Practice report, 4/14

Hey everyone. Practice has ended. Here's what we learned:

• Auburn scrimmaged today. WR Darvin Adams was held out because of a shoulder injury, though he expects to participate in A-Day.
  
  
• Adams said DeAngelo Benton had a good day.
  
  
• The offense scored at least three touchdowns. They scored two early, which included a long pass from Cam Newton to Benton. He beat T'Sharvan Bell for that touchdown.
  
  
• Assistant coach Trooper Taylor was impressed with that play: ``We talk about catching balls in windows. That was a peep-hole. I don't have a drill for that."
  
  
• WR Kodi Burns caught a touchdown pass from Newton.
  
  
• Wideout Ralph Spry Jr. had a fumble and a touchdown. ``He has to get the track mentality out and become a football player," Taylor said.
  
  
• Taylor then turned around and said he's been most impressed with Spry and Blake this spring.
  
  
• Taylor said the weird scoring system of 2009 has been ditched. He said the teams will be mixed up (not 1s versus 2s) to provide some different challenges for players.
  
  
• LB Craig Stevens (left) said the defense wasn't up to the challenge initially. Once the scrimmage developed a tempo, though, he said the offense began to lose its verve.
  
  
• Taylor said the scrimmage mirrored last season (quick start, late struggles) and he let players know about it. He was not happy.
  
  
• He indicated that one of the interceptions was because WR Emory Blake made a mistake.
  
  
• Stevens said he's been impressed with the way Newton has handled business of the field. The quarterback, he said, arrived without arrogance and quietly worked to build trust.
  
  
• Adams said he likes watching Newton play because he brings the deep ball back into the fold. Asked if Newton was the only quarterback capable of throwing deep passes accurately, Adams quickly covered his tracks and said they're all capable.
  
  
• There were at least two interceptions -- one each from Ikeem Means and Drew Cole.
  
  
• Defensive coordinator Ted Roof (left) said nobody (reporters, fans) should infer things about his rotations based on what's happening right now. We learned the other day that Jonathan Evans was running with the No. 1 defense at strong-side linebacker. I still think that's significant, but Roof insists it isn't. It's important to remember that Daren Bates may fit in here somewhere.
  
  
• Roof said Bates, who is out with a shoulder injury, has pieced together a "good mental spring."
  
  
• Wes Byrum has been happy with his kicking so far this spring. He hopes to handle both field goals and kickoffs this fall.