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Little taught Turner about soccer-style kickers and he coached All-Americans

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When Frank Broyles signed the highly-recruited Steve Little out of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, back in 1974 and announced he would do nothing but kick, some were surprised.

Little was recruited as a quarterback and defensive back by a lot of people. He was an all-around athlete and Arkansas kicking coach Ken Turner had never coached a soccer-style kicker.

“Little taught me all about soccer kicking,” Turner told Tye Richardson, Tommy Craft and Clay Henry (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas on Friday morning a day after the announcement he was joining the UA’s Hall of Honor. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

Turner had coached straight-ahead kicker Bill McClard to an All-American level, the first of a whole string of punters and kickers that won All-Southwest Conference honors.

Every one of them had a different personality, strength and weakness. Turner managed to get the best out of every one of them.

“Each one was different, had a different personality,” Turner said. “You gotta deal with that.”

He had good psychological instincts.

“Some kickers you could jump on, some you can’t say a cross word to,” he said. “You gotta know that fine line when you’re coaching ’em.”

But he knew how to put the pressure on them in practices.

“You never know when that kicker’s on the sideline and all of a sudden he’s got to go out there in front of 70,000 people to win or lose a game,” Turner said. “So I was tough on them in practice trying to get them where a game situation wasn’t any tougher.

“That was my theory then but they didn’t know that.”

Turner also had a rule that you didn’t just start yanking the ball up in the air.

“Don’t ever kick one unless you’re trying to make it,” he said. “A lot of times kickers would get out there and mess around at practice and if I saw ’em, I wanted them to make it every time they kicked it.

“The pressure on a kicker is tremendous. I used to tell ’em, ‘you’re the only guy in the stadium and watching on TV knows when you mess up. It’s obvious.’

“They don’t expect a kicker to miss and that’s the way I coached ’em.”

At various times, Turner coached the offensive line and tight ends in addition to kickers. He coached six first team All-Americans before leaving in 1989 for his alma mater, Henderson State.

Turner joins a Hall of Honor class that includes Darren McFadden, Corey Beck, Amanda McCurdy, Ralph Kraus and Jon Brittenum.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, no ceremony will be delayed until the fall of 2021.

Razorbacks’ Sights & Sounds from Wednesday’s fall camp practice

Here’s what Wednesday’s practice for Arkansas in fall camp looked like.

Getting first down biggest key for tempo, but scoring points more important

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With all the giddy expectations Arkansas fans have for Kendal Briles’ up-tempo offense nobody will really get to see it if they don’t figure out how to make a first down.

More important than speed is just putting points on the board, though.

ESPN’s Tom Luginbill didn’t point that out Thursday with Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas.

“If you’re gonna go fast you better pick up third downs and you better get first downs,” he said.

We’re going to find out in a hurry if the Razorbacks’ defense has developed any depth in the off-season. The previous offense promised to go fast but never could seem to get out of first gear.

Defense is fine and well, but before Sam Pittman’s team can win a championship they have to learn how to win a game in the SEC and nobody really cares if that’s by simply out-scoring the other team or not.

“Tempo only works if you get the first first down,” Luginbill said. “If you don’t convert third down and get that first first down you’re not going to go very fast.”

A tempo offense is really a rhythm offense. When one play starts coming right after another one, the offense doesn’t allow the defense to substitute, players start getting caught out of position and everything moves downfield.

That’s why coaches tend to hustle up to the line and run the ball. That prevents the chances of an incomplete pass that would stop the clock and let the defense put in backups and get them aligned.

“The defense is awfully reliant on the offense staying on the field and completing drives,” Luginbill said. “Kendal Briles is going to want to take some shots. Is he going to want to have a two-play drive every now and then? Yeah, but he’s going to have to understand it’s not just about the offense.”

If the Hogs haven’t improved the defensive depth, points are going to be more imporrant. It was similar to the old Baylor philosophy before they could develop a defense where they just put up a lot of points and hoped they could hang on.

Hog fans saw that at times with Bobby Petrino’s teams, even in the big years of 2010-11. Remember, both of those years saw them score more than 40 points — and lose by double digits — in a couple of games.

But they won 21 games over that two-year period. A lot of folks tend to forget they still finished third in the SEC West in the final polls both years.

It’s where I disagree a little with Luginbill’s theory, which is sound if you’re trying to win a championship which would require a defense but that’s a huge unknown right now.

“They’re going to have to be very protective of not only a lack of talent but depth,” he said. “It’s a long season with quality opponents. The offense is going to have to help out in that regard.”

Until this team can string together a win or two, one argument is Briles probably should just put up points and hope Barry Odom can figure out a way to get a stop or two along the way. Even if he has to ask for volunteers.

The Hogs haven’t been able to put up points consistently enough the last couple of years for it to even matter whether the defense stopped anybody or not.

