FAYETTEVILLE — Through 12 practices, it has been evident the Arkansas football team has taken a more physical approach to its spring practice slate than in recent years.
Saturday’s spring game at Razorback Stadium will mark the fifth time since the team began practices March 7 that tackling to the ground will be allowed. It is something Sam Pittman, entering his fifth season as head coach, said is “by far more” than has been done in the past.
“We are a physical team and they are practicing physical,” Pittman said, later adding, “We're finding out a little bit more, because of it, about our team.”
Inability to protect the quarterback and trouble tackling last season are among the reasons the Razorbacks may be taking a more physical approach to their spring practices.
“We need to become a team that's able to pick up the blitz,” Pittman said. “We need running backs to become better blockers, because we weren't last year at all. ... Tackling, obviously we feel like we need to get better there."
Much of the troubles of 2023 started up front with the offensive line. During the unit’s individual drill work, Pittman has served as a “GA” for offensive line coach Eric Mateos and has specifically spent time with the tackles.
Pittman said Tuesday he has liked the “competitiveness between the offensive and defensive line” and that he feels better about the tackles, who have done better than last spring at not allowing penetration.
“They're seeing a lot of things from the defense as well,” Pittman said. “And I think we're pretty good on the D-line at trying to get to the quarterback and things like that. Any protection starts with your tackles, and you have to be good at those positions. I feel good about our tackles situation.”
There are certainly some pitfalls to practicing with a more physical approach — a few players have missed some time this spring dealing with various minor injuries — but it does seem the coaching staff wanted to set a tone of physicality before the fall rolls around.
QB2
With Taylen Green as QB1 all but decided, Arkansas’ quarterback battle is now at QB2. Pittman echoed Petrino’s sentiments from last week in saying that the Razorbacks have yet to find their backup quarterback between redshirt senior Jacolby Criswell, redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton and freshman KJ Jackson.
“Some days, we're thinking we’ve got it figured out and then the next day, ‘Well, [someone else] did better,’” Pittman said. “I think there's a legitimate battle there of who No. 2 is, and that's not anything but the truth.
“I think it’s going to be more through the summer to find out exactly who that guy is.”
Spring game format
Arkansas’ spring game kicks off at noon Saturday. The red team will be the ones and the white team will be the twos.
“The first half will be just a football game,” Pittman said. “Then at half what we'll do is we'll probably take the ones and they'll be done. Then it'll be the twos against the rest of the team, which will become the red team.
“We'll have a nice, big breakfast for the winners and cereal for the losers.”
Practice notes
• Receiver Tyrone Broden was absent for a second consecutive practice. Pittman said he is away dealing with a family issue, and he isn’t sure yet if Broden will be back for the spring game.
• Andrew Armstrong was more active in practice Tuesday after being limited due to a hamstring issue. Jaedon Wilson has also been working his way back from a hamstring injury, but Pittman was uncertain if he would be active for the spring game.
• Receiver Davion Dozier suffered a hand injury in practice Tuesday, the severity of which is not yet known.
• Cornerbacks Jaheim Singletary and Marquise Robinson are both out due to injury. Pittman said Robinson will miss the spring game, but that his injury does not require surgery. He said Singletary might be able to play Saturday.
• Defensive lineman Ian Geffrard was inactive for Tuesday’s practice due to a hamstring pull. Pittman said he anticipates Geffrard to be full speed by Thursday’s practice and be able to play in the spring game.
• Kickers Vito Calvaruso and Matthew Shipley each made a long field goal during the team’s two-minute drill near the end of practice. Calvaruso had a make from 50 yards out and Shipley split the uprights on a 57-yarder.
• There was a scuffle after a play near the end of practice. “We had a good talk with the team afterwards about what's acceptable and what's not,” Pittman said. “Two guys got tangled up on the sideline and I believe one side thought it was more than that, and it escalated into something it shouldn't have. I think our team is a very together team. … We stopped it fairly fast.”