FOUR DOWNS — ARKANSAS BOWL NOTES
1. Petrino On LSU
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said he couldn’t recall what he was upset about, but had been made aware of his sideline and postgame actions during the 41-17 loss to LSU on Nov. 25. And, while he didn’t exactly offer an apology Saturday, Petrino did concede he has to work on it.
“That was a long time ago to be honest with you, you don’t recall things like that,” Petrino said Saturday. “I was told about it. Obviously, I’ve got to be more aware of my actions and my language.
“We’ll work on improving that.”
CBS cameras caught Petrino pointing across the field and cursing, presumably in the direction of LSU coach Les Miles, as the Tigers continued to add to their lead late in the game. He pulled away from Miles after the two shook hands at midfield a little later, walking off as LSU’s coach reached back to speak to him.
Miles was asked after the Arkansas win if he and Petrino had words at midfield and responded with: “Not many.” Petrino, who has not been available for interviews since the game, briefly addressed the situation for the first time Saturday afternoon.
Petrino said he hasn’t spoken to athletic director Jeff Long about the situation.
Long, who met with the media last Sunday, said “none of us like the use of profane language. Certainly it happens in the heat of battle and it’s unfortunate.”
But Long also said he was “disappointed” with CBS, which showed a slow-motion replay to capture Petrino later in the game.
“Professionally, I’m disappointed at the way that CBS portrayed coach Petrino on the sideline,” Long said. “I think it’s one thing if it’s recorded live and they catch a coach using language, that’s one thing. But I’m disappointed they chose to record it and show it later … and further that they showed it in slow motion so words could be made sure they could pick it up.”
2. Adams Honored Again
Arkansas receiver Joe Adams earned another postseason honor Saturday, when he was named first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
Adams earned the honor as a return specialist, leading the nation in punt returns (16.2 yards) and touchdowns (3).
He became the first Arkansas player to earn first-team All-American honors from the FWAA since 2007, when running back Darren McFadden and center Jonathan Luigs were recognized.
The senior was named a Walter Camp second-team All-American earlier this week and also is a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, which recognized the nation’s most versatile player. Adams also was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors.
3. Break Time
Arkansas practice for the third time in preparation for the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, but will now take a break because of the university’s final exam schedule.
The Hogs aren’t scheduled to be back on the field until next Friday. Arkansas will hold five practices between Dec. 16 and Dec. 21 before taking a Christmas break.
Instead of arriving to the bowl site separately, players will then return to Fayetteville and travel together to Texas.
“This will be different for me,” Petrino said. “Playing on (Jan. 6), we won’t travel from being home at Christmas to the site. So we’ll have to come back here, practice some more and then travel on to Dallas on the 31st.”
4. On Kansas State
Petrino was busy recruiting and hiring coaches last week, but said the Razorbacks have started to break down film of Kansas State for the Cotton Bowl.
“We’ve got scouting reports done and ready to go,” Petrino said. “I’ve been able to watch their defense. I’ve been able to watch their offense. They’re a good football team. They do things right.
“They’re really well coached. They’ve got a quarterback that causes you some problems. We’ve got a lot of work to do getting ready for the game.”
Quotable
“I like the leadership our seniors are showing at practice. That’s always a challenge is how the seniors practice for the bowl game. We challenge them to be professionals. Act like you are a professional and go out and get better at your craft. They have really done a nice job with that.” — Petrino on his seniors.
— Robbie Neiswanger • Arkansas News Bureau
