photo by: Nick Krug

Running back Jake Sharp takes off upfield during practice at Memorial Stadium on Friday.

3:49 p.m.OK, now that we have some links posted, let’s get to question time.I appreciate everyone that responded to Thursday’s Sideline Report with things to look for during Friday’s practice.I think the easiest way to do this will be to go question by question. Let’s get started.(chuckberry) Who spent the most time at first string: Jake Sharp or Jocques Crawford?Sharp spent the most time with the first string, while Crawford had time with both the 1s and 2s. Crawford did receive plenty of reps with the first-teamers, so I would envision the offense much like it was last year. Brandon McAnderson and Sharp both were utilized plenty last year, and I assume the same will happen for Sharp and Crawford this year.(chuckberry) Gauge the sharpness of the offense.Reesing and the guys weren’t quite as crisp as they were last week. I wouldn’t chalk this up to anything in particular, but a few throws were off and there weren’t as many big gainers this week. No need for alarm, but after wowing the crowd last week, KU’s offense only had an OK showing in its limited scrimmage time Friday.(chuckberry) Is our offensive line holding up during pass protection?A lot of posters asked a similar question to this. I paid close attention to the offensive line during most of the scrimmage, and to me, it held up pretty well.Out of the nine passing plays I judged (I didn’t count screen passes), on five, Reesing had a comfortable pocket and time in which to throw. On two plays, Reesing was pressured, but stepped up in the pocket and found a target. On the other two, Reesing had to hurry his throw because of a collapsing pocket (on one, Reesing still made a play, launching a 30-yard throw and hitting Dezmon Briscoe on the fly). Keep in mind also that the starting right tackle, Jeremiah Hatch, did not participate in any of the scrimmage.Football beat writer Dugan Arnett will have a more in-depth look at the offensive line in Saturday’s Lawrence Journal-World.(topekahawk) I would be interested in knowing how the kickers are looking. Is Hoge the man?This might be an area to be concerned about. The kickers went through their drills early in practice, so I rushed to the back of the uprights so I could make sure to see if the kicks were good. Here were the results from 40 yards out:Stephen Hoge 0-for-3; Grady Fowler 1-for-2.Judging from the coaches’ reactions on the earlier kicks from Hoge and Fowler, not many of those were going through, either. Hoge kicked first, so I’m assuming he’s at the top of the depth chart, but this is a situation to follow closely. Though Mangino wasn’t asked about his kickers after practice, I’m sure it had to be troubling to see so many kicks missed to start off the day.(trojanhawk) #28 – Daymond Patterson. Is he our leading punt return candidate, or is he still splitting reps with Isiah Barfield? Does Patterson appear to be in the two-deep at WR?Mangino discusses the punt return game in his interview. Patterson appears to be the frontrunner for the punt-return duties based on the two open practices we’ve seen, but Barfield is right behind. Patterson also has been with the No. 2s on offense, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sneak into the receiver rotation at some point.(trojanhawk) Meier vs Rojas at punter? This competition seems to be pretty much over. Rojas took care of all the punts on Friday. He showed some potential, booming a pair of kicks more than 55 yards in the air. He was a little inconsistent, as a few kicks didn’t have much hang time, but I would think that would be expected from a guy that hasn’t punted in a year. Mangino also answered a question about Rojas in his interview.(trojanhawk) Any noticeable absences? We went over this a little bit earlier in the blog with Steward and Hatch not participating. The only other injury to report was Marcus Herford, who grabbed his left leg after getting taken to the turf on a sideline route. After a few seconds, he walked off on his own power, and the 200 or so fans gave him a nice ovation as he left the field. He should be fine, as later on, I saw him jogging on the sideline.2:27 p.m. Just added a photo gallery from practice. Also, KU just released its [2009 schedule][5].1:40 p.m.Here’s the post-practice audio interview from KU coach [Mark Mangino][3]. Some interesting stuff in there, including his assessment of punt returner Daymond Patterson, his assertion that KU is not hurting in running back depth and his high praise for Jeff Spikes, Jeremiah Hatch and the rest of the freshman class.12:53 p.m.Just back from open practice No. 2, and there’s quite a bit to report on. That’s probably a good thing, as it doesn’t look like there will be much more access with the team from now until the opening week.Check back on KUsports.com for some answers to your questions you asked in Thursday’s [blog][1]. We’ll also have Kansas coach Mark Mangino’s post-practice audio interview posted, along with some general observations from the day.To start off, though, I thought I’d give the offensive and defensive first teams from practice. An asterisk denotes that there is a note on that player at the bottom. Offense LT – No. 74 Jeff Spikes LG – No. 66 Adrian Mayes C – No. 50 Ryan Cantrell RG – No. 79 Chet Hartley RT – No. 70 Matt Darton TE – No. 87 Bradley DeDeaux WR – No. 88 Dexton Fields WR – No. 80 Dezmon Briscoe WR – No. 81 Johnathan Wilson RB – No. 1 Jake Sharp QB – No. 5 Todd Reesing Defense DE – No. 81 Russell Brorsen DT – No. 94 Caleb Blakesley DT – No. 97 Richard Johnson DE – No. 84 Jeff Wheeler LB – No. 8 Joe Mortensen LB – No. 12 James Holt LB – No. 40 Mike Rivera CB – No. 24 Kendrick Harper CB – No. 16 Chris Harris S – No. 25 Darrell Stuckey S – No. 46 Justin Thornton*- A few notes. Jeremiah Hatch was named the starter at right tackle by Mangino after practice, but Hatch didn’t participate in any of the team’s drills. He was quite the cheerleader, though, urging his O-line teammates on (loudly) while dragging his left leg slightly during his walks to and from the sideline. Odds are he’s a little dinged up but will be fine for the opener. Tight end A.J. Steward also was held out of all the offensive drills (he was in on some special teams run-throughs). While running, he kept his right arm mostly at his side. Kerry Meier was working as the backup quarterback, but I think it’s safe to pencil him into Wilson’s spot, if healthy. Not sure why John Larson wasn’t in the starting group on defense, but I’d assume that he’d be on the right side come Aug. 30.Keep checking back to KUsports.com and the Newell Post, as I’ll be updating the blog throughout the day. [4]: