By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
This is the seventh in a nine-part, position-by-position series previewing the 2010 Razorbacks. Up next: Special teams.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas senior Rudell Crim is still learning the finer points of his new position this preseason.
It’s not that Crim, who started all 13 games at cornerback as a junior, isn’t comfortable. He said he has settled in after moving late last practice. New techniques and responsibilities have taken some time to grasp, though, and Crim is trying to perfect it all in time for the season opener against Tennessee Tech.
Crim said he has no doubt about his top priority, though.
Whatever happens, don’t give up the big play.
“That’s always the first thing that comes to my mind,” Crim said. “Make sure I take away the deep plays. Make sure I just do my job for my team. I feel like as long as I’m doing my job and everybody else is doing their job, there will be no big plays happening.”
One of Arkansas’ major goals in preseason practice has been eliminating the big plays that stung the defense over and over again in 2009. The Razorbacks gave up 17 scoring plays of 25 yards or more in 13 games. Of those, 13 were through the air.
While the problems can’t be pinned entirely on the secondary, the group has been willing to shoulder the responsibility. And its mantra since the end of the season? Don’t let it happen again.
“Any time you’re a defense, that’s the one thing you don’t want to do is give up big plays,” said Andru Stewart, who, like Crim, has moved from cornerback to safety. “If you watched games last year you saw that. In our losses, that kind of played a big role.”
Stewart believes the big plays had nothing to do with a talent gap between Arkansas’ secondary and its opponents, though.
Instead, he chalked it up to communication problems somewhere along the line whether it was the secondary or linebackers.
“That’s the biggest thing: Communicate,” Stewart said. “Make sure all 11 guys are on the same page. All it takes is one guy to be out of position and a play can go 60, 70 yards.”
So for their part, Arkansas defensive backs — who call themselves the “Brick Squad” — tried to alleviate any communication issue by spending more time together. The theory: Getting to know each other off the field will help them understand each other on it.
Led by veteran cornerbacks Ramon Broadway and Isaac Madison, the secondary made it a point to go to dinner, check out movies, or simply hang out in an effort to bond.
“I think we’ve been together long enough now that we know each other well,” junior safety Tramain Thomas said.
On the field, the group also believes it will be aided by Crim’s move to the back line. Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said it has made the secondary a quicker unit with Crim, Broadway, Madison and Thomas handling first-team repetitions. The Hogs also have Stewart and sophomore Darius Winston in the rotation.
The result: Preseason scrimmages have shown that the first-team group may not be as susceptible to big plays as it was in 2009.
And that’s saying something, considering Arkansas’ defensive backfield goes toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s top passing attacks in practice on a daily basis.
“We feel good,” Robinson said. “We feel really good about where we are. I think our communication is getting better each time they work with each other.”
There is are unanswered questions, though. What will happen on gamedays when Arkansas’ defense steps out on the field? Will the secondary repeat last season’s frustrations? Or will it change?
The Razorbacks are confident there will be a big improvement in the number of big plays allowed. But the secondary also knows it has to be proven, something that has been a constant reminder.
“Every day we’re talking. We come out with an agenda not to give them up,” Stewart said of the big plays.
A Closer Look At … DEFENSIVE BACKS
Best of the Bunch: Ramon Broadway, Isaac Madison — Impossible to pick one, but Arkansas’ starting cornerbacks are the unquestioned leaders. The Razorbacks are counting on both to come up big this season, helping a weakness turn into a strength this fall.
Watch Out For: Elton Ford — The junior is working with the second-team, but has provided a physical presence in preseason scrimmages with a handful of big hits. Ford must sharpen his tackling and tighten up in coverage, but is vital to the group.
Biggest Strength: Moving Crim to safety gave Arkansas something it lacked last season: More speed on the back line. The Razorbacks believe their speed is a strength this season, which should help them hang with receivers and close quicker on passes.
Biggest Question: Can they stop the big play? It was an obvious weakness last season with opponents picking on the secondary for some easy scores. Eliminating them has been a big emphasis of the offseason. Improvement in this area is a key to the 2010 season.
Projected Starters: CB — Ramon Broadway, Sr., (55 tackles, 4 pass break ups); Isaac Madison, Jr., (36 tackles in 2008); S — Tramain Thomas, Jr., (32 tackles, 3 interceptions); Rudell Crim, Sr., (43 tackles, 4 pass break ups)
Other Contributors: CB — Darius Winston, So.; Eric Bennett, Fr.; Greg Gatson, Jr.; S — Elton Ford, Jr.; Andru Stewart, Sr.
That Figures: 3 — Tramain Thomas’ interception total in 2009, which was tied for the team lead. It included the 37-yard return for a touchdown to tie the game in the Liberty Bowl
Quotable: “We think the kids are playing with a lot more confidence in what they’re trying to get done. Again, it’s all about experience. But it’s also a situation, they’re focused and they’re playing a lot quicker because they have a lot more knowledge about what we’re trying to do.” — Robinson when asked about the defensive backs earlier this preseason
