Man did it get cold out quickly. Just last week it was in the 70's, yet I found myself out at practice last night with the other media guys wishing we'd brought warmer clothes to withstand the 35 degree temps.

So while most of you probably got to stay home and watch what sounds like a great MNF game the team was in shells and sweats going through their first practice to prepare for Arizona on Saturday. Here's what I have for you guys:

• Again saw some very different personnel groupings on defense. Chima, Ledgerwood and Hoffman-Ellis were still all held out from doing anything last night. 
• Connor Halliday: Got some more to say about this kid. I was asked to watch him a little bit last week and well... it's somewhat turned into a habit for me. Halliday has some serious potential, and I was happy to find out I'm not the only writer who thinks so. Talking to Vince last night I asked him what he thought about Halliday and he basically told me what I'd been thinking for the past week: if the kid continues to improve and mature the way he has in the short time he's been with the team he has real, serious potential to be a gamechanger at this level. On scout offense he has been making good reads of the defense (not necessarily a good thing I guess) and threading the ball through some of the smaller openings I've seen. So while we enjoy the development of Tuel we can also have the security of knowing his future (in my mind) backup is progressing incredibly well.
• Whatever ailed the receivers on Saturday and the practices leading up to the Oregon game suddenly disappeared. In the near freezing weather last night the receivers were catching darn near everything thrown their way, which isn't easy to do when your struggling to keep your hands warm.
• Doesn't mean a whole lot in the short term, since only one maybe two of them play, but the QB's were also having quite a good night for themselves. The drill where they practice throwing into an end-table sized net was the best I've seen it in the two weeks I've been watching practice.