The more I hear about Arkansas fall practices and then listen to Bobby Petrino’s explanations of what’s going down, I feel up.
We probably would feel the same about most fall camps around the SEC. Maybe everyone has taken a step forward. Football has changed with the portal and payment plans associated with Name, Image and Likeness. You should be able to fix what ails a football team.
But it seems clear from those at practice that the 2024 Razorbacks are completely different in body and spirit to the team that floundered then went in the tank last season. A lot of the fixes attempted the last nine months — from coaches to players — seem to be on the right track.
I plan to see my first practice later this week, but some old heads that saw everything last week bragged about all phases of the team, especially the way the linemen moved. These are not the views of media slouches.
These old reliables did not see anything like this new bunch over the last few seasons at Arkansas.
Most expect the throwing game to improve with Petrino’s arrival. He sounded as if he likes it Tuesday in a long session with the media. He spoke well about the quarterback room. I love when he talks about Taylen Green, the 6-6 transfer signal caller, changing his motion to “over the top” in the offseason.
Basically, Petrino thought his lower arm slot reduced him to a “6-footer” in the spring instead of the “outlier” that the coach loves in a 6-6 passer. Interceptions are down. Tipped passes result in interceptions with the speed in an SEC secondary, but those are reduced this fall with the No. 1 quarterback.
Petrino loved the way the Hogs ran the ball in the spring, but maybe the passing game wasn’t as crisp as most of his offenses in the past. It’s rounding into form this fall.
The running game started slowly in the fall, but that’s come around, too. Defenses are generally ahead of the offense early in August camp. One bust up front ruins a play, but the mesh is coming around. Tight end blocking has improved. That will help the tackles, better than last year’s group that slumped start to finish.
There seem to be more than enough weapons to suit Petrino, although he’s still reserved about pinpointing the identity of this offense. No use tipping his hand. You don’t have to know it right now.
Petrino is still challenging his quarterbacks to attempt the tough throws. He asked Green to list his most challenging throw in a meeting a few days ago. Then, a day later when asked what he wanted to work on, Green went straight to that throw. Basically, he said, coach, let’s fix that. Petrino loved it.
Those that have seen practice are clear on one thing; this is the Petrino offense, complete with crossing routes. They weren’t there last year at Texas A&M. It’s no secret that Petrino was running the Jimbo Fisher offense, not what we’d seen over the last 20 years, especially those zone and man busters that Petrino ran with Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and D.J. Williams.
I think Petrino has the talent he needs and it sounds like Sam Pittman has gotten things more like an SEC team in the offensive line. The tackles can hold their own. They are battling a good defensive front. So their successes in protection are worth noting.
But this is the tidbit that I liked most from a trusted source on the defense, the front can really move and that’s linemen as well as linebackers. Another emerging topic from the fall is the big jump made at strong safety from Jayden Johnson. No one says he’s turned into Steve Atwater, but I’d take a Ken Hamlin or a Kenoy Kennedy. If that is happening as some suggest, the sky is the limit.
I’m told there is a nice mesh between defensive coordinator Travis Williams and Petrino. They have known each other for a long time. Williams was a linebacker at Auburn when Petrino was offensive coordinator. Williams was a player when Petrino was head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. There have been no issues.
Players seem to be following the lead of their coordinators. Strength coach Ben Sowders spoke about the instant respect Petrino got from players. He said the offensive players “like” Petrino and have been sponge-like ever since the veteran play caller arrived.
Petrino had slow wide receivers in the spring from doing too much on off days. He didn’t want them worn out for midweek practices during installations.
I’m sure the defensive players like Williams. They gobbled it up when he surprised them with some rapping. His jingle jangle stressed “standards not starters,” the constant refrain in all my TWill interviews.
Petrino has a few standard old lines that are starting to matriculate into the mantra for this team. In the past, he’s demanded his players “vocalize their goals,” something his father preached as coach at Carroll College. He’s asked for goals in his quarterback room of late.
It’s still early in fall camp. Two weeks is a small snapshot. They have scrimmaged only once and pads are still new. But I bet this team is capable of reaching some decent goals, perhaps loftier than those held by fans. There are a few in Razorback Nation that don’t have much hope anymore for football. They have been beat down.
I’m not in that camp, as long as injuries don’t hit after another Thursday scrimmage.
I used to talk to my dad about my sports ventures. I’d announce our practice accomplishments after dinner. He’d temper his outlook or prediction.
He’d ask, “So what you are saying, so far so good? We will see.”
That works two weeks into August for the 2024 Razorbacks. It may be that things slip over the next two weeks, but it could be that we are in for a surprise. We will see.
