FAYETTEVILLE — One troubling practice is all that separates Arkansas from a satisfying march of steady progress through two weeks of spring football.
The Razorbacks lacked focus and energy last Tuesday, and Coach Bobby Petrino and several assistant coaches let them hear about it with a two-hour verbal barrage.
The team rebounded well Wednesday and turned in a strong, injury-free scrimmage of 164 plays in just more than two hours Friday. The three offensive units had a combined 14 touchdowns and 947 total yards in the workout.
While the numbers don’t look good for the defense, it’s important to remember that some sacks go uncalled, some penalties go unmarked and scrimmage conditions generally favor the offense.
“I think we’re doing a lot of good things,” Petrino said following the scrimmage, Arkansas’ seventh practice of 15 that will culminate with the spring game April 24. “I think we’re on track.
“We had one day when we didn’t do things right out on the practice field. Usually that starts with your concentration and focus in the meeting room, and we didn’t progress like we needed to on that day. I’m sure y’all know what day that is, but you know we’re pushing these guys hard.”
Senior tight end D.J. Williams said the Razorbacks have come to terms with Petrino’s rugged practice philosophy and now they battle to thrive instead of just survive.
“The ones go, the twos go, the threes go, and then he’ll repeat that and repeat that,” Williams said. “Then, two hours later, you’re not sure if he’s going to say ‘Ones up’ again. So if he puts that one up, you’ve just got to strap it up and be ready to go.
“It’s about getting better and having fun doing it. Our team has a real chance to be special, and we’re showing that right now.”
Petrino is known for pushing his teams, mentally and physically, and hardening his players’ resolve to fight through adversity, pain and mental stress. He’s not above playing head games, as he pointed out Friday with a stress test on backup quarterback Brandon Mitchell.
“I tried to get him rattled out there today,” Petrino said. “I tried to see if I could do that. I was impressed the way he kept his poise.”
Petrino said Mitchell made a couple of bad reads early in the scrimmage but bounced back and finished strong.
Mitchell completed 15 of 22 passes for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns in 44 snaps Friday, directing the secondteam offense to touchdowns on 4 of 5 possessions and the first unit to touchdowns on 2 of 2 series.
Tyler Wilson, who is holding the first-team job while Ryan Mallett recovers from surgery, connected on 16 of 21 passes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns on 42 snaps. He guided the unit to touchdowns on 2 of 3 drives in each half.
“A couple of days ago, the practice was sloppy. Yesterday was better, and today was great,” said Wilson, who has assumed a stronger leadership role this spring. “It’s amazing how much more comfortable I felt today than the first day I stepped out here for spring ball - under center, all the aspects of leading the offense.
“I think it comes with making plays, and when you make plays some of that pressure is kind of relieved and you can play like you know you can play.”
The first-team defense stayed on the field much too long on the first series of Friday’s scrimmage, allowing a 16-play, 80-yard touchdowndrive capped by Broderick Green’s 4-yard run. However, there appeared to be a generous spot on a catch by Williams on a third-and-8 conversion.
Wilson converted three consecutive third-down plays with passes to Austin Tate for 5 yards, Williams for 8, and Green for 11 yards on third-and-9. On the next set of downs, the defense held Green to 5 yards on third-and 8, but Wilson ran the option around left end for 13 yards to convert on fourth-and-3.
“We came out kind of slow,” safety Tramain Thomas said. “Overall, I think we did pretty good.
“I see a lot of progress. Everybody’s fighting for positions right now. Nobody’s position is safe. That’s making our defense as a whole a lot better because everybody’s hungry.”
Petrino praised the defensive units for their runstopping strength late in the scrimmage. Calling a steady sequence of running plays featuring one back late in scrimmage work has become a staple of the Petrino system. Petrino likes to see how each back holds up under physical, late-game conditions, and tests how stout the defense can be when it’s tired.
“I like the way our defense defended the run at the last part of the scrimmage [Friday] as opposed to the half-scrimmage the other day,” Petrino said. “I thought they were more physical and played with more effort.”
Sports, Pages 32 on 04/11/2010