FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas' biggest storylines from the first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday.
Hayden was the star
Chase Hayden took the handoff on an inside zone, wriggled away from a few would-be tacklers and bounced it outside. The true freshman running back then turned what looked like a run-of-the-mill play into a highlight, beating the first-team defense to the sideline, turning on the jets and racing down the sideline for a 74-yard score.
Cornerback Henre' Toliver chased Hayden down and looked like he may have pushed him out at the 10, but the play was ruled a touchdown and an ensuing extra point was kicked.
The run was the biggest highlight of a big day for Hayden, who finished with a scrimmage-high 118 yards on 15 carries. His burst was impressive on the touchdown and a 20-yard run later in the scrimmage. He also showed an ability to break tackles and pinball away from defenders despite his 5-foot-10, 191-pound frame.
Bret Bielema indicated Hayden had moved into a third-team role early in the week, surpassing fellow true freshman Maleek Williams, who enrolled early and went through spring practice. Where Williams is more of a power back, Hayden brings a speed element to the table, a change of pace from the rest of Arkansas' backfield.
That speed was on display Saturday.
First-team OL better at pass blocking than run blocking
Devwah Whaley had a number of solid runs Saturday in what wound up being a full workload.
But the second-team defense did a good job against the first-team offense. Whaley finished with 77 yards on 20 carries and backup David Williams had 55 on 14, a combined 3.9 yards per carry. It's just one scrimmage, but for a defense that ranked near the bottom of the country against the run last year, that's a solid effort from backups.
The first-team offensive line was better protecting Austin Allen. The senior quarterback, of course, wore a green, non-contact jersey, but he had a clean pocket and plenty of time to throw for most of the afternoon, an encouraging sign for a unit which struggled to keep Allen clean last year.
Pettway had a huge day
Earlier in the week, Allen said Pettway responded with a trio of good practices after Bielema called out his more experienced receivers. The sophomore backed up that assessment Saturday, finishing with 5 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.
He worked with the starters and took advantage of a matchup against true freshman cornerback Kamren Curl twice. On the first, he beat Curl down the sideline for a 65-yard gain inside the 1. He and Allen hooked up to burn Curl again later in the scrimmage for a 67-yard touchdown. Curl latched onto Pettway at about the 30 on the throw, but fell and left Pettway uncovered for the easy score.
Agim causes disruption
Sophomore defensive end Sosa Agim was tough for the second-team offensive line to handle in Saturday's scrimmage, playing in the backfield on a regular basis.
Agim finished with 5 tackles, including 3 tackles-for-loss and a sack. On one play, he got to quarterback Ty Storey despite being held by backup right guard Jalen Merrick, resulting in the play being blown dead for a sack.
It was an impressive afternoon.
Jackson made the catch of the day
Little Rock native Koilan Jackson was the only true freshman receiver to play with the first or second-team offense Saturday. He made the coaches look good for the decision, hauling in the best catch of the afternoon.
Working with the second-team offense, Jackson beat tight coverage by cornerback Ryan Pulley to haul in a contested 45-yard touchdown on a perfectly placed ball from Carson Proctor. It was an athletic flash from a 6-foot-2, 214-pounder who quarterback Austin Allen and Deon Stewart said they thought would play this season.
Jackson finished with 3 catches for 57 yards and the score in a solid afternoon that showed why his teammates have been so complimentary of him.
Young LBs stand out
Junior Dre Greenlaw didn't scrimmage Saturday, leaving plenty of extra linebacker reps for younger, inexperienced backups. Several underclassmen stood out.
Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Grant Morgan started and recorded 8 tackles, including 3 for loss.
Redshirt freshman inside backer Giovanni LaFrance was active and physical, totaling the same line as Morgan while working with the second-team defense against the starting offense. He had several physical stops after coming downhill.
Allen, backups sharp
Austin Allen was sharp, completing 19 of 22 passes for 304 yards and the score to Pettway. He was on target on his short and intermediate throws while showing off nice touch on several deep balls.
The duo competing to be his backup each had their moments. Cole Kelley finished 8 of 12 for 60 yards, while Ty Storey was 9 of 15 for 47 yards. There were no interceptions in the scrimmage and the backup quarterback battle will continue deeper into fall camp, but both were solid in the first scrimmage.