2008 Woodie Awards
Razorbacks prepare for second scrimmage
Harold McIlvain II
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Sports
Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino wrapped up practice Thursday looking forward to the scrimmage Friday, where he looks to get back to the basics and execute.
"We are going to have a good, long scrimmage," Petrino said. "We need to first see if we can execute by cutting back on what we are doing and get back to the base of what we were doing the first week, and try to execute that. We want to put pressure on the quarterback, so we will let the defense liven up on what they call."
Petrino will look for the tackling to stay at a high level, which has impressed him, he said.
"Hopefully we will be able to tackle well," Petrino said. "That is the one of the things we have been doing well [on the defensive side of the ball]."
Petrino held an instillation of the play book out on the defensive side of the ball in Thursday's practice, and liked the progress heading into the second scrimmage of the season as the Razorbacks practiced on the fields south of Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the first time this spring.
"Our execution picked up today," Petrino said. "We just need be patient and keep putting pressure on them to learn and to execute. We were making too many assignment errors. So we thought, 'slow down a little bit and try to execute what we have been doing.' We will just pick up the instillation later."
Offensively, the team had a good first week as they continue to add Petrino's system, but did not execute as well as they have been on Thursday, Petrino said.
"We just have to be patient with them. We have to catch ball and we have to do better than that. We have to concentrate, catch the ball and tuck it away right," Petrino said.
The practice did not go without any set backs as sophomore wide receiver London Crawford made a catch over the middle toward the end of practice and came up favoring his left quad and did not return to practice. Junior linebacker Elston Forte was not in practice, but Petrino said he didn't want to comment on injured players.
"We are not going to talk anymore about injured players. We are going to talk about the guys that practiced," Petrino said.
"We are going to have a good, long scrimmage," Petrino said. "We need to first see if we can execute by cutting back on what we are doing and get back to the base of what we were doing the first week, and try to execute that. We want to put pressure on the quarterback, so we will let the defense liven up on what they call."
Petrino will look for the tackling to stay at a high level, which has impressed him, he said.
"Hopefully we will be able to tackle well," Petrino said. "That is the one of the things we have been doing well [on the defensive side of the ball]."
Petrino held an instillation of the play book out on the defensive side of the ball in Thursday's practice, and liked the progress heading into the second scrimmage of the season as the Razorbacks practiced on the fields south of Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the first time this spring.
"Our execution picked up today," Petrino said. "We just need be patient and keep putting pressure on them to learn and to execute. We were making too many assignment errors. So we thought, 'slow down a little bit and try to execute what we have been doing.' We will just pick up the instillation later."
Offensively, the team had a good first week as they continue to add Petrino's system, but did not execute as well as they have been on Thursday, Petrino said.
"We just have to be patient with them. We have to catch ball and we have to do better than that. We have to concentrate, catch the ball and tuck it away right," Petrino said.
The practice did not go without any set backs as sophomore wide receiver London Crawford made a catch over the middle toward the end of practice and came up favoring his left quad and did not return to practice. Junior linebacker Elston Forte was not in practice, but Petrino said he didn't want to comment on injured players.
"We are not going to talk anymore about injured players. We are going to talk about the guys that practiced," Petrino said.
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