By Nate Allen
Special to News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - The Razorbacks practicing outside in Tuesday’s rain with the Walker Indoor Center available wasn’t Arkansas Coach Chad Morris continuing punishment for their sluggish start to Monday’s practice.
He would have practiced them in Tuesday’s rain even if Monday’s practice had set a standard to beat Alabama.
In his first meeting with media since the Razorbacks scrimmaged last Saturday and practiced Monday, Morris explained both his ire and team’s response to the displeasure he displayed by instituting updowns during Monday’s practice and the benefits of a full wet ball practice in Tuesday’s late morning rain bereft of lightning.
“I thought yesterday our energy level was extremely low,” Morris said. “That's not our style, not what we're about. So I challenged them really hard yesterday. My message to them was, 'You either push or I will.' I had to push a little bit yesterday, but that's OK. They responded well today and I was excited about that. Much better energy today.”
Apparently they responded like ducks to water or Hogs in slop, just like Morris hoped under conditions he planned to capitalize whenever they first arose.
He said back in May he scripted a wet ball practice for an August deluge.
“Today was a big wet ball drill all day long,” Morris said. “The only disappointment was it let up on us right there at the end. I was wishing it would have rained a little harder and a little longer. But guys responded. That was good stuff able to let those quarterbacks handle the wet ball and the running backs handle the wet ball.”
How was the ball security?
“I thought we had decent ball security today,” Morris said. “I think there might have been one that got on the ground today, but I was more concerned with how the centers (senior first-teamer Hjalte Froholdt and sophomore second-teamer Dylan Hays) were going to get the (shotgun) snaps back there to the quarterback and I thought we did some good things there.”
Media during the first 20 minutes of practice allowed for their viewing saw senior tight end Jeremy Patton helped off the field during Monday’s practice but were told Tuesday that the leg injury shouldn’t sideline him a considerable length.
“We actually had some good news on Jeremy,” Morris said. “It's a bruise and Jeremy will be back. Hopefully we get him back in the next week or so, but we'll see.”
Senior starting right tackle Brian Wallace, withheld from the scrimmage and both practices, should resume drills today, Morris said.
With junior defensive end McTelvin “Sosa” Agim now practicing at defensive tackle with junior defensive tackle Austin Capps moved to backup left guard on the injury beleaguered offensive line, reserve linebacker Alexey Jean-Baptiste now practices at defensive end behind Randy Ramsey, Gabe Richardson, Michael Taylor and junior Jamario Bell of Junction City.
Agim, generally deemed Arkansas’ best defensive lineman coming off last season, actually has worked second team getting reoriented to playing tackle which he did as a freshman in a 4-3 scheme the Hogs use again under new defensive coordinator John Chavis before moved to an end in last year’s 3-4 defensive scheme.
Hard to imagine Agim staying second-team for long.
“He’s disruptive and quick and getting off blocks,” Morris said.
But the coach said defensive tackles T.J. Smith and Armon Watts, seniors running first-team at the D-tackles and sophomore Jonathan Marshall all have impressed.
Sophomore letterman reserve defensive tackle Briston Guidry is practicing after missing the first two preseason weeks with an ailing back.
“We’ve got to get a little more out of him,” Morris said. “Hopefully he’ll start coming on and getting himself back into playing shape.”
Also on defense, Morris lauded true freshmen Bumper Pool, practicing second-team behind senior Dre Greenlaw at weakside Will linebacker, and defensive backs Joe Foucha and Myles Mason.
In reply to a question, Morris answered that film of Saturday’s scrimmage confirmed his initial post-scrimmage assessment that fourth-year junior Ty Storey of Charleston and third-year sophomore Cole Kelley of Lafayette, La. remain in a dead heat pursuing the starting quarterback job.
“Watching the film, I thought Ty came out and did some really good things for us early on,” Morris said. “He was very in control and I am very pleased with him running the offense. As the scrimmage went on, I think Cole picked up and did some good things as well, maybe not started as quick as we wanted to see, but I think we saw some good things at the finish.”