With the rules and everything else favoring the offense, you better score points first.

And a lot of them.

That’s going to take some rhythm, which is essentially what a tempo offense like Briles wants to run requires and Luginbill is right about that.

“Any offensive coordiantor in the country that’s running any form of up-tempo and fast-paced stuff is going to tell you it’s all great until you can’t get that first or second first down,” Luginbill said. “Then all of a sudden you’re off-rhythm and off-schedule and you’re not fast.”

In the Hogs’ case if that happens too often the ox could be in the ditch anyway unless the defense improves dramatically.

Which, really, is the biggest question for this team.

Holt on Wagner not running first team; offensive line question marks for Hogs

Bob Holt of the Democrat-Gazette on Thursday afternoon talked with Phil Elson, Matt Jenkins and Matt Travis about Dalton Wagner not being where many thought he would be in depth chart in fall practices.

McFadden, Beck, Brittenum highlight star-studded Hall of Honor class

Six former Arkansas athletes, including a College Football Hall of Famer and two-time Doak Walker Award winner and the point guard on the Razorbacks’ national championship men’s basketball team, have been selected as members of the 2020 class of the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.

Corey Beck (men’s basketball), Jon Brittenum (football), Ralph Kraus (baseball), Amanda McCurdy (women’s golf), Darren McFadden (football) and coach Ken Turner (football) are the most recent inductees elected to the UA Sports Hall of Honor based on a vote by former Razorback letter winners in conjunction with the A Club.

McFadden, Arkansas’ all-time leading rusher, was a first-time addition to the Hall of Honor ballot, following completion of his career in the National Football League.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and continued limitations on large gatherings, a Hall of Honor ceremony will not be held in the fall of 2020. The 2020 class will be formally inducted, along with those selected for the 2021 class, in a ceremony to be held in the fall of 2021.

“We are excited to honor an extraordinary group of Razorbacks as part of the 2020 class of the UA Sports Hall of Honor,” athletics director Hunter Yurachek said. “The outstanding accomplishments of these six individuals, both individually and collectively, is remarkable.

“One of the truly special parts of the Hall of Honor weekend is the opportunity to gather together as a Razorback family to celebrate our former greats. With that in mind, we have postponed the induction of this year’s class until the fall of 2021 when we can recognize them in person along with our 2021 honorees.”

2020 UA Sports Hall of Honor Inductees

Corey Beck | Men’s Basketball

Corey Beck, who played at the University of Arkansas from 1993-95, was a 1995 All-SEC selection as he drained 49 percent of his 3-point shots, second on the school’s single-season list, while handing out 207 assists, which ranks third. Both of those totals are records by a Razorback for a senior season.

For his career, Beck had 483 assists, third on the Arkansas all-time list as he led the team in the category in each of his three years with Razorbacks.

In SEC games only, Beck made 54 percent of his shots for his career, which ranks second on the school’s all-time list. Beck had a double-double — scoring 15 points and snagging 10 rebounds — in the 76-72 victory over Duke to secure the 1994 NCAA Championship.

The Memphis, Tenn., native would also be named to the 1994 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. While Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman garnered most of the attention, Beck was described as the “blue-collar leader” of that squad.

Beck went on to play in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers. In 2019, Beck was named Arkansas’ Allstate® SEC Basketball Legend.

Jon Brittenum | Football

Jon Brittenum quarterbacked the Razorbacks from 1963-66, leading a pair of top 10 teams in his final two years on the Hill. He threw for over 1,100 yards in both 1965 and 1966, earning All-Southwest Conference honors both years.

Brittenum led the Hogs to a No. 1 ranking in ’65 entering the Cotton Bowl as the second-ranked team in the country, and possibly might have led to the program’s second consecutive national championship if not for separating his shoulder in the bowl game vs. LSU.

The 1965 season included a 27-24 victory over No. 1 Texas with Brittenum calling the plays, propelling the Hogs to the top spot in the country after the halfway point of the season.

Head coach Frank Broyles penned in his autobiography that Brittenum was, “the best passer on the move that I’ve ever seen. He could throw it like a frozen rope on the sprint-out series. He was the perfect passer-runner for the system that we played at the time.”

Brittenum ran for 494 yards over his three years at the helm of the Razorback offense. He would go on to play one year for the San Diego Chargers in 1968.

Ralph Kraus | Baseball

An All-American outfielder in 1986, Kraus also earned All-SWC and SWC All-Tournament honors that year.

He was named to the College World Series all-tournament team in 1985 and received the George Dickey Award in 1986.

He led the team with a .397 average in 1986 and tied for the team led with 91 hits. He helped the Hogs go 51-15 and reach the College World Series in 1985 and 43-17 and reach the NCAA regionals in 1986. His 245-career hits rank fifth all-time while his 58 doubles and 400 total bases are fourth and his 96 extra base hits are sixth.

