MOBILE, Ala. -- Windy conditions at the Reese's Senior Bowl practice made for a trying circumstance for North squad quarterbacks Tuesday, yet Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd made a few spectacular throws and seemed largely unaffected by the elements.
That was due in part to the quarterbacks throwing in the same direction as the wind.
"A little bit, a few of the deep balls (were affected). I'm pretty consistent with my deep balls, the placement of them, so it was a little different today," said Boyd. "As a quarterback group I think we did a good job of dealing with it and completing them. But (in the wind), you've got to take a little bit off on the deep balls. The wind is worth an extra 10 yards probably, and you've got to know how to time it up."
Boyd said North squad coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons, who coaches in the confines of the Georgia Dome, joked with him that Falcons games always have perfect weather. The wind was the last thing Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas needed, given scouting questions about his accuracy, but the strong-armed 255-pounder didn't try to force more velocity to compensate.
"You couldn't try to rip in into the wind," Thomas said. "The wind makes you want to throw harder, but you've got to take your time and let it go normally."
Rice kicker Chris Boswell got no such directional benefit, kicking into the wind on field-goal tries. One of those actually blew back toward Boswell and fell short from just 35 yards.
"I don't miss too many short, so when the ball hangs up like that, it's a strong wind," Boswell said.
Wind conditions settled slightly for the South squad practice later in the afternoon.
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