Arkansas’ offense passes up defense

BY TOM MURPHY

Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/234229/

FAYETTEVILLE — One play after a scathing challenge issued by defensive tackles coach Bobby Allen to the starting defense, Malcolm Sheppard shredded a block and mauled Brandon Barnett for a 1-yard loss.

That was one of the few highlights for the struggling Arkansas defense Wednesday during a previously unannounced semi-controlled 112-play scrimmage at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

With temperatures climbing back into the 80 s and the sun beating down, the Razorbacks got physical for the second time in four days.

“This is hard-nosed football right here,” junior safety Matt Harris said.

The starting offense moved the ball in big chunks again, following a successful Sunday scrimmage.

“Any time you get out here and see results, see big plays, what could be if you execute every play and think about what we could do this year, it’s really exciting,” senior center Jonathan Luigs said.

“The defense has not played well,” defensive ends coach Kirk Botkin said. “We have got to get better everywhere. We have got to get 11 guys who are going to do their job.”

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino, speaking after Wednesday’s second practice, said he saw a productive day.

“There’s no question in my mind we got better,” Petrino said. “We executed better on offense, [and the ] defense learned how to run to the ball and did some good tackling.... We’ll learn a lot from that video.”

The starting offense, working against the first and second units on defense, got busy quickly. Casey Dick completed 7 of 8 passes for ® yards and 1 touchdown in the first 50-play segment of the full-contact work, in which the ball was always returned to the original line of scrimmage, the 31- or 41-yard line.

Dick’s day included touchdown throws of 59 yards to freshman Jarius Wright and 54 yards to junior London Crawford. The first of those was a slant route up a seam on which Wright got past Jamar Love and sprinted to the end zone.

“I was just doing what I do best, running straight up the field and using my speed,” Wright said. “I just had to make sure I caught the ball.”

Crawford turned upfield after catching an intermediate crossing route and went the distance.

“He threw the ball well, and he’s starting to distribute it,” Petrino said of Dick. “He’s getting more comfortable with the timing.”

In the second half, Dick hit freshman tailback Dennis Johnson with a swing pass on a second-and-16 play. Johnson juked freshman safety Jerico Nelson and turned it into a 29-yard score. Dick finished 15 of 18 for 323 yards with 1 interception and 2 touchdowns. He was sacked four times.

“I thought we got a lot of good things accomplished, got to our checks today with not so much hesitation at the line of scrimmage,” Dick said. “We just felt good today and made some good completions, good throws. London and those guys made some great catches and turned little catches into big yards for us.”

Nathan Dick, who has not had a consistent camp, engineered an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive against the starting defense in the second half. That sequence included a 27-yard reverse to Wright and a 15-yard completion to Lucas Miller on fourth-and-6. The crowning play of the drive was Dick’s third-and-1 fade to Greg Childs over Isaac Madison for a 15-yard touchdown.

All three offenses completed highlight-play deep passes.

“Disappointing,” cornerbacks coach Lorenzo Ward said to describe the showing. “Any time I get one deep ball caught on me, it’s disappointing.

“ We talk about it all the time: Deep balls will get you beat. We want to tackle the catch in front of us, and we don’t want to give you the deep ball. We let some people get behind us, and it shouldn’t happen. No question the [first defense ] was the majority of that.”

The defense gave up several big plays and third-down conversions, but it did have some highlights.

Safety Rashaad Johnson had an interception on a pass tipped by Wright, tackle Sheppard recovered a bungled handoff and linebacker Aaron Fenton picked off another tipped pass with third-teamers on the field. The defense also posted nine “sacks” — defenders were not allowed to tackle quarterbacks — including three by end Antwain Robinson.

Childs showed he could be a quality option in scoring range by catching two fade-route touchdowns. The second came from 5 yards out against Greg Gatson on a throw by fellow freshman Tyler Wilson.

Transfer quarterback Ryan Mallett, who is sitting out this season, worked two series at the end of the scrimmage and threw a T. D. pass on one of them. On a third-and-4 play, he beat the blitz with a hot route completion to freshman Joe Adams, who made classmate Matt Marshall miss and raced 49 yards for the score.