Hogs step up to marching orders
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks Coach Chad Morris, in his camp preview news conference July 30, noted the coaching staff was going to “step on” the players during the first full week of training camp. Consider the step taken. Morris meant the coaches would press the University of Arkansas players by assessing how much knowledge they retained from spring drills, and stress them physically on hot days to see how they deal with adverse conditions and keep to their techniques.
Morris gave the media an update on the team’s progress after Saturday’s two-hour practice, which included more than 140 plays of live scrimmaging
inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“I think … both coordinators will probably tell you the same thing, that we’ve put a lot on them,” Morris said. “We probably tried to simplify some things today and just play simple [after] throwing a lot at them for the last week.”
Defensive coordinator John “Chief” Chavis said he and the defensive coaches already had gone over a large swath of his calls.
“We have thrown a lot at them,” Chavis said. “A tremendous amount. We’ve already introduced more than we would take into a game. We’ll probably play about 60 percent of what we’ve introduced. There’s no way you can take everything.”
Morris estimated the offensive players have been exposed to about 20 percent to 30 percent of his playbook.
“We’re a long way away,” he said. “We’re a long way from installing it like you want it, and we may not get there this year,” he said. “We’ve got to do what these guys can do and what they can execute. That’s the key is what they can execute.”
Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said he went heavy on offensive installation in the first three days of camp.
“We really threw a lot at them because I wanted to see what they retained from the spring and the summer, and they did a really nice job, a really good job with that,” he said. “This week we have some things on the books to get … some of our specials in, some play-action stuff in and just some situational stuff that we have to clean up.”
Craddock said he scaled back after the first three heavy days.
“Just because I want to get really good at our base stuff right now and make sure we can block every front, every look we could possibly see,” he said. “Chief and the defense, those boys are throwing a lot at us. So we’ve got to be ready for anything they throw
at us, different looks, different fronts.
“I was talking to Chief the other day and just told him, ‘Hey man, just keep doing what you’re doing with us because that’s going to make us nothing but better when we play games because there’s not going to be a look we haven’t already seen.’ I appreciate our defense doing that for sure, and it’s making us better.”
The Razorbacks had only two major injuries in the lead-up to camp — to starting left tackle Colton Jackson and sixth-year defensive back Kevin Richardson — but the bruises, strains and nicks have piled up through the first eight practices, particularly at offensive line, receiver and linebacker.
In Saturday’s scrimmage, right guard Johnny Gibson was the only lineman in the starting spot he was projected to fill over the summer. Hjalte Froholdt had moved from left guard to center (where Dylan Hays is on the mend); Dalton Wagner and Noah Gatlin split time at the top left tackle spot; Kirby Adcock and Austin Capps worked at left guard; and Ty Clary took reps at right tackle as Brian Wallace was given some rest.
The pace of Saturday’s work had a much swifter feel to it than the Razorbacks’ work in the spring, when new systems were going in on both sides of the ball.
“It was a whole lot better than it has been in the past,” Craddock said. “These guys are really learning what we want out of them from a tempo standpoint. They’ve done it all summer long on their own and the quarterbacks have led them.
“Our quarterbacks are, for the most part, running the show and they’re getting them going a lot faster.”
The Razorbacks have four more camp-style practices early this week in advance of another heavy scrimmage Saturday.
Craddock noted that winnowing time at quarterback and some spots on the offensive line would have to take place soon.
“That’s the hardest thing,” Craddock said. “Like I said, I hope somebody starts to emerge pretty quick. We’re going to have to start, probably this week, a little bit tailoring it down.
“But again, those young guys need some work too because they’re good quarterbacks and they’re doing a heck of a job, so it’s hard. It’s really hard, but again, with the new redshirt rule, who knows? We might play one of those guys.”