KU tailback James Sims takes a beating during a running back drill at Wednesday's practice. by Matt Tait

One of the more interesting moments from Wednesday’s practice came after the team wrapped up its stretching and moved on to individual drills by position.

Before they broke into groups, KU coach Charlie Weis called the whole team to the middle of the field for a quick talk. What he said was hard to pick up thanks to the wind — and I’m sure Coach Weis was trying to keep the volume down a little, too — but the bits and pieces I was able to make out were kind of interesting to here.

• “If you can’t run the play...”

• “Full speed.”

• “Now, let’s go to work.”

I know. Nothing groundbreaking. But when you throw those snippets into the context of understanding that Weis put together a whole new offensive gameplan just for this week’s game against Oklahoma, it was kind of interesting to hear.

I, for one, can’t wait to see what wrinkles Weis adds to the offense now that he’ll have both Dayne Crist and Michael Cummings in the mix at quarterback.

It could be subtle. It could be obvious. Maybe it’s something really cool that I don’t even know about.

Either way, it seems clear that the KU offense — coaches and players — has been working overtime this week to give the Jayhawks some kind of chance against the Sooners this weekend in Norman.

For those following along, yesterday my official stance was that Crist would start and Cummings would play more. It’s changed. I think Cummings gets the start and, if he does well, I’m not sure he’ll come out much. I’m not basing that on anything other than what’s in my own mind and a little over-analysis of the question at hand.

Check back tomorrow, and again Friday, as it’s certainly possible that my “gut feeling” could change yet again.

Here’s what else caught my eye at Wednesday’s practice:

• Still no Daymond Patterson. The senior wide receiver has been dealing with the effects of a head injury this week and the longer things go with him not practicing the less likely it becomes that he will play this weekend, especially when you consider that they’re adding a new look to the offense. As a side note, I think it's going to be real interesting to see who steps up if Patterson can't go. With him and D.J. Beshears both out, there's an opportunity out there for someone to raise his game. True freshman Tre' Parmalee did that against Oklahoma State, so he might be the most obvious choice. That said, I think Kale Pick is in for a huge game against the Sooners. There just seems to be some kind of special between Pick and Cummings.

• Tony Pierson looked good today, but he was once again held out of some of the heavy contact drills. They didn’t go as easy on him today as they did yesterday, but he was still limited in some capacity. Most likely just a precaution. If there’s a chance he can play, I’m betting he’ll play. It’s gonna take all of KU’s bullets to hang with OU.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “No Apologies” by Bon Jovi.

KU quarterbacks Dayne Crist (10) and Michael Cummings (14) catch a quick break during Tuesday's practice. KU coach Charlie Weis said both would play this weekend at Oklahoma but did not divulge which would start. by Matt Tait

Not a ton of news from today’s practice, but since KU is in the middle of figure out its quarterback situation, I spent most of the day watching the way things unfolded at that position.

I didn’t get to watch them run any live offense or anything like that, so this will not be a breakdown of what Michael Cummings can do or did versus what Dayne Crist can do or did. Besides, don’t we know that by this point?

It will, however, be a breakdown of how these two are handling what KU coach Charlie Weis dubbed earlier today “a distraction.”

In a word — well.

There did not appear to be any animosity or anything different between Crist and Cummings today. They went through drills the same way, worked together, laughed at times and even seemed to help each other out whenever possible. We’ve heard all year that this is a close team and that these guys are genuinely interested in how they can help the team, regardless of what specific role they play. Crist and Cummings are proof that those words are not just lip service.

By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard or read that Weis plans to play both QBs this weekend at Oklahoma. He did not divulge who the starter would be and kept a tight lid on how the snaps would be divided. But, reading between the lines, I have to believe that Weis has a doozy of a gameplan in store for the Sooners this weekend, one with all kinds of new looks and wrinkles.

For most of the week, I had been leaning toward the vibe that Cummings would get the start, but now that I know — or at least have been led to believe — that both WILL play, I’m leaning more to Crist.

