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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- **The sight of a golden ram horn on a green helmet was a welcome one this week at East-West Shrine Game practice for quarterback Nick Stevens and offensive lineman Jake Bennett.
It's not simply that Stevens and Bennett were happy to be teammates for at least one more game after playing together at Colorado State. For Stevens in particular, the presence of Bennett allowed him an extra level of comfort working under center, something that has been a point of emphasis for all quarterbacks this week.
CSU's offense provided Stevens plenty of opportunities to work under center and take snaps from Bennett, so he doesn't face the same transition other quarterbacks have in learning to operate while dropping back, amplifying Stevens' advantage.
"It's awesome. It's like a broken-in baseball glove when he gets under center," Bennett said. "We know each other's timing well because we've done it thousands of times, so it's definitely comfortable with him back there."
The West team has shuffled its quarterbacks and centers throughout its three practices this week, so Stevens has taken snaps from every interior prospect on the squad.
"We've rotated centers, so I haven't been in there with him the whole time," Stevens said. "Both of us have talked and both of us feel super comfortable having all that experience together, having five years being under center -- especially because we ran an offense where we were under center a lot."
That has helped as the CSU standouts look to distinguish themselves. Stevens, a classic pro-style quarterback, wants to show that his skills and ability to read a defense translate to the NFL. That starts by incorporating some lessons from his coaches this week into his play -- including one designed to help simplify his reads.
"Just trying to eliminate as much as you can in a play," Stevens said. "When you go up to the line, instead of having to read the whole field, we split it down the middle if it's down the middle -- [to] split it down the middle, pick a side and stay on a side. Play loose, stuff like that."
Bennett, who was an all-state selection at Bear Creek High School before moving on to CSU, hopes to show his versatility, as he knows being able to play both guard positions as well as center could help him stick on a roster.
"I think it's hard to be just a center, so you've got to be versatile and be able to play those three [interior] positions. I think that's where I would fit in the NFL, being able to play anywhere in that middle three."
For both, the pro-style aspects of CSU's offense gave them an advantage heading into this week.
"Actually, one of the play calls is the exact same thing we run," Bennett said. "The concepts of the other ones are the same thing out of our playbook. So it's nice to have that background and that understanding. It's just more of a verbiage thing as far as flushing some old stuff [out] and getting some new stuff in."
But one thing that won't change -- at least for one more game -- is the green helmet and the gold horn both will wear together. For a final Saturday, Stevens and Bennett will be the harmonious pair that good quarterbacks and centers often are.
"We have chemistry," Stevens said, "and we're on the same page every time."
Andrew Mason offers his evaluations of 11 key players from the first two days of East-West Shrine Game practice. (Photos: Andrew Mason)
Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain has the longest arms of any wide receiver in the East-West Shrine Game (34.5 inches), but it's the long stride and acceleration of the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder that stands out. During Tuesday's practice, Fountain showed the ability to reach top speed in a hurry, allowing him to rack up yardage after the catch on screen and swing passes.
South Florida running back D'Ernest Johnson has posted two consecutive solid days of practice to open the week. The 5-foot-11, 204-pounder showed decisiveness in his cuts, allowing him to burst upfield for some solid gains. He also caught several passes out of the backfield that he was able to turn into double-digit pickups.
Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson looked smooth Tuesday working under center, showing marked progress compared to his work Monday, when he struggled with his timing on plays that were not run from the shotgun. Ferguson appears to have the best raw arm talent of the six quarterbacks on hand this week.
North Carolina State DT Kentavius Street was consistently in the backfield during Tuesday's East team practice, using a variety of moves to disrupt run and pass plays with equal effectiveness. Street delivered in one-on-one drills Tuesday, which allowed him to successfully build off a strong Monday practice in which he knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage.
Delaware defensive tackle Bilal Nichols was consistently disruptive during the team period of Tuesday's practice, building off a solid Monday in which he was able to defuse some of runs from the inside.
Nebraska cornerback Joshua Kalu showed good speed in staying step-for-step with UNLV WR Devonte Boyd during a one-on-one repetition Monday, allowing Boyd to get no separation up the right sideline. Kalu then capitalized off a throw that was short of Boyd, adjusting to the football in mid-air to win the jump ball with Boyd and finish with an interception. Kalu also tried to give himself an extra challenge by catching passes one-handed during a drill in practice Tuesday.
Edge rusher could be the strongest group here, and Central Michigan's Joe Ostman opened the week with two consecutive strong days that saw him consistently disrupt all of the West team's quarterbacks. The 6-foot-2, 248-pounder's strong play off the edge is no surprise; he had 14 sacks in just 10 games last season.
Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay delivered perhaps the best run of the day Tuesday in a nine-on-seven period, scampering through a hole to the left side for a long gain. Lindsay measured at 5-foot-7-3/8 and 185 pounds on Monday, and while he doesn't appear to project as an every-down back, he could flourish as a situational back. Lindsay also fielded punt returns during Monday's practice.
Washington State guard Cody O'Connell is the heaviest player at the East-West Shrine Game, checking in at 365 pounds, but the 6-foot-8-1/2-inch offensive lineman carries it well and showed solid fluidity and agility during West team line drills Tuesday.
USF QB Quinton Flowers has perhaps the biggest adjustment. At 5-foot-10 1/4, he is the shortest quarterback at the Shrine Game, and in college he was a prototypical dual-threat quarterback, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. On multiple occasions Monday, he tucked the ball away and scrambled instead of waiting for the opportunity to pass. Flowers also will have to do more work under center; he said he plans to continue taking extra snaps from under center over the next few months to prepare himself. He also showed additional versatility by fielding punts during Tuesday's practice.
Wisconsin's Alec James also had a disruptive day for the West team in Tuesday's practice, blowing up a handful of runs while also bursting off the edge for pressures that would have been sacks in game conditions. At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, James is strong at the point of attack and explosive for his size.
