That was just part of the Arkansas defense, not all the defense, excelling in the Razorbacks’ scrimmage Saturday.
Otherwise the second defense wouldn’t have been strafed for five touchdown passes by the second offense.
“The seconds didn’t perform very well at all,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said Tuesday at his first media opportunity for scrimmage review. “Seems like they came out very lethargic and didn’t perform up to expectations we were looking for. We were kind of disappointed in that group.”
What about the first defense?
“We’ve got to start faster,” Robinson said, “but I felt like our ones took control in the second half. We just have to continue to learn how to start faster in the first half.
Probably too many missed tackles. We weren’t as opportunistic on turnovers and stuff.” Frankly with injuries, absences and position moves, it can be difficult distinguishing between the Razorbacks’ first and second defense.
First-team safety Rudell Crim, injured during Saturday’s scrimmage and withheld from Monday’s two-a-days, practiced in the lesser contact portion of Tuesday’s long, lone practice on the second team behind Elton Ford.
Meanwhile, fourth-year junior starting Will linebacker and team captain Jerry
Franklin of Marion practiced Tuesday on the second team after not appearing at either practice Monday. And sophomore defensive end Tenarius Wright (injured foot) returned after lengthy idleness.
Senior linebacker Freddy Burton of Morrilton, now running first-team middle linebacker with senior Jermaine Brooks injured since the scrimmage, and Franklin both have experience at the Mike middle and Will weak-side linebackers for coach Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks.
“Jerry is going fine,” linebackers coach Reggie Johnson said. “You know, it’s an adjustment any time you move guys and they’re playing several positions. They’ll see some things one day and they might not see it the next play. It’s an adjustment period. Freddy is doing good. I think he’s doing well there. Both of those guys, when it’s all said and done, it wouldn’t surprise me those are the guys you see on the field when it’s time to play.”
As for now....
“I wouldn’t read a lot into whatever you see out here during the course of practice,” Johnson said. “Coach Petrino and Coach Robinson - there is a method to their madness. They are trying to find the right mix and right combinations to put out on the field on Saturdays.”
Fifth-year senior linebacker Ryan Powers, a running fountain of unfulfilled potential the last four years, has seized the reshuffling to run some first-team Will linebacker.
“It’s coming down to my last year,” Powers said, “My senior year and I will do anything to be on the field.”
Veteran junior Elton Ford, mostly a starter since his freshman year, led all tacklers with 12 stops subbing for Crim during last Saturday’s scrimmage. Senior walk-on transfer Dustin Cain, formerly at Kansas Wesleyan College, and scholarship true freshman Daunte Carr have logged lots of second-team safety time with Ford elevated and Anthony Leon moved to outside linebacker. Leon has shown well in his position move but was “dinged up” during Tuesday’s workout, Robinson said.
Robinson was asked about the ups and downs of sophomore cornerback Darius Winston of Helena-West Helena Central working both first and second team. “Darius has still got to overcome the fact that it’s faster with those ones,” Robinson said. “His focus probably needs to improve. When he is focused he is a really good football player and then all of a sudden whether his legs are sore or something else is bothering him his focus part isn’t quite there. So that maturity part needs to continue. He’s starting to throw himself around the tackle and not throwing himself away from the tackle, so that’s a step. He made some really good plays during the scrimmage then had a play that was as ugly as there was. So it’s a consistency we are still searching for Darius. But he has made great strides. We are excited about where he is as far as improving his game.”
Punters Dylan Breeding, Zach Hocker and Westin Cox were put through a lengthy live punt drill Tuesday.
Sophomore running back Knile Davis popped a nice run Tuesday, his second straight practice after aggravating a tender hamstring injury just one play into Saturday’s scrimmage. Junior running back Dennis Johnson also stood out Tuesday morning. The Razorbacks practice twice today in the early morning and at 4 p.m.
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That was just part of the Arkansas defense, not all the defense, excelling in the Razorbacks’ scrimmage Saturday.
Otherwise the second defense wouldn’t have been strafed for five touchdown passes by the second offense.
“The seconds didn’t perform very well at all,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said Tuesday at his first media opportunity for scrimmage review. “Seems like they came out very lethargic and didn’t perform up to expectations we were looking for. We were kind of disappointed in that group.”
What about the first defense?
“We’ve got to start faster,” Robinson said, “but I felt like our ones took control in the second half. We just have to continue to learn how to start faster in the first half.
Probably too many missed tackles. We weren’t as opportunistic on turnovers and stuff.” Frankly with injuries, absences and position moves, it can be difficult distinguishing between the Razorbacks’ first and second defense.
First-team safety Rudell Crim, injured during Saturday’s scrimmage and withheld from Monday’s two-a-days, practiced in the lesser contact portion of Tuesday’s long, lone practice on the second team behind Elton Ford.
Meanwhile, fourth-year junior starting Will linebacker and team captain Jerry
Franklin of Marion practiced Tuesday on the second team after not appearing at either practice Monday. And sophomore defensive end Tenarius Wright (injured foot) returned after lengthy idleness.
Senior linebacker Freddy Burton of Morrilton, now running first-team middle linebacker with senior Jermaine Brooks injured since the scrimmage, and Franklin both have experience at the Mike middle and Will weak-side linebackers for coach Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks.
“Jerry is going fine,” linebackers coach Reggie Johnson said. “You know, it’s an adjustment any time you move guys and they’re playing several positions. They’ll see some things one day and they might not see it the next play. It’s an adjustment period. Freddy is doing good. I think he’s doing well there. Both of those guys, when it’s all said and done, it wouldn’t surprise me those are the guys you see on the field when it’s time to play.”
As for now....
“I wouldn’t read a lot into whatever you see out here during the course of practice,” Johnson said. “Coach Petrino and Coach Robinson - there is a method to their madness. They are trying to find the right mix and right combinations to put out on the field on Saturdays.”
Fifth-year senior linebacker Ryan Powers, a running fountain of unfulfilled potential the last four years, has seized the reshuffling to run some first-team Will linebacker.
“It’s coming down to my last year,” Powers said, “My senior year and I will do anything to be on the field.”
Veteran junior Elton Ford, mostly a starter since his freshman year, led all tacklers with 12 stops subbing for Crim during last Saturday’s scrimmage. Senior walk-on transfer Dustin Cain, formerly at Kansas Wesleyan College, and scholarship true freshman Daunte Carr have logged lots of second-team safety time with Ford elevated and Anthony Leon moved to outside linebacker. Leon has shown well in his position move but was “dinged up” during Tuesday’s workout, Robinson said.
Robinson was asked about the ups and downs of sophomore cornerback Darius Winston of Helena-West Helena Central working both first and second team. “Darius has still got to overcome the fact that it’s faster with those ones,” Robinson said. “His focus probably needs to improve. When he is focused he is a really good football player and then all of a sudden whether his legs are sore or something else is bothering him his focus part isn’t quite there. So that maturity part needs to continue. He’s starting to throw himself around the tackle and not throwing himself away from the tackle, so that’s a step. He made some really good plays during the scrimmage then had a play that was as ugly as there was. So it’s a consistency we are still searching for Darius. But he has made great strides. We are excited about where he is as far as improving his game.”
Punters Dylan Breeding, Zach Hocker and Westin Cox were put through a lengthy live punt drill Tuesday.
Sophomore running back Knile Davis popped a nice run Tuesday, his second straight practice after aggravating a tender hamstring injury just one play into Saturday’s scrimmage. Junior running back Dennis Johnson also stood out Tuesday morning. The Razorbacks practice twice today in the early morning and at 4 p.m.
