Georgia coach Kirby Smart with the media Monday morning about facing his “dear friend’ Sam Pittman, plus knowing Barry Odom and facing Feleipe Franks.
O’Gara on unsettled Georgia quarterback, but glad to see SEC playing football
ON HALFTIME: Connor O’Gara of Saturday Down South sounded almost relieved on ESPN Arkansas to have SEC football finally looking like reality.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – IT’S GAME WEEK BABY
Tye & Tommy on game week, how to get tickets, what Hogs are playing Saturday and more!
This year could show Hog fans the difference a change SHOULD make
Don’t expect of a lot in the way of preparing you for insight into what to expect out of Arkansas in the first game Saturday against Georgia.
Your guess this year is really as good as ours.
The media hasn’t been able to see anything approaching meaningful in fall camp and with Sam Pittman rotating players to give them as much of a chance as possible in a time when medical issues can cause a game of musical chairs at any time we really don’t have a solid depth chart until Monday.
About the best positive news I’ve gotten through all this is people I have found know what they’re usually talking about have told me this team is a completely different-looking team than the 4-20 mess of the last couple of year.
Different in a good way. As in operating like a team playing in the SEC instead of a high school program.
How all that translates to a game in a year that would have to drastically improve to get to wacky is anybody’s guess.
One misconception a lot of media and fans have had the past couple of years i the talent level was at an al-time low. They weren’t anywhere near as bad as the record. It was good enough to be in a bowl game somewhere.
Too often people fall into believing coaches saying it’s always about how good the players are, which is true but not the way some people think.
Nobody’s going to win many game with an entire squad of five-stars that aren’t developed and taught to play at the SEC level. In nearly 50 years covering college sports I’ve seen way more five-stars play at a two-star level than I’ve seen match their rating.
That’s why I’m not buying into the lack of talent theory, especially at skill positions. Maybe the interior linemen don’t have a lot of stars, but some transfers are going to make a difference there.
The schedule has accurately been described by some as the toughest in the history of college football. If someone has had a tougher one I’m not aware of who it is but everybody in the SEC has a tough way to go with nothing but conference opponents.
We’ll see how it plays out. No way I’m making any predictions because, as I’ve said, this year we’re one frat party away from some top-ranked team having to play a game with their third team and some walk-ons.
The Hogs can’t afford to be that team. While the talent is not that bad, the depth is very questionable and we’ll see how that plays out.
But the most interesting stat that might just force the most obvious change is new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has WON more games at the Power 5 level than the previous OC even coached.
Let that sink in for a minute.
That’s the biggest reason this team is going to be better … and could have a better record than the last two years.
Just don’t ask me which games are the wins.
Pittman says prep for Georgia opener started with smooth workout Friday
Hogs coach Sam Pittman met with the media after Friday’s practice and said they worked on putting in first and second-down situations for first game.
ChiSox announcer on strong catching tandem including for Razorback McCann
ON HALFTIME: White Sox announcer Jason Benetti talked about former Razorback catcher James McCann forming one of best tandems in baseball.
ON HALFTIME: Pittman on challenges dealing with Covid-19, team’s progress
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman talked with Phil Elson, Matt Jenkins and Matt Travis on ESPN Arkansas on Friday as they start Georgia game prep.
League sets policies, protocols for football a week ahead of openers
The Southeastern Conference announced on Friday policies and parameters for football game cancellations, rescheduling of games and no-contest declarations for the 2020 football season as the SEC continues to monitor developments related to Covid-19.
To play a football game, the SEC has established minimum thresholds of at least 53 scholarship players available to participate and the following minimum number of position scholarship players available to begin a game
• Seven (7) offensive linemen (which includes one center)
• One (1) quarterback
• Four (4) defensive linemen.
The impacted institution has the option to play the game with fewer than the 53 scholarship players or fewer than the minimum number of position players listed above if it elects to do so.
Otherwise, upon approval by the Commissioner, the game would be rescheduled or declared a no contest.
In addition, should an institution determine there are compelling reasons why it cannot begin a contest regardless of the scholarship and position minimums above, the institution may request to have the game rescheduled or, if the game cannot be rescheduled, for the game to be considered a no contest by presenting data (including total number of players not available to participate) outlining reasons why the game should not be played as scheduled.
The final decision to reschedule or declare the game a no contest is vested only with the Commissioner.
The 2020 SEC football season is slated to begin September 26 and is comprised of a 10-game Conference-only schedule, with the SEC Football Championship Game to be played Dec. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, rescheduled from the original date of Dec. 5.
The schedule includes one mid-season open date for each school and an open date on December 12 for all schools.
Each SEC team will play 10 conference football games to include six games against division opponents and four games against non-division opponents.
Information from SECSports.com is included in this story.
Yurachek says Hogs would be close to full strength if opener was this week
Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek told The Morning Rush on Friday morning if the first game was this week they would be close to full strength but still able to play.
“If our game was tomorrow, to be very candid, yes, we would have student-athletes that are part of our football program that would not be able to participate tomorrow,” he said Friday morning with Tye Richardson, Tommy Craft and Clay Henry on ESPN Arkansas. “But we would be about as close to full strength as we could be.
“We could have played the game on Sept. 5, we could have played the 12th, we could play tomorrow and we anticipate — if Georgia shows up — we will play a game on Sept. 26.”
Right now, the Razorbacks are testing three times a week with different delays for players that either test positive or close contact with those that do have a positive test.
“The isolation (close contact) period is a 10-day period, the quarantine is a 14-day period,” Yurachek said. “Obviously we have another test today. If they test positive or have close contact they are not going to be available this next Saturday.
“But if you tested positive or close contact last week, you’re going to roll off sometime this weekend or early next week and be available for the game.”
