By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - For three-plus years now under two head coaches, Blake Johnson’s punting never seems to have merited consistent praise.
It didn’t matter in those 2015 and 2016 Arkansas Razorbacks seasons. Johnson redshirted in 2015. He punted but once in 2016 behind outstanding senior Toby Baker.
It mattered last year. For Bret Bielema’s final Arkansas coaching campaign with Baker graduated, Johnson punted all of the Razorbacks’ 59 punts.
He hit some good ones, five over 50 yards with one traveling 16. And 16 were downed inside in the 20. But too many line drives and too many short when they needed better left the Bielema regime dissatisfied.
New coach Chad Morris wasn’t thrilled with Johnson’s spring ending averaging just 35.6 yards per punt in the Red-White game at Little Rock. Morris had not been thrilled this preseason with either Johnson, a fourth-year junior from Long Beach, Calif., or walk-on freshman challenger Reid Bauer of Magnolia, Texas.
“We’re just trying to stress to these guys to be more accurate,” Morris said after last Thursday’s practice. “That’s an area, and there’s many others, but that’s an area we’ve got to be more consistent. That’s a big part.”
So, though media was closed out of witnessing firsthand without stats made available, it seems somewhat significant hearing Morris change his punting tune following last Saturday’s scrimmage at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“I thought we punted the ball exceptionally well,” Morris said. “This is probably the best that I’ve seen us punt.”
Just in case a surprise candidate had entered the punting derby undetected, Morris was asked to identify those punting exceptionally.
“I thought both Blake and Reid punted extremely well today,” Morris said. “This is the first time I’ve seen them punt as well as they’ve done today in some live situations. So that was good.”
Morris was coaching SMU and obviously not around Arkansas to see Connor Limpert relieve Cole Hedlund three games into 2017 and make 8-of-9 field goals, including the 38-yarder with four seconds left to beat Ole Miss 38-37. So with Limpert not enjoying a great spring including closing misfiring at the Red-White game, Morris seems often to have stayed on his case throughout the August preseason.
Like the punters, Limpert apparently fared better last Saturday.
“From our field goal unit, I thought Connor Limpert did some really good things,” Morris said post scrimmage. “We were live most of the day, and then we’d go what I call one-step. We made them when we were live and we missed a couple in some one-step. So we’ve got to work on the consistency of that. But we got a lot of good work in from our kicking game. From our field goal unit and our punt unit was our heavy emphasis today.”
Inheriting a team that went 4-8 last year means Morris will take advantage of the new maximum games to redshirt rule.
A player can now play up to four games and be eligible to redshirt regardless how those maximum four games are spaced, Morris said.
So expect Morris, offensive coordinator Joe Craddock and defensive coordinator John Chavis to insert more true freshmen than they normally would during these first three non-conference games Sept. 1, Sept, 8 and Sept. 15 against Eastern Illinois in Fayetteville, at Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo., and North Texas in Fayetteville before the Sept. 22 SEC opener at Auburn.
True freshmen that appear beyond the getting tested stage and in varsity roles include safety Joe Foucha and weakside linebacker Bumper Pool, both considered second team, tackle Noah Gatlin and guard Silas Robinson on Arkansas’ injury racked offensive line, and possibly receiver Mike Woods.
With the UA beginning fall semester classes Monday, Morris used it for the players’ NCAA mandated one day off per week so they could get academically acclimated.
The Razorbacks resume practice today in full pads.
It begins their final week without a game, but practices will include likely redshirts and reserves on the offensive and defensive scout teams impersonating Eastern Illinois.
Senior defensive end Randy Ramsey, withheld from last Saturday’s scrimmage because of an injury, is expected to be among the previously ailing returning to practice today.