Here’s why:

If he starts Crist, he knows what he’s getting. So do the rest of us. I’m sure the thinking is, ‘Why not see if he’s hot and can move the ball in the first and second quarter the way he did against Kansas State or even, at times, Oklahoma State. If he doesn’t, then you go to Cummings, who already has shown what kind of spark he can provide off the bench.

If Weis starts Cummings and he struggles, I’m not so sure going back to Crist would provide the same lift.

Make sense?

So, as of 5:37 p.m. CST Tuesday, put me down for Crist starts but Cummings plays more. I’m sure I’ll be updating this position throughout the week.

Now, as for what else caught my eye at Tuesday’s practice, here’s a quick look:

• As expected, senior wide receiver Daymond Patterson was nowhere to be found. Weis said earlier in the day that DP would not practice today and that he was questionable for Saturday because of a head injury. Senior wideout D.J. Beshears also was absent. Beshears is out for an extended period of time because of a shoulder injury that required some type of medical procedure Monday.

• Good news on the injury front came from sophomore running back Tony Pierson, who looked closer to full-speed and went through drills with a much smaller brace on his left elbow. Pierson remains a question mark for Saturday, but it looks like he’s closer to playing than he was a week ago at this time. The “brace” that he wore today was merely a small flap that covered the joint and some type of small wrap above and below it.

• As for how Crist and Cummings handled reps, I was not allowed to stay for that, but Weis said earlier in the day that Cummings would lead off one drill and Crist would lead the next and that both would get equal work in each. Not the grandest detail, but interesting nonetheless. One other thing that’s interesting is that it sounds as if the team knows what the gameplan will be with these guys. As expected, Weis has been very clear in explaining to them that they are not to discuss it with the media this week, so don’t expect anything to leak that way. I’m not.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Dancin’ in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen.

KU running back went through Wednesday's practice with a bulky brace on his left elbow. by Matt Tait

First thing’s first... Let me just tell you that there were two reporters from the University Daily Kansan present at today’s practice and, at least from where I stood, there did not appear to be too much bad blood floating around between them and the football program over the fiasco that has emerged regarding the Kansan’s KU football coverage and KU’s response to it.

I’m not going to get into it too much because it has nothing to do with me or the football team that I cover, but I will say that I think a little of the blame falls on both sides for the way this thing has been handled. And it seems certain to me that both sides are remorseful about that.

Do I think KU coach Charlie Weis is bullying UDK reporters? Absolutely not. Do I think things could have been handled better? You bet.

Whether the Kansan reporter in question was called aside by KU officials out of a courtesy to him or as an intimidation tactic, here’s hoping all parties involved — and even those not involved — learned a valuable lesson here and can move on without any ill feelings.

OK, back to practice...

Just a couple of quick things that caught my eye today and the most relevant of them all was the giant brace on Tony Pierson’s left elbow.

Weis has said all week that Pierson should play this weekend against Oklahoma State and it certainly looks like that will be the case. But I do think there’s at least some pain still associated with the elbow and that Pierson will have to overcome some potential pain to be effective. Fortunately for the Jayhawks, Pierson’s biggest weapon is his speed and a bum elbow does nothing to hurt that.

I noticed that Pierson was treated a little differently during some of the drills at practice today. For instance, in the drill where the other running backs bash the guy with the ball with pads as he runs through the line, Pierson ran through untouched. And when the rest of his teammates did cut blocking drills by diving on the turf, Pierson sat out.

It’s not a huge deal — likely more of a precaution than anything. But I think it’s safe to say that Tony won’t quite be 100 percent when KU takes on OSU this weekend. Oh well, though, right? Tony Pierson at 88% is still a lot better than most.

• Quickly, I kept a closer eye on back-up QB Michael Cummings today and a couple of things stood out. I focused mostly on his throwing motion, but it should be noted that what I watched came during warm-up drills and not live action. That said, aside from being more on the short side (he’s listed at 5-foot-10), Cummings appears to have a long wind-up and releases the ball a little later than most QBs. Most of what I watched came with Cummings lined up next to Jake Heaps, who went through the same drills at the same time. Heaps is a little taller than Cummings (6-1) but seems, overall, to have a more fluid throwing motion.

