FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas football team completed its second of 24 fall practices Tuesday afternoon.
Individual position drills occupied the first part of practice before seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills ended the day.
Making Tuesday’s practice better than Monday’s practice was a point of emphasis from the coaching staff as the Razorbacks prepare for the 2014 season opener at Auburn.
Venue: Outdoor practice fields
Format: Helmets (no pads)
Highlights: Even without pads on, the defensive unit partook in a number of tackling drills with dummies... The SEC Network filmed the first half of practice for an all-access segment set to air later on this year, including mic’ing up defensive backs coach Clay Jennings and running backs coach Joel Thomas.
Quote of the Day: “We’re working each and every day. Me and Brandon have gotten a lot closer over the past couple months and that’s my boy. We’re ready to ride.” – Keon Hatcher (@KeonHatcher4) on his relationship with Brandon Allen (@BrandonAllen_10)
Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney on today’s practice: “We got a little better. I was excited about it, the kids worked hard. It’s been a good first two days, been a lot of fun so far. It looks like we have good carry over going in. We’re on two days of installation, we’ll see tomorrow when we start putting in a little bit more burden on some of those young kids with a little bit of knowledge, it will be interesting to see how they pick things up. That’s the key, how quick can they pick it up and how quick can they help us win. It’s a fun part right now and so far so good.”
Chaney on Brandon Allen’s progress: “Couldn’t be more pleased. I’ll tell you, after two days he’s executing the offense exactly how we want to do it. I’m really happy with him. His mechanics are very cleaned up and polished.”
Keon Hatcher (@KeonHatcher4) on the second day of camp: “It was great. We came out today ready to work, get better and improve from yesterday. Just trying to grasp the offense even more than we have this offseason and get better and get ready for August 30.”
Demetrius Wilson (@MeechHogWilson) on his role within the receivers group: “Just keep everybody together. Any problem, anything starts to happen, I’m just trying to be there for everybody. Of course I’m going to make plays out there too, that’s my main goal out of everything but just keep everybody going.”
Wilson on Brandon Allen: “Brandon is getting there. His maturity is getting up there. He’s becoming a leader on this offense, vocal wise, making plays, just doing everything right.”
Wide receivers coach Michael Smith on newcomers: “We are trying to force feed them to see where they are at this point in the year. JoJo and Kendrick have been thrown into situations, and they’ve done some good thing, but they are still babies. They have a long way to go, but we have a couple of weeks to figure that out.”
Running backs coach Joel Thomas on Korliss Marshall (@KorlissM): “He has gotten a little bit bigger and seems to be a bit faster. He has learned the offense this offseason which is huge, so we can put him in situations this season that he will be able to grasp better.”
Offensive line coach Sam Pittman on Cam Jefferson: “ I’m really proud of him, he is a wonderful kid. We have him at left guard right now, and he is learning our scheme and he has adjusted to it well. He has been one of the more explosive players in the first two days, but there are still things that he needs to work on and he is the type of player that cares, so he will fix those mistakes quickly.
Alex Collins (@Budda03) on what he has learned in the off season: “I learned that you always can improve. There is no such thing as perfection in this sport, so during this offseason I’ve been watching film, looking at my mistakes and learning from them because there is always room for improvement.”
Luke Charpentier (@BigPonkie75) on offensive line depth: “The line has matured tremendously, we’ve made a lot of improvement since last year. We’ve gained so much confidence and play with a type of swagger, and Coach Pittman embraces that. We have a lot to be proud of from last season, especially leading the SEC in preventing sacks, so we have a solid group.”
Hunter Henry (@Hunter_Henry84) on Mackey Watch List: “It’s a big honor and a blessing to be put on that list. I’ve got to continue to work and get better because there is always room for improvement. We are going to spread the ball around the field this year, but I think I can be a great asset in this offense.
News and Notes:
- The Arkansas Football Fan Day presented by Pepsi will be held Sunday, Aug. 17 from 2-4 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. All fans in attendance will receive the official 2014 Razorback football team poster and pocket schedule card.
- Season tickets for the 2014 football season are now on sale starting at $300. Tickets for both Fayetteville and Little Rock games may be purchased by clicking here or by contacting the UA Ticket Office at 1-800-982-HOGS (4647).
- The 2014 Football Kickoff Luncheon, presented by URETEK Capital will be held on Aug. 22 at noon at the NWA Convention Center in Springdale, Ark. The doors will open at 11:15 a.m., and general admission tickets are $25 each. A reserved table for eight, with two seats for student-athletes or football personnel, is $300. To purchase tickets, please call 1-800-982-HOGS.
Follow Live: For complete coverage of Arkansas football throughout fall camp, follow @RazorbackFB on Twitter.
Kickoff: The Razorbacks open the season with a Southeastern Conference contest at Auburn University on Aug. 30. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be televised on the SEC Network.