Coaches laud contributions of LBs Greenlaw, Harris

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas defensive coordinator and linebackers coach John Chavis has coached linebackers since 1989 and coordinated defenses in the Southeastern Conference since 1995 at Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M.

Chavis has coached some of the greatest linebackers in the college game, but he said no pair worked together any better than senior Dre Greenlaw and junior Scoota Harris did Saturday in a 24-17 loss for Arkansas (1-4, 0-2) against Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1) in the annual Southwest Classic at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Harris made 16 tackles as middle linebacker and Greenlaw made 13 as the weakside linebacker. Greenlaw also made two interceptions.

“I don’t think there’s any question it’s the best productivity I’ve been around,” Chavis Monday. “I have been around some really good players, some great players. And I said back in the spring I felt those two guys were really special players. They played that way Saturday. They’re fun to coach, fun to be around.”

And they are willing to do anything, such as adding special teams to their plate as the Razorbacks have struggled throughout the season. Arkansas struggled on punt coverage until holding A&M to negative punt return yards on Saturday.

“That’s a lot of productivity and they were still playing hard and played on special teams, too,” Chavis said. “I appreciate their effort and their leadership”

Chavis followed head coach Chad Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock at the podium Monday during the team’s press conference. Morris also praised the performance of senior safety Santos Ramirez, who also made 10 tackles.

“I’ve never been part of a unit that has had two players that had as much production as Dre Greenlaw and Scoota Harris had this past Saturday at the linebacker position,” Morris said.

“Santos Ramirez played his best game of the year, and it’s no surprise to me. As you watch his work ethic, you watch his leadership, he’s elite. He’s elite in everything that he does.”

Morris, Craddock and Chavis still remembered Arkansas lost despite improvements made from earlier in the season. Next comes No. 1 Alabama into Saturday’s 11 a.m. game televised on ESPN (Resort Channel 30) from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

“We are seeing improvements in a lot of areas, but it’s not been enough to get the outcome that we want,” Morris said. “We’ll look at some of the costly penalties at the most inopportune times that were obviously a huge impact on the game. But with all this being said, with 1:51 left, the ball’s in your hands with a chance to go down and tie or win the game against a very good opponent. So, we are making progress. But, again, it’s not enough at this point to get us over the hump.”

Morris bemoaned that after last week’s work to correct special teams mistakes that A&M still opened Saturday’s game with a

100-yard kickoff return by JaShaun Corbin for a touchdown. The seven points were the margin in the game.

“Our special teams, outside of the first play, I thought there were drastic improvements,” Morris said. “But one play is the difference.”

Morris said Monday that senior tight end Jeremy Patton will not play against Alabama. Patton sustained an ankle injury against A&M.

Junior running back Devwah Whaley is listed as “day-to-day” after missing Saturday’s game. Whaley has been out since suffering a concussion at Auburn (4-1, 1-1).

Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide has rolled its first five opponents, 51-14, 57-7, 62-7, 4523 and 56-14.

‘They have been the standard for college football over the last several years,” Morris said. “They do what they do and they do it at a very high level.”