There’s a lot more that goes into the decision to put Cummings on the field than his throwing motion, with his understanding of the offense, experience and size all being relevant. But since what I watched today was a throwing drill, I figured I’d offer up my amateur critique of the way he wings it.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Bad Medicine” by Bon Jovi. Great song.

KU coach Charlie Weis (center right, gray hoodie) keeps his eye on the Jayhawks during stretching drills on Wednesday. by Matt Tait

You asked for it, and you got it.

In yesterday’s comments, someone mentioned that they were tired of hearing that the Coach Weis song of the day was either Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi every single time.

It was again today, as the Jayhawks once again practiced in Memorial Stadium, but it was preceded by a good six or seven minutes of the Kansas State fight song playing on a loop.

At one point, Weis stopped the music to explain to his players why they were hearing the song over and over and over. He said something to this effect: “I just wanted to get used to hearing it because those guys over there (the Wildcats) are expecting to hear it a lot on Saturday.”

The song, as most are, is played after KSU touchdowns and Weis clearly wanted to make the point that he did not want to hear it much this weekend and therefore would need his defense to limit KSU’s touchdowns.

It’s just one of many, many motivational tactics that Weis figures to use during his time here, but I got the feeling that it really struck a nerve with the KU players, who were yelling repeatedly during its playing.

We’ll see if it makes any difference.

Here’s the rest of what caught my eye at Wednesday’s practice:

• Speaking of making a difference, it’s quite clear that a huge chunk of what the Jayhawks’ are focusing on this week in practice is inspired by K-State quarterback Collin Klein, the menacing runner who is tough to bring down and even tougher to rattle. Several of KU’s linebacker drills on Wednesday focused on stopping the run, with LB coach DeMontie Cross imploring his guys to use their hands to avoid the cut block and then hit and rip. Pretty standard stuff, of course. After all, it is football. But there appeared to be an extra emphasis on those types of fundamentals because that’s what the Jayhawks will encounter this weekend. Another LB drill took place on the sideline and after several of the first- and second-string guys missed tackles and failed to use the sideline as another defender, Cross sent them into a session of up-downs. After that, things looked much better.

KU linebacker Anthony McDonald works on fighting off a cut block and getting to the ball carrier during Wednesday's practice. by Matt Tait

• One other thing I noticed in watching Cross work with his crew was the constant screaming of “Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers,” coming from his mouth. K-State rarely beats itself, but it’s clear that the Jayhawks are emphasizing that aspect this week.

• A couple of depth chart tweaks I noticed that I meant to mention yesterday. After all that talk about moving him inside and putting weight on him, Keba Agostinho is listed as a second-string defensive end this week. That, too, could be because of Klein, with Weis believing that he’ll need a little more size on the edge to help handle Klein and tailback John Hubert. Keon Stowers also made his way back onto the depth chart as a No. 2 defensive tackle. Could be that size thing again.

• Took a closer look at Lubbock Smith today and he looks pretty good. I wouldn’t call him 100 percent, but he definitely looks sharp while going full speed. It’s after the action stops where he looks a little gimpy. That’s to be expected, of course, and reminds me a little of how things looked for wide receiver Kale Pick a couple of weeks ago. As long as he looks good at full speed, that’s the most important thing. And I’d say he looked 90-95 percent while going all out.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Last to Die” by The Boss.

It was white (and not red) jerseys for the KU quarterbacks during Tuesday's practice at Memorial Stadium. by Matt Tait

Earlier during the day Tuesday, Kansas University coach Charlie Weis explained how the Jayhawks did not simply kick their feet up during last week’s bye but instead hit as hard as they had all year each day in practice.

That, Weis said, was the only way to toughen the team up and that, he added, was one way to help these guys learn to finish games.

That heavy hitting did not exclude the quarterbacks, who dropped the red jerseys that signaled no contact and ran through live-action, full-speed football throughout the week.

Apparently, that concept carried over into K-State week, as Dayne Crist, Michael Cummings, Turner Baty, Blake Jablonski and Jake Heaps all wore white jerseys during Tuesday’s practice, which took place inside Memorial Stadium.

