The defensive starts to the Razorbacks’ preseason scrimmages haven’t been worth talking about.

Probably because the Hogs are still learning to talk.

Communication in the secondary is pivotal, the Razorbacks’ defensive backs say, switching from the man-to-man pass defense employed by former Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring to the zone concepts of new defensive coordinator Willy Robinson.

“ That’s something we are trying to get down pat, ” sophomore cor nerback Ramon Broadway said. “ Once we communicate better, we start talking to each other, we are getting more comfortable than last spring. ”

ADVERTISEMENT

The more they all talk and understand, junior safety Matt Harris said, the quicker and better any seams in the zone get covered.

“ That zone defense requires you having to know your job, ” Harris said, “ and trust the guy next to you to do his job. Because if you try and do his job and you get beat deep, it’s on you and not them. Communication is a huge key. ”

Practicing against this Bobby Petrinocoached offense can make one an expert in communicating despair. What else is there to communicate, Harris implied, when it seems you’ve got the receivers covered only at the last to see a short, swift running back like Michael Smith, Texarkana’s Dennis Johnson or Camden’s De’Anthony Curtis slip out of the backfield ?

“ They are like the silent killers in this offense, ” Harris said. “ You’ll be covering the Petrino route system, crossing routes, switch routes, pick routes, great scheme, and then the back slips out a yard behind the line of scrimmage and they do a little swing route.

“ You try tackling Michael Smith in the open field. Guarantee you he’ll pass by one guy and it’s a first down for you every time. ”

Harris said all the practice against Arkansas’ runners will pay off against the highcaliber backs awaiting on the Hogs’ tough schedule.

The Petrino offensive emphasis on wide receivers also should help the defense preparing for pass defense to come starting with the Aug. 30 season opener against Western Illinois at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“ The receivers — I tell you no lie — they have gotten a lot better, ” Broadway said. “ It’s amazing to me that I used to be able to jam a guy and it was really hard for him to get off the line of scrimmage to now where you make one false move or one false stick and he can be over my head. So now I have to key in on more things than I did last year. ”

For the defense as a whole, it means more to cover and more to cover in a hurry. The defense must hit the ground running in rhythm but hasn’t done that yet at a scrimmage’s outset.

“ That’s one bad habit we are trying to break right now, ” Broadway said. “ We still have that bad habit. We are trying to break it running to the ball more and doing more drills. ”

Friday night’s closed to the public dress rehearsal will be another test to see if this Hog defense can start faster before it starts for real against Western Illinois.

“ It will be a mock game, ” head coach Bobby Petrino said.

Situations, particularly on special teams, will be scripted but the hitting will be for real.

“ When it’s the No. 1 offense against the Western Illinois defense, it will be live, ” Petrino said. “ And when it’s the No. 1 defense up against their offense it will be live work. It won’t be as many plays unfortunately as most of our scrimmages, but it will certainly be good, hard work. ”

Matt Crowder, a walk-on fullback from Harrison, is practicing on the 105-man preseason roster that will expand with next Monday’s start to UA classes.

In reviewing last Saturday’s scrimmage and citing wideouts London Crawford and freshman Jarius Wright in particular, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino noticed he’s not praising tight ends D. J. Williams and Andrew Davie with the gusto he praised them last spring.

“ Tight ends did pretty good, but they can play better, ” Paul Petrino said. “ They need to pick up their game and start playing better. The offensive line had a pretty good day and Casey [Dick, the senior starting quarterback ] had a pretty good day. ”

Backup quarterback continues to be scrutinized as the Petrinos and quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee evaluate redshirt freshman Nathan Dick, true freshman Tyler Wilson and senior Alex Mortensen.

Nathan Dick and Wilson are getting especially scrutinized.

“ Tyler has been looking good and improving and Nathan had a pretty good day the other day himself, ” Paul Petrino said. “ So there is some pretty good competition going on. ”

The Hogs waged their last two-a-days Tuesday of preseason, Bobby Petrino said.

They practiced in pads in a lengthy morning practice and mainly on special teams in shorts in the afternoon.