Practice update 9/2

A challenge for you college football junkies:

Find me a Division I-A team … sorry, a Football Bowl Subdivision team, where its starting quarterback in 2008 is now running the scout team.

One of them is the Wyoming Cowboys.

Dax Crum started the first five games last season and played in eight overall. He threw six interceptions and just two touchdowns, and also had problems holding on to the ball.

Crum has fallen to No. 4 on the depth chart this season, and was simulating Weber State junior quarterback Cameron Higgins in pracite Wednesday as the Cowboys prepare for Saturday’s season-opener against the Wildcats.

Does that mean UW has upgraded that much at quarterback in junior-college transfer Robert Benjamin and true freshman Austyn-Carta Samuels, and even with the return of senior Karsten Sween to drop Crum that far down the depth chart? Those are the top three — in that order — right now.

Or that Crum is, well, crummy?

It has more with the upgrades at the position, and there certainly is no need to talk negatively about Crum. He’s in a tough enough spot as it is, and looks to be doing all he can to make the best of it. But it’s got to be tough to go from being a starter to the scout team in a year’s time.

Speaking of quarterbacks, check out my column in Thursday’s WTE on Sween. He’s fallen down the depth chart as well. He was the starter heading into both spring drills and fall camp. Someone else on the team, other than Crum, knows what he’s going through.

Other notable happenings from Wednesday’s practice include:

–Sophomore Austin McCoy made three straight field goals from 46 yards, which drew cheers from his teammates who watched behind him. McCoy won the starting place-kicking duties in fall camp over senior Jake Scott. McCoy also will be the starting punter.

–Redshirt junior receiver Zach Bolger and sophomore Brandon Stewart both made impressive one-handed catches.

–The final period of the practice was a 7-on-7 session, and the big play was an interception by junior free safety Chris Prosinski on a pass from Carta-Samuels.

–You can tell it’s getting closer to game day because workers of the giant crane on the east side of the stadium that is being used in the construction of the suites changed its flag that hangs at the very top of it from one with a skill and cross-bones to a brown one with “Wyoming” on it in gold letters.

College football kicks off Thursday with a pair of intruiging games — Utah State at Utah and Oregon at Boise State. I like Utah and Boise State, what about you?

Still on for live blogging during the Weber State game and throughout the season. Hope to hear from you then, if not sooner.