Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
UA scrimmage
Arkansas wide receiver Keon Hatcher (above, top) and defensive back Tiquention Coleman lock up during spring drills Saturday. The Razorbacks held a 101-play scrimmage, their second major scrimmage of the spring.
ARKANSAS SPRING FOOTBALL
FAYETTEVILLE — Sophomore tailback Jonathan Williams took the feature role in Saturday’s scrimmage for the Arkansas Razorbacks and ran with it.
Williams served as the offensive focal point in the 101-play workout as the Razorbacks concentrated more on the run than in last Saturday’s indoor scrimmage. Williams ran 16 times for 87 yards, including two 4-yard scoring runs during goal-line practice.
“He has become more of a complete back every day,” Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. “We would rather he run with his pads down a little more, but a very good feel for the game.”
Williams powered behind a lead block from Kiero Small for his first 4-yard touchdown run, then be bounced out of a pileup the middle and headed around right end for his second touchdown. His longest run was 14 yards.
The Razorbacks’ defensive line won the line of scrimmage most often in the open portion of the scrimmage, while the offense capitalized on the goal-line period with multiple power touchdown runs.
Bielema elected to open Reynolds Razorback Stadium to the public on the sunny, breezy day and approximately 400 fans took advantage of the first opportunity to watch the team during the warm-up and 80-minute scrimmage.
The defense had seven sacks and three interceptions and accounted for the only touchdown that was not in goal-line work. Linebacker Austin Jones scooped up a muffed handoff between Brandon Mitchell and walkon tailback Jojo Wynn and returned it 33 yards for a score.
Brandon Allen worked mostly with the first offense and completed 9 of 13 passes for 97 yards and 1 touchdown and threw 1 interception. His touchdown came during goal-line work with a 4-yard play-action pass to redshirt freshman tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, who made a diving catch away from his body.
Allen’s interception came on his second sequence of a “move the ball” period, when his deep pass from the defense’s 37 for Demetrius Wilson was intercepted by safety Eric Bennett in the end zone.
“I thought today Brandon Allen moved forward the whole day,” Bielema said. “There’s some urgency he needs to get out. I was all over his tail. There was a snap where we had a positive third-and-short, but our wide receiver wasn’t quite lined up and an itchy official could have flagged us there.
“I said, ‘It’s your responsibility.’ He’s got to dictate those other 10 guys and be in control and be very aware of that situation. He can do it.”
Mitchell completed 7 of 16 passes for 67 yards and threw 1 interception. The senior was intercepted down the left sideline by Carroll Washington on a lofted midrange pass for D’Arthur Cowan.
“Brandon Mitchell continues to impress me,” Bielema said. “To me, he’s got gamesmanship to him. He’s got a little rhythm. He’s got a little fire in him.”
The Razorbacks scored touchdowns on five of six series that started with firstand-goal from the 4, and all five of the touchdowns came on first down.
In addition to Williams’ touchdown runs and Allen’s scoring pass to Sprinkle, Kiero Small smashed in over right tackle and Wynn battered through the middle for a touchdown.
Each of the goal-line series could have netted touchdowns, but fullback Morgan Linton mishandled a play-action throw from Mitchell on second down and Nate Holmes was stopped on a third-down pitch play.
“We jumped into our goalline situation, which obviously our offense had a lot of success,” Bielema said. “We lined up in it Thursday and kind of walked through it, but goal-line is a mentality and I thought our offense brought it down there and executed.”
The defense’s seven sacks included a few in which the quarterback would likely have been able to elude the oncoming rusher. Allen was “sacked” four times for 27 lost yards.
Jones came up big for the defense, making seven tackles, three for lost yardage, while middle linebacker Daunte Carr led the way with 10 stops, including a 6-yard sack.
Walk- on receiver Chris Saunders had a team- high four receptions for 37 yards, all of his catches coming on passes from third-team quarterback A.J. Derby.
Demetrius Wilson bounced back from his early exit in last week’s scrimmage with two catches that went for 20 yards each. Wilson was the target on Allen’s deep-ball interception, did not recognize Bennett moving into the play and didn’t move into position to defend on the play.
The Razorbacks have six more spring workouts over the next two weeks, concluding with the Red-White game April 20.