Weevils’ mindset changes
Sixth in a series previewing Arkansas teams in the Great American Conference.
Entering his seventh season as head coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Hud Jackson said “this was the first time when I couldn’t wait for August.”
The Boll Weevils have gone 18-47 since Jackson was hired on his 43rd birthday Dec. 14, 2010, and the now 49-year-old said he saw signs over the offseason that his team can have more success this season.
“I’m just excited about the mindset the players took,” Jackson said. “They worked on their trade: get stronger, get bigger. It was one where they knew what they had to learn to finish. In the offseason, we taught that. We were in three or four games last season that could have gone either way.”
In the 2016 opener, UAM scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to tie Northwestern Oklahoma State with 45 seconds left in the game, only to lose on a 24-yard field goal as time expired. Two weeks later, UAM scored two touchdowns to pull within 38-31 of Arkansas Tech at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Boll Weevils could not score again.
UAM’s scoring defense ranked 10th out of 12 teams in the Great American Conference, and the 39.3 points given up per game often allowed opponents to pull away early.
Junior Cole Sears, the returning starting quarterback, said the offense often “stalled coming out of halftime” and that “we set up our defense flat sometimes.” Returning starting linebacker and senior Ja’lon Watts said he felt “like there were plays that we took off.”
Wherever the blame landed, UAM now has a new defensive coordinator and switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-2-5 scheme.
Jackson said former defensive coordinator Mitchell Pate took a job outside of coaching where he’d be “making a lot more money.” and if Pate had still been at UAM this season, he would have made the same schematic change.
“I wanted a change in the mentality part of it,” Jackson said. “I think without details,
you have to have a certain mindset when you have a defense. What we’re doing fits our personnel great. They’re going to play faster, a little more emotional.”
UAM bolstered its defensive line with three transfers, including 6-4, 270-pound defensive tackle Hakim Gray, who was a reserve offensive lineman at Louisiana Tech before he transferred during the offseason. Gray joined Middle
Tennessee State transfer lineman junior Justin Akins (6-4, 275 pounds) and freshman Shalom Alvarez (6-3, 245 pounds), who both didn’t play while at MTSU.
“They’re very hungry,” Watts said. “This year, nobody wants to take a day off. Every game matters. Every play matters. Everyone’s looking forward to winning.”
On offense, UAM returns its two leading rushers, junior Imani Riley (611 yards, 5 touchdowns) and sophomore Deountario Brown (477 yards, 2 touchdowns).
Sears said the Boll Weevils offense is “real explosive,” which counts on senior wide receiver Jalen Tolliver, who was an honorable mention pick on the Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team after leading the GAC with 1,090 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
“He finds ways to get open,” Sears said. “A lot of teams tried to play him one-one-one last year, and we exploited that. Once he got doubled, we have other receivers to exploit that too. Not really everyone expected Jalen to blow up like he did. We’re going to see a lot more doubling. When they do that, I just have to be able to get the ball to playmakers.”
Sears said those other playmakers are senior receivers Trevon Smith (441 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Jamal Chevis (14 catches, 142 yards).
UAM opens at home Saturday against Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Boll Weevils have not won their opening game since a 78-0 victory over College of Faith in 2012.
“I’ve always wanted to win,” Watts said. “I just haven’t had that team feeling that everyone wants to win. But I definitely feel that this year, and it’s exciting.”