Kansas head football coach David Beaty watches a snap during spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

The Kansas University cornerback got burned, and the receiver had nothing but air between him and the end zone during Saturday morning’s spring football practice. That happens. The cornerback stopped running. That won’t happen again, unless he wants to be caught in the middle of a vise of incensed coaches one more time.

Cornerbacks coach Kenny Perry, a Tasmanian devil of a ball of fire, sprinted toward the offending player from one side. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, intensity personified, closed in from the other side of the field. Both ears were filled with what he did wrong, how to do it right and how horrible he looked quitting on the play. The corrections were loud, quick and didn’t leave any time for head-hanging because the urgency of the next play was upon them.

After watching the first three of first-year head coach David Beaty’s practices, it’s evident the momentum Bowen brought to the program during his time as interim head coach has been carried through to the beginning of Beaty’s tenure. Beaty lets his coaches coach and at the same time has the mobility to fly all over the field and let his voice be heard, his energy be shared. He does not coach from a golf cart and can outrun one with ease.

New wrinkles have been interesting to watch, such as the drill in which one play is run and five quarterbacks throw a pass to five different receivers. Beaty learned that from current TCU coach Kliff Kingsbury when they worked together at Texas A&M. It can be traced all the way back to Air Raid Offense creator Hal Mumme. More balls in the air means the quarterbacks throw more often, and the receivers catch more passes and drop more, too many of the latter so far.

Beaty avoids comparing the talent on hand to that the Jayhawks will face in the fall. He and his coaches won’t insult the players they are asking to bring it on every play, sometimes, such as Saturday, for three hours at a time. They won’t be called a pile of crap because all that would do is make them less confident when facing, week after week, teams with more size, speed, strength, skill and especially depth.

In terms of depth and playmakers, there is no questioning that Turner Gill left Charlie Weis with more talent than Weis left Beaty, except at offensive line and maybe D-line. That’s a score only those of us on the outside are interested in tracking.

Grading a little better every practice is where the focus of the players and coaches lies.