Baty was the most interesting of the group, considering the fact that he traded in not only his red jersey but also his No. 6 jersey to wear the No. 7 worn by KSU quarterback Collin Klein. Weis said Baty would run a lot of the scout team offense this week, which, I’m sure was just fine with him. For starters, it’s more action than normal, even if it is with the scout team. And, what’s more, 7 is Baty’s number. He’s worn it most of his life and started wearing it because his dad was a teammate of John Elway’s at Stanford, where Elway wore the number before donning it in blue and orange with the Denver Broncos.

KU sophomore Turner Baty traded in his No. 6 jersey for a No. 7 so he could act as KSU quarterback Collin Klein with the scout team during this week's practices. by Matt Tait

KU senior Kale Pick has the number now, of course, but look for Baty to make the full-time switch next season.

Anyway, here’s a quick look at a few other things that caught my attention during Tuesday’s practice.

• Junior running back Taylor Cox was out there and appeared to go through every drill without much trouble. Weis said earlier that everyone who had been banged up was on the “go” list for this week’s game, except, of course, for the guys like Prinz Kande and Riley Spencer who have been deemed out for the season. Cox did not appear to be 100 percent all the time, but he looked good enough to be able to play and I expect he will.

Injured KU running back Taylor Cox looked pretty healthy during Tuesday's drills. He is expected to play this weekend against Kansas State. by Matt Tait

• Quarterback Jake Heaps joined offensive lineman Sean Connolly on the exercise bikes today, but only at the beginning of practice. Heaps then rejoined his teammates while Connolly stayed on the bike. The good news here: Senior linebacker Anthony McDonald was nowhere near the bikes and he continues to take steps forward toward having a bigger role on the KU defense. Lubbock Smith also was off the bike and it looks as if he’ll be ready to go Saturday, too. He once again reclaimed his spot at the top of the depth chart at strong safety, with Dexter Linton sliding down to second string again. Linton filled in admirably for Smith during the two games he missed.

• Lots of energy out there today, even during the so-called warm-up drills. This makes sense considering it’s K-State week and I heard people yelling “K-State” more than a few times out there today. But it also seems to indicate that the bye week did these guys some good, not only in returning them to full health but also in recharging their batteries and preparing them for the Big 12 grind that’s ahead.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Keep the Faith” by Bon Jovi. Don’t think for a second that the selection was a coincidence.

The Jayhawks practiced inside Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, as preparations continued for this weekend's Northern Illinois game in DeKalb, Ill. by Matt Tait

The Jayhawks practiced inside Memorial Stadium today and, during the time I was there, I watched junior running back James Sims pretty closely.

Here’s what I saw:

• Lots of energy and excitement

• He was eager and willing to jump to the front of the line to lead off a drill

• And he looked very shifty and much quicker than I remember. Part of that could have been the nature of the drills they were doing, but even during the basic drills, it was obvious that he’s carrying a fewer pounds than before and seems to be a different back.

With that said, I’m expecting that we’ll see a lot of the same things from Sims. His vision was always above average and his nature is to take what’s given and not try to be too flashy. That will bode well for this team and his place on it.

A lot of people are curious about what Sims will do this weekend. I’m right there with you. My best guess is that he’ll get around 12 carries and he’ll make the most of each one.

Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said Tuesday that Sims is faster and that his new-found speed was not just benefiting him on breakaways but also in getting to the holes quicker and making guys miss.

It’s certainly going to be fun to watch, as Sims is one of the most pleasant guys I’ve ever covered and deserves to bounce back from his mistake in a positive way.

Here’s a quick look at what else caught my eye at today’s practice:

• Since I watched Sims for a while, I also caught a good look at what the running backs were up to. Most of it was normal stuff, but I did notice an emphasis on catching passes. And I’m not just talking about the nice, easy-to-snag lob passes that QBs throw on screens. Charlie Weis Jr. operated as the quarterback for the drill and he was absolutely zipping the ball at these guys from less than 10 yards away. Mostly catches. So that was a good sign. I wouldn’t read too much into that being a part of the gameplan, though. I think it’ll be in there, but I don’t think it’s their secret weapon or anything like that. If it were, there’s no way they would’ve worked on it while we were there.

