MOBILE, Ala. -- In the last day in pads, both squads looked pretty good, showing pretty high effort and intensity. It was the last chance before Saturday's game for players to make a real impression in drills and in team work. There also were a few scraps in practice and some pushing and shoving after the whistle, which the coaches didn't discourage to a certain point.
Here are some observations from each of the practices:
North team
USC TE Fred Davis continued his productive week with another solid showing. He just seems to get open. Maybe he's not the most athletic tight end down here, but he has consistently caught the ball well, including making a fingertip catch early in practice.
West Virginia FB Owen Schmitt drove fellow RB Chauncey Washington all the way into the OL drills nearby in a pass-blocking, one-on-one drill. Schmitt has shown he knows how to block here, and he has been involved in the passing game as well.
Colorado DB Terrence Whitley stumbled a little bit during backpedalling and has looked a little behind other DBs in terms of technique.
USC LB Keith Rivers, who has consistently stood out, beat Washington --his college teammate -- in pass-rush drills and has looked the part as a three-down linebacker.
Oklahoma State WR Adarius Bowman had a rough start to the week, struggling on Tuesday especially, and he dropped a pass early in practice. However, he recovered later on with some nice grabs and made a better showing as the day went on. It appears he needs some coaching, but his physical traits are there.
Michigan LB Shawn Crable knocked Schmitt's helmet off -- in a reversal of roles, as Schmitt is usually the helmet buster -- but his day went south thereafter. After losing Oklahoma State RB Dantrell Savage in man coverage in a passing drill, getting turned around a bit, Crable later suffered an injury. His status for the game is questionable.
Penn State LB Dan Connor has looked solid for most of the week, but he has had a little trouble covering some of the quicker backs in practice. It's hard to say if Connor's stock has changed much for the better down here.
Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson has used his hands well, getting off the jam, and he has run nice routes. He looks a little like a tall running back and has caught almost everything. Nelson burned Iowa DB Charles Godfrey on a seam route for a touchdown from John David Booty. He told me this afternoon that the biggest adjustment has been the distance of the routes the coaches are asking him to run.
Indiana CB Tracy Porter has been up and down this week, showing good quickness but also looking vulnerable to some double moves at times. In passing drills, he lost New Mexico WR Marcus Smith on an out-and-up move and clapped his hands in anger afterwards. Raiders DB coach Darren Perry spent a few minutes talking with Porter after that play on the sidelines.
Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws has shown up a number of times this week, and he did so Wednesday by scrapping a little bit with Ohio State OT Kirk Barton. Both men have looked solid this week, and they have tangled a number if times.
Michigan State TE Kellen Davis made a nice catch in traffic but fell to the ground and was scolded by the coaches for not finishing the play. Typical college adjustment: In the pros, the ball would have been live because he hadn't been touched by a defender. Davis certainly looks the part and has made some nice grabs, but the mental aspect of the game might be a problem.
Virginia Tech LB Xavier Adibi was one of the few men to stop California RB Justn Forsett before he got into the open field, reading the screen beautifully and coming up to make the play on the ball.
Missouri TE Martin Rucker made two nice blocks: one on Connor on a swing pass to Forsett and one on a crackback pancake of Purdue DE Cliff Avril.
Delaware QB Joe Flacco dropped the exchange in one play during red-zone work, but he managed to pick the ball up and dump it off safely to Washington for a heady play.
South team
South Florida LB Ben Moffitt displayed so-so feet and quickness in a pad-agility drill to open practice.
Louisville WR Harry Douglas dropped what would be a sure touchdown on a well-thrown pass from Tennessee's Eric Ainge and probably needs to do something in the game to make up for a mediocre showing.
Another speed guy, Houston's Donnie Avery, is hard to miss because of his quickness, but he might be a one-trick pony. His forte is the deep route, and he runs them well, but those skills might not translate to being much more than a specialist in the pros. At one point, 49ers WR coach Jerry Sullivan got on Avery for running the wrong route. And later, Avery inexplicably ran into the backfield as if he thought the play was a reverse, throwing off the timing and getting into QB Andre Woodson's way.
Auburn CB Patrick Lee has looked good, but like Michigan State's Davis above, he needs to stay focused and finish off drills. Lee made an interception on one play but failed to turn up field and try to score, angerng the coaches.
Texas Tech DT Red Bryant is opening eyes with his play and massive size (6-5, 329), coming a bit out of nowhere. Most of the interior guys on the South roster who likely will fit best in zone-blocking schemeshave had their trouble matching up with him. In one play, Bryant pushed Bowling Green OG Kory Lichtensteiger back into the backfield, knocking his helmet off in the process.
Hampton DT-DE Kendall Langford went right around UTEP OT Oneil Cousins on one play, hardly touched.
The new star yesterday was Appalachian State WR Dexter Jackson, who made his first practice on Wednesday. He was added to the roster midweek after a spate of WR injuries and wasted no time making an impression. His route-running needs work for sure, but he caught the ball well in stride with his hands. And he overcame an easy drop later by making the best grab of the day -- a diving snag just inside the sideline on a pass from Hawaii's Colt Brennan. That was an NFL-quality catch.
Maryland DT Dre Moore is a load. He overpowered Texas A&M C Cody Wallace on two straight plays in OL drills and has looked tough to block all week. Moore spent a long time after practice talking to a Browns scout.
Georgia Tech DL Darrell Robertson developed a bad habit of jumping offsides during DL drills. He did it twice in a row then flinched on the third play, slowing down his eventual rush.
Alabama DE Wallace Gilberry made a fine play from the strong side, splitting Tennessee TE Cottam and Newberry College ORT BradHeath Benedict and getting into the backfield to tackle Tulane's Matt Forte for a loss.
It's hard to be sure what to make of Mississippi State LB Titus Brown. Some team likely will fall in love with his rush ability, and a few times this week he has flashed it. He went right around Cousins to get into the backfield in one play, maintaining his balance throughout. But Brown has looked out of place at times, too, likely needing some work before he can be a full-time linebacker. You know who he reminds me of a little bit? Giants LB Reggie Torbor, who never quite has lived up to expectations and has had to make a similar position transition in the pros. Of course, the guy is going to be starting in the Super Bowl next week for what it's worth.
