Spring Break
Hogs hope to keep bowl hopes alive
Robert Beckmann
Issue date: 11/5/08 Section: Sports
With their bowl hopes rekindled, the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-5, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) took the practice field this week with their minds on the South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3 SEC) and another conference win.
UA head coach Bobby Petrino was mostly impressed with the Hogs' 30-23 homecoming victory last Saturday versus Tulsa. On Sunday, the coaches and team reviewed the game tape.
Arkansas coaches said that the team showed marked improvement defensively by being disciplined on their assignments.
"We had a good plan, we weren't passive and I really liked how we attacked their offense and went after their protection," Petrino said. "Our guys showed discipline in playing their assignments. Even on the big play with [freshman linebacker] Jerry Franklin on the interception, it was assignment football. He ended up one-on-one but he stayed on his guy and his assignment."
Offensively, the Razorbacks were aggressive and attacked the Tulsa defense. The production was also balanced, at least early in the game.
"I was excited about how we mixed the run and pass and drove the ball in the first quarter," Petrino said.
Aside from facing another wily offensive coordinator in Gamecock head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Spurrier, the Hogs see few similarities between Tulsa and upcoming foe South Carolina.
The defensive fronts will be especially different in that the Gamecocks have mastered the art of being unpredictable.
"South Carolina plays about every front, coverage and blitz that you can have," Petrino said. "You can go through a number of [game film clips] that we've been watching and every play is a different call."
The Gamecock defense boasts several different personnel groups, and all of them have speed, Petrino said. Among the formations that South Carolina often shows is the conventional 4-3, the nickel, the dime and a 3-3, which Tulsa used against Arkansas last week.
Sometimes, the Gamecocks will even put seven defensive backs in the game. The constantly changing looks can perplex an offense, and a raucous South Carolina home crowd can only exacerbate that problem.
UA head coach Bobby Petrino was mostly impressed with the Hogs' 30-23 homecoming victory last Saturday versus Tulsa. On Sunday, the coaches and team reviewed the game tape.
Arkansas coaches said that the team showed marked improvement defensively by being disciplined on their assignments.
"We had a good plan, we weren't passive and I really liked how we attacked their offense and went after their protection," Petrino said. "Our guys showed discipline in playing their assignments. Even on the big play with [freshman linebacker] Jerry Franklin on the interception, it was assignment football. He ended up one-on-one but he stayed on his guy and his assignment."
Offensively, the Razorbacks were aggressive and attacked the Tulsa defense. The production was also balanced, at least early in the game.
"I was excited about how we mixed the run and pass and drove the ball in the first quarter," Petrino said.
Aside from facing another wily offensive coordinator in Gamecock head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Spurrier, the Hogs see few similarities between Tulsa and upcoming foe South Carolina.
The defensive fronts will be especially different in that the Gamecocks have mastered the art of being unpredictable.
"South Carolina plays about every front, coverage and blitz that you can have," Petrino said. "You can go through a number of [game film clips] that we've been watching and every play is a different call."
The Gamecock defense boasts several different personnel groups, and all of them have speed, Petrino said. Among the formations that South Carolina often shows is the conventional 4-3, the nickel, the dime and a 3-3, which Tulsa used against Arkansas last week.
Sometimes, the Gamecocks will even put seven defensive backs in the game. The constantly changing looks can perplex an offense, and a raucous South Carolina home crowd can only exacerbate that problem.
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