Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on what he saw in a long scrimmage with tackling all the way to the ground so he can see exactly what players can do.
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00:00 We had a really good scrimmage.
00:02 Maybe I'm gonna guess somewhere
00:05 around 100. 5915 plays I would guess.
00:08 Hey, how you doing, buddy?
00:10 It's good to see you.
00:11 Some things.
00:18 That were good Dom coming back.
00:19 Dom had a nice long run,
00:21 maybe 50 yards or so and.
00:24 Him coming back was really nice to see.
00:27 We tackle live everything,
00:29 especially teams everything.
00:33 I thought D9 really played well,
00:36 really played well.
00:37 I don't know that we got a first down
00:42 the first two series with the ones
00:45 versus twos and twos versus ones.
00:49 Offense ones all most all not all,
00:52 but most all situational football,
00:54 whether it be second,
00:55 10 play third.
00:57 Third and six play fourth red area,
01:00 low red area.
01:01 Offense came back and looked
01:03 really good in in in that time.
01:05 Obviously concerning part of
01:07 the scrimmage is penalties,
01:10 and this is the first time we
01:12 had an SEC crew out there.
01:14 And you know,
01:15 there's some passing appearance
01:17 and things like that are going
01:20 to happen at times, but.
01:21 But the pre snap penalties we had.
01:25 Some and most of it was with the
01:27 younger guys, but we had some
01:29 pre snap penalties with the offensive
01:31 line and and things of that nature.
01:34 Several secondary penalties of holding.
01:39 That we've got to get.
01:40 We had we made mistakes at coaches.
01:43 We had.
01:43 12 on the field coming off the out
01:46 of a huddle a couple of times and
01:48 so all those things we've got to get
01:51 better at, but that's why you scrimmage
01:53 and we will, but overall thought
01:55 it was really good.
01:57 We did have a couple guys that got
01:59 banged up out there with San
02:02 Bocchi and and Nathan backs.
02:03 I don't at this time I don't know the
02:06 full extent of either one of their injuries.
02:09 But they did get injured and weren't
02:11 able to come back to the scrimmage.
02:13 So with that I'll answer
02:15 whatever you guys get.
02:16 Did you tell us maybe specifically
02:20 past game what you like?
02:21 What what you like out of the
02:23 game? Protections are Texas.
02:24 Gotta get better.
02:25 We gotta give him more time.
02:28 Devin manual was not.
02:30 He didn't play today.
02:31 He's he's he's out for maybe another
02:33 two to three four days,
02:35 something like that.
02:36 But our past protection and it wasn't.
02:39 Obviously Chamblee stepped in
02:40 doing a nice job, but.
02:42 They got some pretty good pass
02:45 rushes over there and we've
02:47 got to get better there.
02:49 Tesla certainly stood out.
02:50 You know, catches every shot.
02:52 He catches everything and.
02:55 Really good player,
02:56 but other than that,
02:57 without watching the tape,
02:58 I don't know there was some threes.
03:00 Tyrus Washington made several catches today.
03:03 Call have to give some stats.
03:07 I can't really recall a lot of guys
03:10 making several catches other than that.
03:14 But the passing game.
03:17 I think it was really.
03:20 We just we didn't protect very
03:22 good as well as we need to
03:24 knock up the deep front.
03:26 So who did you see flashing
03:28 from among that group?
03:29 Well, there's a lot of them,
03:31 you know, sevens,
03:32 he's been hard to block.
03:33 Take that flash goes for in target.
03:36 He was back there for a little bit today.
03:38 And.
03:39 And Eric and and well, a bunch of.
03:43 40 six.
03:48 They played hard, they played well today
03:51 and and you know,
03:52 they basically had a four man
03:54 location going on and.
03:56 And he's got four.
03:57 He really got nine.
03:59 You know, when Nico Nico
04:01 had a good scrimmage too.
04:03 He got nine guys in your go over there and.
04:07 I'm probably today 'cause we held the tank.
04:10 We held book out today.
04:14 Nothing big, I think they'll be
04:16 ready to go by Monday,
04:17 but we'll be ready to go to
04:18 help them today.
04:19 What do you think of your
04:21 linebackers out there today?
04:22 Yeah.
04:25 I thought you came.
04:27 Thomas made a lot of plays.