• Offensive lineman Sean Connolly was the only guy on the exercise bike today and even he spent a little bit of time off of it. Bad news for him, though. When he wasn’t riding the bike, he was walking the steps at Memorial Stadium, with his hands tucked behind his back. Try it. It’s harder than it sounds, especially at his size and in pads and a helmet.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “I Believe” by Bon Jovi.... No comment.

KU's wideouts run through a drill during Tuesday's practice. by Matt Tait

To be fair, I received a copy of KU’s updated depth chart at Charlie Weis’ news conference earlier this afternoon.

But just because I had a head start did not mean that I didn’t notice quite a few of the new looks during Wednesday’s practice.

Rather than leading with a couple of nuggets about how sunny it was or how focused they looked, I figured we’d start this one out with a quick look at those depth chart changes.

In all, I circled 10 significant pieces of information on this week’s depth chart, by far the most of any so far this season.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at the changes, followed by a couple of quick practice tidbits:

Right Guard:
In — Randall Dent
Out — Aslam Sterling
• Sterling is now listed as the back-up at both right guard and right tackle and Weis said he would be involved in a three-man rotation with Gavin Howard and Dent at those two spots.

Z Receiver:
In — Andrew Turzilli
Out — D.J. Beshears
• Simply put, Turzilli is performing better at the moment, as evident by his 100-yard game last week.

Halfback:
In — James Sims as an “Or” option with Taylor Cox for the back-up spot behind Tony Pierson
• All three guys will play Saturday and all three bring different elements to KU’s offense.

Nose Tackle:
In — Kevin Young
Out — Jordan Tavai
• Tavai is now listed as the starter at defensive tackle, as Weis said he wanted to find Tavai a home he could settle into instead of playing him all over. This move also bumped John Williams up to the lone second-stringer behind Young.

Defensive Tackle:
In — Jordan Tavai
Out — Keba Agostinho
• Again, Weis was looking for a home for Tavai. This is not a reflection on Agostinho, who still remains a front-line guy when the Jayhawks play “big” and kick Toben Opurum out to Sam linebacker.

Boundary Corner:
In — JaCorey Shepherd as a back-up to starter Tyler Patmon
Out — Greg Allen
• Not only has Shepherd worked his way into this spot, but I’m guessing Allen has emerged as a strong red-shirt candidate. Win-win.

Strong Safety:
In — Dexter Linton
Out — Lubbock Smith
• Lubbock is still battling an injury that kept him out of last week’s game and Linton has done a nice job in his absence.

Long Snapper:
In — Justin Carnes
Out — Trevor Marrongelli (short snaps) and Reilly Jeffers (punts)
• Weis said Carnes would have to earn his spot back after returning from a three-game suspension, but it seems like a safe bet that he’ll be able to do that. This should help KU’s struggling kicking game.

Kickoff Returner:
In — Tre’ Parmalee
Out — D.J. Beshears
• Weis said he was very disappointed in the kick return game last week and simply wanted to see if getting someone else out there could give KU a lift. Parmalee has earned it.

KU receiver Kale Pick is moving better this week than last and seems likely to play this weekend vs. Northern Illinois. by Matt Tait

• OK, so there you have it.... A quick look at the depth chart changes and why they might have happened. As for the guys who are coming back from injury, Lubbock Smith certainly still looks a little hobbled out there and I’d guess it’s 50-50 whether he’ll be able to play this weekend at Northern Illinois. Kale Pick looks a lot better and Weis said he’d be shocked if Pick didn’t play. The good news is Pick looks close to 100 percent while running through drills and making cuts. Away from the action, though, you can still tell he’s favoring that left leg. Both Pick and Smith are wearing braces on their afflicted knees.

• Alex Matlock, Sean Connolly and Brian Maura were on the exercise bikes at today’s practice. Other than that, the rest of the team looks like it’s preparing to play in this weekend’s game, except, of course, for Prinz Kande (out) and Riley Spencer, whom Weis said earlier today would miss the rest of the year in order to “get his knee fixed.”

