Today was the second day during which the Scarlet Knights practiced in shoulder pads, which meant an increase in contact from the first two days of practice.

Courtney Greene put a vicious hit on Kenny Britt that would have been a lot more vicious if he was allowed to follow through. Yesterday the hits were just that -- hits, not full tackles -- but tomorrow, along with the full pads will come full hits.

Every player I talked to today, in addition to Greg Schiano, said they're looking forward to the contact, though the one defensive guy I talked to -- Ron Girault -- seemed understandably more excited than Kordell Young or Jourdan Brooks.

An ear-to-ear grin broke out on Girault's face at the mere mention of being able to tackle.

Below are a few quotes I couldn't fit in the paper. I also wrote a story on Jeremy Ito and a notebook focusing on the contact that we'll see tomorrow, and both will be in the paper.

Schiano on spotting the ball at the 30-yardline instead of the 40 for kickoffs, a rule change being instituted this year: "Everybody wanted to talk so much about the clock issues last year. It pales in comparison to what moving the kickoff back to the 30 does in college. In the NFL they have the finest kickers in the world. It's going to change college football."

Schiano on the team's effort: "We're working awfully hard. It's a very focused football team that's trying to do everything they can to be the best they can, but we've got a long way to go."

Schiano on George Johnson's back: We're trying to make sure that we stay ahead of his back. He goes a few in a row and then we try to give him a little break. Hopefully tomorrow he'll be able to go again."

Schiano on linebacker Chris Quaye stepping up as a leader: "He's a great young man, and he really is passionate about what he's doing. He works very hard at what he's doing. It's just going to be a matter of can he do it? Not can he do it, but relative to the other guys at the position, who can do it best?"

Ron Girault on the weather, which was overcast and significantly cooler than the previous three days: "It feels better, but the hotter days are a little better. They get you in better shape. They get you more prepared. It's more of a test to not think about the weather and just get the job done. But the cooler weather was a nice change-up."

Girault on how things have gone for four practices: "The young guys, the freshman are starting to pick up things. They seem really energetic. They're buying into the system. So it seems like we're on the right track. We still have improvements to make, but we're on the right track."

Jourdan Brooks on the Knights' attitude: "Effort, everything around here is about effort and doing your job. It's a real big thing around here, and I like that."

That's all for today. I'm going home to watch Curt Schilling take on the Angels. I'll check in tomorrow night and let you know all about the first day in full pads.

- Ben