WholeHogSports
Petrino puts Hogs to the test
Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2008
URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/222527/
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino wasn’t kidding about putting the Razorbacks through a long scrimmage Friday.
The team’s seventh practice of the spring included a 164 scrimmage snaps — counting f ield goal attempts and plays run again after penalties — that lasted more than two hours inside windy and cold Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“We tore the f ield up pretty good,” junior free safety Matt Harris said. “We were expecting a long scrimmage, but definitely not this long.
“ It was what we needed, though, and you can’t complain when you get to put the pads on and get out there and hit.”
Petrino didn’t address the media after the scrimmage, but offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said it was work the Razorbacks needed as the players adjust to new systems on both sides of the ball.
“It was a long one, but that’s the only way you get tougher,” Paul Petrino said. “Just keep hitting and hitting, that’s how you improve.”
Paul Petrino said having long scrimmages is a family tradition begun by his and Bobby’s father, Bob Petrino Sr., during his coaching days.
“We’ve always had long scrimmages,” Paul Petrino said. “It’s the survival of the fittest and the tough guy stays standing.”
Robinson noted a team counting on so many young players needs as much scrimmage work as possible.
“They’ve got to bear down when they get tired, they’ve got to gut it out,” Robinson said. “We’re a long ways from being a physically tough team and a mentally tough team.”
The first-team offense and defense were matched against each other during the scrimmage and never were on the field with the backups.
“You get a lot more benefit out of it,” senior starting quarterback Casey Dick said. “They give us a lot of good looks. We give them a lot of good looks. We get better as a team.”
As expected in a scrimmage of 164 snaps, there were plenty of big plays on offense and defense.
Dick completed 21 of 36 passes for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the offense.
“I think Casey’s making good strides,” Paul Petrino said. “I think he’s getting more comfortable with the offense.”
Tight ends D. J. Williams and Andrew Davie combined for 10 receptions for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Williams, a sophomore, had 6 catches for 104 yards, including a 30-yarder for a touchdown from Dick on which he broke two tackles on the way to the end zone.
Davie, a junior, had 4 catches for 106 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown from Dick. He also caught a short pass from Alex Mortensen and rumbled down the sideline for a 63-yard gain.
“Those guys are two of our better players right now,” Paul Petrino said of Williams and Davie. “They do a good job blocking on the edge as well as running with the ball after the catch.
“ It was nice to see them get those big yards after the catch.”
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett, a transfer from Michigan, injured his thumb midway through the scrimmage and didn’t take another snap. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 63 yards.
Junior tailback Michael Smith, the Razorbacks’ top returning rusher, had just 1 carry for 5 yards after aggravated an unspecified injury he sustained during drills Friday before the scrimmage.
With Smith sidelined, junior tailback Brandon Barnett rushed 22 times for 84 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also had 5 fumbles, including 3 which were recovered by the defense.
Overall, the offense had three interceptions and lost four fumbles.
“As a whole offense, we’ve got to get better at holding onto the ball better than we did at times today,” Paul Petrino said. “It’s just something we’ve got to concentrate on every day, having the right ball security and tucking it away.
“ We don’t want to have turnovers no matter how many plays we go.”
Senior defensive end Antwain Robinson, working with the backups, had four sacks and a fumble recovery.
“He obviously was around the quarterback quite a bit,” Willy Robinson said. “Whether that’s the opponent he’s going against or him actually doing the things we’ve asked him to do, at least he’s being active and starting to show up.
“ For a while he’s been kind of nonexistent, so that is a positive point.”
Senior strong safety Dallas Washington had a fumble recovery he likely would have returned for a touchdown and also sacked Dick on a blitz.
Robinson said the players may have thought they were in good shape after off-season conditioning workouts, but that a scrimmage such as they endured Friday lets them know they’ve still got a long ways to go.
“We’re still not at a game pace situation, and that’s what we’re striving to do,” Robinson said. “We want to be stronger than our opponent.
“ Our goal is that when we get to that last snap, we’re just as strong as we were on the first snap. We’re not there yet.”
The Razorbacks don’t practice again until Tuesday and will need the recovery time considering what they did Friday.