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Cover Me” by Bruce Springsteen. A message to KU’s defensive backs, perhaps?

The KU running backs take instructions from assistant coach Reggie Mitchell at the outset of a blocking drill at Wednesday's practice. by Matt Tait

Today’s Kansas University football practice carried with it the same upbeat energy and fast tempo as Tuesday’s, but one thing that caught my eye was that a lot of it was coming from the coaching staff.

Sure, that’s their job, to motivate, encourage, even intimidate these players into working their butts off every minute they’re out there, but I was surprised that so much of the hootin’ and hollerin’ came from the coaches.

During the preseason, the players were much more vocal from start to finish and the coaches’ voices merely served as accompaniment.

Now, there are a few ways you can read that, and most of them are good.

1. The players are locked in. There’s no need to yell and scream when you’re so focused on that task at hand because anything extra might serve as a distraction. Could be.

2. The players are working so hard that they don’t want to waste the energy getting everyone else hype. If you’re not hyped up for No. 16 TCU coming to town in three days for what could go down as the biggest game of your season, a little barking probably isn’t going to get you there anyway. Could be.

3. They players are still shaking off the shell-shock and disappointment from their loss to Rice last weekend. Doubtful. Their energy and performance doesn’t indicate that’s the case.

Remember, I’m not out there the entire practice so all of this could have changed the minute I left. But, even during the time we were allowed to watch during camp I saw — and heard — a lot more talking from the players than I did today.

Definitely not something to make a big deal of, just one of the more interesting things I noticed.

Here are a few others:

• I kept an eye on the linebackers for a few minutes today — mostly to see how Anthony McDonald looked — and I continue to be impressed by how hard Tunde Bakare works. He’s always flying around, always going 100 percent, not afraid to leave everything he has out there. It’s typical of a senior who’s hungry to make a name for himself, but still impressive nonetheless. As for McDonald, he looked good. I didn’t see any signs of him playing tentative or easing up. Coach Charlie Weis said earlier this week that McDonald was ready to play and I’m guessing we’ll see him out there plenty this weekend.

• One other thing I noticed while watching the linebackers was the presence of defensive coordinator Dave Campo. It’s not that Campo has never worked with this group, more that, during the early portion of practice he usually works with the DBs and today he was with the linebackers. Could be an indication that KU realizes it’s going to have to bring a little extra beef this week to handle TCU.

• Speaking of not getting cheated, tailback Tony Pierson is another guy who doesn’t hold anything back during practice, and if there’s one guy who could probably get away with it, it’s Pierson. I’m sure the coaches don’t want the 5-10, 175-pound speed back adding practice bruises to the pounding he’s already taking on Saturdays. Even still, Pierson goes all out on every drill, including blocking drills that involve pushing the sled or diving into linebackers to pick up the blitz. There’s a reason Pierson is getting a lot of love as KU’s best offensive player. Two words — hard work.

• With Kale Pick on the exercise bike and his status for Saturday’s game still up in the air (Pick was joined by Brandon Bourbon, Lubbock Smith, Ray Mitchell and Sean Connolly on the bikes on Wednesday), I wondered if that meant JaCorey Shepherd was back with the wideouts for the day. Didn’t look like it. Shepherd still had on white and spent the first part of the day working with the cornerbacks.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.

• Oh, and just so you know, I'm well aware that today's photo is one of my worst. Cut me some slack. I'll bounce back next time!

The many looks of KU quarterback Dayne Crist at Tuesday's practice. by Matt Tait

All eyes — at least both of mine — at Tuesday’s practice were on Kansas University quarterback Dayne Crist, who, earlier in the day, told reporters that, after a Monday evening chat with KU coach Charlie Weis, he vowed to have more fun starting today.

It’s tough to see evidence of that during the portion of practice that we get to watch, but there were a few signs.

For the most part, we watched Crist go through warm-ups and then work with the rest of the quarterbacks during individual drills. During each, he bounced his head to the music and clowned around with teammates Jake Heaps, Michael Cummings, Turner Baty and Blake Jablonski.

