FOUR DOWNS — NOTES FROM PRESEASON CAMP
1. Ole Miss, Take Two
Arkansas wrapped up its first week of preseason practice with a reminder of its win against Ole Miss last season.
Bad weather briefly forced Arkansas, which already had delayed the start time of Wednesday’s practice by 30 minutes because of rain and lighting, inside the Broyles Center. The Razorbacks eventually moved into the Walker Indoor Pavilion to complete the workout.
“It’s not a bad thing for them to learn how to go through this,” special teams coordinator John L. Smith said. “You never know we might have delays in a football game like that. You have to take it in. You have to come out. You have to stretch. You have to start again.”
Arkansas experienced the starting and stopping in a game last season, enduring two weather delays that totaled 89 minutes before securing a 38-24 win against Ole Miss.
Linebacker Ross Rasner said the Razorbacks didn’t exactly get the same kind of break Wednesday. But they did use the few minutes inside to go over plays and stretch before moving down into the Walker Pavilion.
“We were used to it,” Rasner said.
Smith said the concentration was OK once practice resumed. Defensive tackle Alfred Davis believed Arkansas handled it well because of their weather experience.
“We had to deal with that against Ole Miss last year,” Davis said. “So it wasn’t bad for the team to transition from being on the field, to going inside, to coming back outside. We adjusted … and finished good.”
2. Earning His Spot
Safety Elton Ford watched Rudell Crim move from cornerback to edge him in the competition for a starting spot last season. He also saw the Razorbacks move Eric Bennett from cornerback to safety in the offseason, then put him with the first-team defense in spring drills.
But Ford, a senior, is finally lining up with the first-team defense this preseason. He plans to stay there, too.
“It is just one of those things you roll with the punches and continue performing,” Ford said about playing in a reserve role in 2010 and again in the spring. “I feel I can play on the next level and I just want to help my team on this level right now. So I focus on that and just kind of have fun out there.”
Ford, who ranked seventh in tackles last season (39) and had 4.5 tackles for losses, has had a solid start to preseason camp. He credits his on-the-field experience the past three seasons as well as Arkansas’ offseason program, which helped him add speed and gain stamina.
“I tried to finish as hard as I could,” Ford said. “It’s my last year. I want to do something I’ve never done.”
3. Bequette on Hendricks List
Senior Jake Bequette was named to the preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award on Wednesday, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive end.
Bequette was among 35 players on the watch list after leading the Razorbacks with seven sacks in 2010. The Little Rock native enters the 2011 season with 13.5 sacks, which ranks 10th on the school’s career list.
Bequette, a preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, also is on watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Lombardi Award. Petrino coached the 2005 Hendricks Award winner, Elvis Dumervil, at Louisville.
4. Extra Points
Tyler Wilson was sharp during 11-on-11 work Wednesday night. Unofficially, the quarterback completed 11 of 13 passes with one drop. His night included a pair of deep completions to receivers Greg Childs and Marquel Wade. … Offensive tackle Grant Cook and defensive lineman Lonnie Gosha missed practice once again because of what appeared to be ankle injuries. Gosha was injured Sunday. Cook was hurt Monday. … Defensive tackle Lavunce Askew did not practice Wednesday night for unknown reasons.
Quote of the Day
“No, no, no, no, no. It’s just called extra conditioning,” Arkansas assistant John L. Smith when asked if part of the team was being punished after running sprints during a portion of practice.
Up Next
Arkansas plans to be back on the field tonight at 6. The workout, which is open the public, is expected to include some scrimmage work for the first time this preseason.
— Robbie Neiswanger • Arkansas News Bureau
