Hogs excited to get back to practice
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks coach Chad Morris said his team relished its bye week’s return to practice Sunday, commencing game-week preparations for Saturday’s Southeastern Conference game against the No. 9 LSU Tigers.
Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC) will host the Tigers (7-2, 4-2) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville for its final home game of the year. The Razorbacks will close their season with SEC road games against Mississippi State Nov. 17 in Starkville, Miss, and Nov. 23 against Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
The Razorbacks practiced Thuesday through Thursday with Friday and Saturday off before Sunday’s practice, which included scrimmaging the redshirts and young reserves who also scrimmaged three times last week getting a head start on 2019.
Morris had encouraged his players and coaches to take Saturday completely away from football, but he noted most couldn’t resist catching games on TV.
“I asked them, ‘How many of you guys had a chance to sit down and watch football?’” Morris said. “A room full of hands went up and some of them said, ‘Coach, I did it all day long, watched ball all day long and couldn’t wait to get back in here. I missed competing.’ That was the big message, ‘Coach, we missed being out on that field. We missed going out and competing.’ So there was a lot of energy, a lot of excitement.”
Incentive seems a question for both teams, especially for Arkansas since its seven losses eliminated any chance of playing beyond Nov. 23.
Unlike Arkansas, coach Ed Orgeron’s Tigers certainly will be in a bowl game but not in the four team hunt for the national championship after Alabama annihilated them, 29-0, last Saturday night at LSU’s Death Valley in Baton Rouge, La.
However, it’s the same Tigers, Morris reminded, that have beaten Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State and Miami when all were nationally ranked. Georgia is currently ranked No. 5 by the Associated Press. “I know we’ll get their absolute best,” Morris said. “We know they’ll come back in here and be ready to go this week against us.”
He expects nothing less from his Hogs, smarting from losing 45-31 to Vanderbilt Oct. 27, a game that they expected to win in Fayetteville.
“They’ll get our best this week, and that’s what we ask for,” Morris said. “The one thing I can control is ourself and focus on the Arkansas Razorbacks.”
Morris expects the Hogs to play hard on Senior Night, marking their final Razorbacks game in Arkansas for starting senior offensive linemen Hjalte Froholdt, Johnny Gibson of Dumas and Brian Wallace, safety Santos Ramirez, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, defensive tackles Armon Watts and T.J. Smith, and nickel back Kevin Richardson among others.
As a first-year coach inheriting a senior class that had been recruited by and played for former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and his staffs that have only tight ends coach Barry Lunney and defensive tackles coach John Scott remaining under Morris, Morris complimented the seniors for their effort and perseverance even as victories haven’t come like they wished.
“From position coaches, coordinators and a head coach leaving, these guys have been through a lot of change,” Morris said. “When you have a lot of change, you have a hard time building trust. We’ve worked extremely hard building a trust among each other, and it’s only grown stronger with time. I really think that’s why we’ve been able to see some of the progress that we’ve made. These guys understand they’re going to leave their legacy, and they know they’re essentially three games away from it.”
Greenlaw and Richardson, both injuring their ankles during the Vanderbilt game, and senior receiver Jared Cornelius, not playing against Vanderbilt because of an injured ankle, practiced Sunday in green restricted workout jerseys but are expected to play against LSU, Morris said.
Senior tight end Jeremy Patton, who had surgery last month, is not ready, Morris said.
Junior running back Devwah Whaley, who had surgery after his Oct. 13 ankle injury during the 37-33 loss to Ole Miss in Little Rock, appears questionable at best against LSU.
With no bowl December practices as a head start for next year, Morris devotes parts of practices to the young and redshirting reserves, including Sunday night scrimmaging last Sunday and this upcoming Sunday.
Media asked Morris, defensive coordinator John “Chief” Chavis and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock whom among the younger players stands out.
Freshman quarterbacks Connor Noland and John Stephen Jones, receiver Koilan Jackson, offensive linemen Noah Gatlin, Shane Clenin, Silas Robinson and Ryan Winkel, safeties Joe Foucha and LaDarrius Bishop, and linebackers Dee Walker and Derrick Munson, were mentioned by Morris or a coordinator.
Noland and Jackson apparently successfully air-mailed the opening of Sunday night’s scrimmage.
“Last night I think it was the first play of the scrimmage, Connor made a good read on a RPO and was able to find Koilan Jackson,” Craddock said. “A big, big play there to start the scrimmage last night. It was good to see guys like Noah Gatlin, Ryan Winkel and Silas (Robinson) get in there and get some reps. I thought those guys did a really nice job in the run game creating some holes.”