It wasn’t the kind of banter that would make you say, “Whoa; where did the funny guy come from?” But it was enough to show that Crist, as he said he was, seemed a little looser than during the previous few weeks.

The only place it will really matter is Memorial Stadium on Saturday, when Crist and the Jayhawks try to bounce back from last week’s loss to Rice with a match-up against No. 16 TCU at 11 a.m. But Tuesday seemed like a good start.

Here’s a quick look at what else caught my eye at Tuesday’s practice:

• As promised by Weis earlier in the day, Kale Pick, Lubbock Smith and Brandon Bourbon were nowhere to be seen on the practice field. All three are nursing injuries they suffered against Rice and each was getting treatment during the early portion of practice. Weis said the injured trio was “day-to-day” and added that if they had to play today they probably would not go. We’ll keep an eye on their progress throughout the week.

• Freshman offensive lineman Sean Connolly spent the early portion of practice riding the exercise bike, but the good news there was that he was alone. No Anthony McDonald. No Nick Sizemore. Not only were both of those guys off the bikes, they also both were back on the depth chart, as Sizemore was listed second-string at the F position, behind Trent Smiley, and McDonald was listed second-string at Will linebacker behind Huldon Tharp. Weis said McDonald, in fact, was “ready to play.”

• Just a quick note regarding the tempo and tone of practice... I didn’t notice a whole lot of moping. Guys looked energized and seemed to be working just as hard as they had each of the other times we’d been out to practice. Might not mean much, but might also be a good sign. We’ll see.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Living Proof” by Bruce Springsteen.

Wednesday's KU football practice took place inside Anschutz Sports Pavilion instead of in the extreme heat outside. by Matt Tait

Wednesday’s Kansas University football practice was moved inside to Anschutz Sports Pavilion, which offered a little bit of relief from the heat, but mostly in the way of shielding the Jayhawks from the sun and not in overall temperature.

As thermostats outside continued to push the 100-degree mark, the temperature inside Anschutz, which basically functioned like a hot box, could not have been much lower than 90.

It’s not that KU coach Charlie Weis was afraid of a little heat, more that Weis likes to be ultra-prepared, and when your gametime conditions are expected to be in the mid-70s, as they are for this weekend’s 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Rice, it makes more sense to run your guys through practice in a cooler venue than to conduct a scorcher on the practice fields.

It should be noted that nobody confirmed that the move was because of the heat. That's just my best guess as to why they changed venues today.

While the move inside made things a little more manageable in the temperature department, it also made it a lot louder. Not only were the pre-practice tunes blaring off the walls of the old fieldhouse, but it was so loud in there that coaches could only be seen yelling and not heard.

Here’s a quick look at what else caught my eye at Wednesday’s practice:

• Nowhere was that picture of a coach’s screaming being seen but not heard more evident than with the wide receivers and coach Rob Ianello. After a rather lackluster warm-up session in which his group ran through a couple of rounds of the gauntlet drill, Ianello quickly became irked by the effort and energy and immediately ordered a dozen or so up-downs. While I’m sure the KU receivers did not enjoy the punishment, it seemed to work as the individual drills that followed were more crisp and had a greater sense of urgency. Senior wideout Kale Pick also was visibly upset with his group during the ealry portion of practice and, being the leader and upperclassman he is, Pick continually barked at his teammates to pick it up.

• One positive thing I saw from the receivers on Wednesday came from No. 8, juco transfer Josh Ford, who made a name for himself on special teams last weekend and appears to have taken quite a bit of confidence from that performance into his position. Tuesday, Ianello said that those types of performances on special teams are noticed by position coaches and can go a long way toward upping your reps with your main position. He wasn’t lying. Ford ran some drills with the second unit on Wednesday, a clear indication that his stock is on the rise considerig he was not listed on KU’s latest depth chart.

• Finally, the Coach Weis song of the day was “Get Ready” by Bon Jovi.

Check out what a quick learner Josh Ford has become, as he lines up behind starter Kale Pick during a receiving drill on Wednesday. by Matt Tait