Uneventful but necessary. That's about as an apt of a description as I can give of the Arkansas Razorbacks' first football practice of the preseason.

Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino said the Hogs got a good day of work in - particularly the freshmen who garnered an hour extra of nearly individual attention from their position coaches - but he added the Razorbacks have a long way to go before they meld into the team he envisions they can be.

Of course, head football coaches across the nation could make a similar statement. There's not a squad in the nation that's ready to put the ball down on the ground and go four quarters.

But Arkansas is a team that has further to go than most around the state would normally be comfortable with.

Hogs fans don't like to hear the word rebuilding, but that's where Arkansas' program is at the moment.

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Petrino and his offensive brain trust are installing a radically different offense that will require adjustments from nearly every player on the field.

On the defensive side of the ball, there's a new scheme at play, too. Make no mistake. There is some talent on defense, but depth is a critical concern at linebacker, and that's not the place a team wants to be tender during the grind of a SEC schedule.

Petrino has made it known that freshmen will be counted on to play and possibly even start if returning Razorbacks aren't up to holding their positions.

The new staff owes nothing to the Hogs who have been in the program other than the opportunity to fight for playing time. All players are on notice that their jobs not only must be won based on merit, but also kept because of it.

That makes every practice important, even one that appears uneventful from the sidelines.

One of the things noticed in spring workouts is that while Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino is exacting and demanding with his charges and has no qualms about dressing down a player for their mistakes, he also hands out his share of praise.

After a missed catch, the younger Petrino often dashes out to meet his receiver and jogs with him as they return to the huddle.

While this action always occurs away from the media's prying ears, the body language of both the coach and player appears positive in these exchanges.

Junior receiver London Crawford spoke at length about this in the spring. He spoke about how his confidence had grown under the tutelage of the Petrinos and how good it felt when a play was quickly called back in his direction after a flub, rather than being relegated to the sidelines.

Obviously, a player who blows too many plays will see his playing time reduced or even ceased at some point as another player moves ahead.

But even between the harsh lines of the gridiron, coaches must find a way to correct their players' mistakes without destroying their confidence, which is vital for their success.

It seems Petrino and Arkansas' staff as a whole has a firm grasp on that idea.

Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.