Kraus will live in the Arkansas record books for several amazing moments on the field, including finishing off the program’s first triple play in school history during the 1983 SWC Tournament.

He also helped usher in the school’s first night game in 1985 in classic style, launching a home run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Texas. In 1986, Kraus was selected as the recipient for the Frank Broyles Award, recognizing the top male Razorback student-athlete.

He was drafted in the 10th round of the 1986 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, playing four years of pro ball in the organization from 1986-89.

Amanda McCurdy | Women’s Golf

Amanda McCurdy, who played for Arkansas from 2002-06, played a major role in helping make the Razorbacks a team recognized nationally on the course.

Along with Courtney Mahon, McCurdy helped Arkansas make its first two NCAA Championship appearances in 2005 and 2006. She was Arkansas’ first multiple-event winner, taking home multiple titles in both 2003-04 and in 2005-06.

In all, McCurdy ended up winning four individual medals during her time on the Hill, one of just four Hogs to ever accomplish the feat, joined by fellow Razorback legends Stacy Lewis, Emily Tubert and Maria Fassi.

For her efforts, the El Dorado native was selected to an All-SEC team three times during her illustrious career, including a first-team appearance in 2006.

McCurdy also earned national acclaim following her 2005-06 campaign, as she was recognized as an All-American Honorable Mention by both the National Golf Coaches Association and Golfweek.

Darren McFadden | Football

McFadden, one of the nation’s most electric running backs of his era, tormented opposing defenses to the tune of a school record 4,590 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns over just three seasons from 2005-07.

He became only the second back-to-back recipient (2006, 2007) of the Doak Walker Award, given to college football’s premier running back, and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up in both campaigns.

McFadden garnered Walter Camp Player of the Year recognition in 2007 and is one of only two running backs in the last 12 years to earn the award.

The Little Rock product joined USC’s Reggie Bush as the only Consensus All-American halfbacks of the 2000s and was selected First Team All-SEC every year of his career while grabbing SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2006 and 2007.

In his final year, McFadden set the single-season school record with 1,830 rushing yards and ran for 16 scores. During the season, he equaled the single-game conference rushing record set in 1978 streaking for 321 yards against South Carolina.

Later that season, he accounted for four touchdowns and 206 rushing yards in an epic 50-48 triple-overtime triumph at LSU. His 4,590 career yards on the ground is third in SEC history and 5,881 career all-purpose yards rank second.

The fourth overall selection by Oakland in the 2008 NFL Draft, McFadden tied defensive tackle Dan Hampton (1979) for the highest Razorback draft choice of the post NFL-AFL Merger era.

He enjoyed a 10-year NFL career with the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. In 2019, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Coach Ken Turner | Football

Ken Turner joined the Razorbacks’ coaching staff in 1970 as a graduate assistant for head coach Frank Broyles’ staff after serving as the head coach at West Memphis, where he was 36-10-4.

Broyles promoted Turner in 1972 to run the B-Team for the Hogs before making him the team’s offensive line coach in 1973.

Turner oversaw the offensive line, tight ends, receivers and kickers for Broyles. Turner worked in the same capacity for Lou Holtz during his tenure from 1977-83 and coached the tight ends and kickers during Ken Hatfield’s first five seasons as the Head Hog.

Turner coached six first-team All-Americans for the Razorbacks – K/P Steve Little (1976, 77), OL Leotis Harris (1977), K/P Bruce Lahay (1981), OL Steve Korte (1982), P Greg Horne (1986) and K Kendall Trainor (1988). Including second-team All-American K Ish Ordonez (1979), Turner has coached all but one of Arkansas’ eight All-American kickers and punters.

Turner left in 1989 to return to his alma mater, Henderson State, to serve as the Reddies Director of Athletics. He added head coaching duties to his agenda from 1990-93 before retiring as the AD in 2000.

He led the Reddies from NAIA to the NCAA and was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

Murphy on Franks obvious No. 1, running down rest of possible Hogs’ lineup

Tom Murphy of the Democrat-Gazette goes in-depth on the Razorbacks’ roster but he’s seen nothing to indicate anybody other than Franks is No. 1 at quarterback.

Murphy was on The Morning Rush with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on ESPN Arkansas Thursday morning.

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – Recruiting brings you out of the storm

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Tye & Tommy on how recruiting gets you out of this mess, RD joins, plus marriage advice from the listeners

 

RECRUITING THURSDAY: Davenport on Razorbacks ‘one state, one team’

Richard Davenport of the Democrat-Gazette with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on ESPN Arkansas on Thursday morning on how the Hogs use an angle others can’t make work.

Coates, Gerald’s pass-rushing could be due to problems on Hogs’ offensive line

HawgBeat’s Nikki Chavanelle with Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas on defensive ends Julius Coates and Dorian Gerald getting mentioned for pass rush, but could it be due to problem in offensive line?