On a day when Trey Knox made it back to practice to at least put the pads on, Chad Morris appeared confident … but he wasn’t getting close to being TOO certain about Saturday’s opener.
“Not with the season we came off of last year,” he said before Wednesday’s practice. “You don’t look ahead to anybody.”
Yeah, 2-10 will tend to do that, especially considering two of those losses were to Colorado State and North Texas. With Portland State for the opener, it’s a question that had to be asked.
“It’s not WHO we play, but HOW we play,” he said. “As I told them today in our team meeting, I’m far more concerned about their preparation and they continue to prepare each and every day regardless of who we play and the magnitude of the game we play on Saturday.”
Knox caught everyone by surprise coming onto the practice field during the second period of work … maybe even Morris. He jogged onto the field yelling “turn me up!” as he went the length of the field to join the receivers.
“Trey is not in today,” he said before practice. “He won’t practice today. We keep being told it’s coming, so we anticipate him being out there tomorrow.”
Now before getting too excited, during the brief time we were at practice Knox didn’t do a whole lot more than we did other than put on shoulder pads and a helmet.
“I think Trey will play if he’s able to go tomorrow and go through what we call our focus fast Friday,” Morris said. “I don’t know the exact number of reps he’s going to get, but I anticipate him being out there.”
Wide receiver Treylon Burks will be returning punts Saturday and apparently it’s the first time Morris has had a freshman doing that, but he’s that high on the Warren player.
“A true freshman at punt return? You know, I’d have to go back and look at that,” Morris said. “I don’t recall that I have. That’s a trust position, and this young man’s got an opportunity to be really special.
“He’s earned that (starting spot), and we’ve got the utmost trust in Treylon. I think he’s earned that during camp. He’s a fantastic individual, and ya’ll see him as a football player, but we see him as both, and he’s a better person than he is a football player.
“That’s a credit to his family and credit to his coach and program. I have no problem putting him back there … as long as he can catch it.”
That last part is probably something Burks has heard since Saturday’s “Beanie Bowl” when he appeared to be a little nonchalant on a return and he whiffed the catch, but grabbed it one hop and made that appear almost completely normal.
Burks also was working with the kick return unit in a two-man set with De’Vion Warren, which could be a pretty pair, maybe the best the Razorbacks could put back there in over a decade.
The hay’s not in the barn for this opener, but the truck is lined up for the barn door.
Morris made it clear he’s not looking ahead.
It’s a good bet he’s not letting the players do it, either.
