw that Gueller had to thread through a couple defensive backs. In another 7-on-7, Pilster went 5 for 5 and looked like he was on fire. He couldn't miss.
But, of course, both Gueller and Pilster have had some rough moments. Gueller, in particular, struggled at times on Tuesday with slow reads and some missed throws.
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