Briles looking to do on grass what Musselman does on the hardwood

If Eric Musselman hadn’t already dropped the phrase in Arkansas, new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles could probably use the “pace and space” description for what he wants to do.

As wide receiver Mike Woods told the media last Friday, he’s using a much simpler method to get playmakers in the open to make plays.

“It’s real simple for us all,” Woods said. “It really makes the game less thinking I think for all of us, and it allows us to play a lot faster.”

We got an idea about that earlier in the year meeting with the assistant coaches when Briles’ body language and expression pretty much scoffed at not getting an offense installed over two years with the Razorbacks previously.

“We’ll have almost all of it in,” he said.

He didn’t leave any wiggle room there. With the global health crisis throwing any spring practice out, Briles hasn’t talked with the media but Woods didn’t appear too concerned.

“It’s like a new system, but for me it’s kind of close to my high school style of offense,” he said. “(Briles) played under my high school head coach and a lot of the offense has similarities. It was kind of like I had to go back to some of the high school setup as far as the offense.”

In Texas high schools a staggering amount of programs run the offense that Art Briles created starting at Houston, then perfecting at Baylor. Kendal was there for it.

“It’s a great system as far as being able to play fast,” Woods said.

Keeping wide receivers coach Justin Stepp has made the transition to the new staff easier for a talented group that includes Woods, Treylon Burks and Trey Knox among others.

While the previous staff came in promising to play fast their offense never could never get untracked and the excuse was they didn’t have it all installed.

My thought at the time we were told that is this must be the most complicated offense in football history. We were being told that almost to the day that staff was leaving town.

“We didn’t really have to go through that change,” Woods said. “We’re all pretty comfortable with it right now. We just have to get a little refresher because it’s been a little minute since we could actually meet up with it.”

Woods didn’t sound too concerned about know what to do, admitting they did need some practice reps, though.

“As far as knowing what we need to do, I believe that we’re pretty good in that phase,” he said.

Which might mean the Hogs simplify things hoping it produces better results.