Razorbacks impress coach in scrimmage
FAYETTEVILLE - Bret Bielema saw enough merit on both sides of the ball from his Arkansas Razorbacks' scrimmage Saturday that he might not full-scale scrimmage them again until the April 25 Red-White game conclusion of spring football drills.
"Just from a day of work I couldn't be more pleased," Bielema said after an estimated 1,500 attended Saturday's publicly open 122-plays scrimmage at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. "That was probably our more heavy work day. (Next) Saturday we will kind of see where we are at and if we are going to scrimmage or not. We would really like to get some opponent prep in these next three practices and good developmental work with our young guys."
Bielema was pleased how a couple of his older guys handled adversity.
Senior receiver Keon Hatcher, last week predicted by Bielema to miss up to weeks with a bruised knee, not only scrimmaged but scrimmaged impressively catching 3 passes for 39 yards.
Junior running back Alex Collins, a 1,000-yard rusher the past two seasons, "tweaked an ankle," early in the scrimmage, Bielema said, but returned and finished with 6 carries for 28 yards.
" Keon wanted to be out there," Bielema said. "We tried to hold him a little bit, but he wanted to be out there so bad. I think obviously we're a much better offense with him in there."
Bielema enjoyed seeing Collins tough it out.
"I was glad to see him kind of battle through it and hopefully teach a little bit of something to himself." Bielema said.
With Bielema prescribing no spring scrimmaging for running back Jonathan Williams to reduce Williams' injury risk upon Williams turning down the 2015 NFL draft opportunity to return to Arkansas as a senior, Collins banged up and Denzell Evans out from a groin injury last week, senior tailback-fullback Kody Walker, 20 carries for 69 yards, and walk-on Connor McPherson, 17 for 48, had to Hog the ball-carrying load.
Bielema devoted the first half of the scrimmage to situational down and distance and moved the chains for the second part matching the first offense vs. the first defense, and the second offense vs. the second defense.
Junior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle of White Hall, 4 catches for 78 yards including a 14-yard touchdown, became starting quarterback Brandon Allen's most prolific target. Allen completed 17 of 23 for 229 yards and two touchdowns, the other was a 7-yard pass to fullback Chris Jones of DeQueen, without a turnover.
" I challenged B.A big time," Bielema said. "He's got to compete against the rest of the SEC. There is no other quarterback here that is in his ball park. He needs to press himself to be the best in the SEC because he's capable of doing that."
All the quarterbacks scrimmage in no-contact green jerseys prompting an offensive vs. defensive staff debate, Bielema said, whether Allen's 3-yard touchdown scramble indeed was legitimate.
Third-year sophomore Austin Allen,, Brandon's brotherly backup, completed 10 of 12 of 80 yards including a 6-yard touchdown to redshirt freshman tight end Jack Kraus, 3 catches for 30 yards.
Redshirt freshman Rafe Peavey and true freshman Ty Storey both completed 4 of 7 passes, Peavey for 53 yards and Storey for 30.
The quick whistles negating hits