Pittman pleased with Hogs’ preseason progress
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sam Pittman gave an assessment on Saturday that Arkansas Razorback fans can embrace.
Eight practices in during training camp, the thirdyear University of Arkansas coach sees his team as being not ready for prime time yet, but advanced from this stage in 2021.
“As a whole team, not real close,” Pittman said when asked how close the Razorbacks are to being fit for competition following their first scrimmage.
“We’ve got a lot to work on. I’ve been bragging on some positions. But you’ve got to put them all … You can’t have just a really good player over here, good players over there. You’ve got to put it all together.
“I thought the second half of the scrimmage we put together, both sides of the ball, playing well together. But we’re not there yet.”
The Razorbacks didn’t practice Sunday, but will return to practice today in a week filled with morning practices capped by scrimmage No. 2 on Saturday.
Junior quarterback KJ Jefferson, who had a high completion percentage and at least a half-dozen big pass plays on Saturday, was asked if he thought the Razorbacks had advanced from this stage last August.
“I would say yes, because of the young guys and the strides that they’ve made from last year’s fall camp to this fall camp,” Jefferson said. “Just everybody is on one accord now.
“Everybody is learning, everybody is competing at a high level, which raises everybody’s skill set. I would say just being able to — just the competition level that we brought in and guys just competing and having fun.”
Senior linebacker Bumper Pool took on the same question and added some thoughts from defensive coordinator Barry Odom.
“Yes, and even though there were mistakes made today on defense, we’re a
lot more explosive defense,” Pool said. “Guys being able to make bigger plays like more sacks and getting to the passer.
“But there’s certain things that like, yes there are mistakes now, but we’ll clean those up. I like where we’re at. Coach Odom likes where we’re at. But we know that we still have a lot of work to do before game one.”
A year ago at this time, there was still uncertainty about whether the Razorbacks could rise to another level after coming off a 3-7 season that featured an All-SEC schedule due to covid-19.
The team responded with a 9-4 record and four trophy game wins.
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The Razorbacks will debut on Sept. 3 against College Football Playoff semifinalist Cincinnati as the No. 23 team in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Associated Press Top 25 poll will be released today.
Pittman talked about the stages of team building the Razorbacks are going through in camp as part of a natural process.
“The first part of fall a lot of times it’s you’re not worried about playing together as a team, you’re worried about surviving practice,” Pittman said, describing the mindset of an individual player. “I mean it was hotter than hot out there [the first week].
“Then the next mode you go is you’re worried about your position and where you’re at on the depth chart. At some point that all comes together to “OK, this is where I’m at. This is what I’m doing. Now how do I make my teammate better?’”
Pittman thinks the Razorbacks are striving to get to that stage.
“We’re not there yet,” he said. “We’re not a team that’s bickering and fighting. I don’t mean that. But we’re not a unit yet. We’ve got some good players and we’re not a consistent unit anywhere yet.
“But we’re further along right now than we were last year at this point.”