04:29 Crook, you know, poo got an ankle
04:33 so he didn't. He didn't play today.
04:36 But I thought those two.
04:39 Obviously, Greer made some plays.
04:41 I tell you who's shined a little bit today,
04:44 but I think coming on in Sanford,
04:47 you know, Sanford made several plays today
04:50 and and obviously spent but I
04:52 think they played pretty good.
04:54 I thought your defense as a whole played well.
04:57 Problem is we got too many
04:59 penalties in the secondary.
05:01 We we were given offense defensively.
05:03 We were given the first downs and.
05:06 And that had been maybe four
05:08 or five different penalties.
05:09 Now you look at that and the world's
05:11 not bringing it coming to an end guys.
05:13 You're talking about the ones
05:15 that turns into threes.
05:16 I'm not talking about just the ones and
05:18 all the guys that's gonna play every snap,
05:20 but we had too many pillars back.
05:22 We gotta clean that up.
05:25 I'm wondering that anything
05:27 concerning people. Oh no, he he.
05:29 Matter of fact, you gotta slide in.
05:32 MCL is what his guy will heal.
05:34 You know he he probably if we was
05:36 playing a game he'd be playing today,
05:38 but we weren't.
05:41 Is it good to have these penalties
05:43 and so you can talk about him?
05:45 Yeah, I talked to him
05:47 try after practice, you know,
05:48 because I don't know.
05:49 Two years ago we had, you know,
05:52 we had a lot of penalties.
05:54 Our first game and they kind of
05:56 started going down and all that
05:58 kind of stuff. Thank you.
05:59 Actually, with the scrimmaging
06:01 and the tackling and all that
06:03 kind of stuff comes you see me.
06:05 You know we we live tackle punt
06:07 punt and punt return and kickoff.
06:09 I've never done that since I've been here.
06:12 But. I don't know how you tell
06:14 who's going to be your best guy.
06:17 You know it's scary because you
06:19 don't want injuries, but you gotta
06:21 find the guy may 16 he he can one.
06:23 Those guys when they can they can return.
06:26 They can return punts and kickoffs
06:28 and they looked really good today.
06:30 But yes, I think it is a good thing
06:32 because I told the guys I said call it
06:35 as as close as you possibly would in a game.
06:38 I don't you know we need this.
06:40 We need to be able to show penalties
06:43 and just have a real level and say
06:45 why and teach him you know things
06:48 of that nature so. Yes, obviously
06:50 I was disappointed that we had
06:53 the pre snapped ones.
06:54 The ones on the secondary.
06:56 That's just simply to me coaching
06:59 and teaching that we can.
07:01 We can correct the other thing is
07:03 mental and we ought to be better than that.
07:06 We gotta do a better job coaching too,
07:09 you know.
07:12 On the pre snap, thanks to we.
07:14 We gotta be better there too.
07:16 Now I'm continuing to work at Nicola.
07:20 That would be safe with two minutes
07:22 with the corner slot opposite
07:24 McLaughlin who's helping shaking out.
07:26 Well, Nudy had a good day.
07:29 Shaheen had a good day 25.
07:31 You know, had a good day and Braxton.
07:34 Those are probably our four right now.
07:36 And.
07:38 Moving snacks, you know those
07:40 are probably our four guys and
07:43 really what I want to say today is
07:46 is I want to say about 50.
07:48 405 to 40 to 50 reps of the guys
07:51 playing their position.
07:52 Now we could have maybe moved some
07:55 different guys here here here like
07:57 on the old line we gotta figure
07:59 out if Andrew Chambers you know
08:01 right now the second team left
08:03 tackle and I I can't answer that
08:06 question because you know I I look
08:08 at or we're going to move somebody
08:10 over there for him.
08:11 I thought he played pretty good so,
08:13 but today was about finding them
08:15 corners to see if we can leave
08:17 snacks at at home to be perfectly
08:19 honest with you and at least for
08:21 for a long time in the scrimmage.
08:23 I think yeah, we found him 'cause
08:26 there wasn't really a whole lot
08:27 happening offensively.
08:28 That's including run and pass.
08:30 Third down was a little bit different story.
08:33 You know we got some big physical receivers.
08:35 We had to move around and move
08:37 around some guys as well.
08:38 Fessel and Armstrong that way,
08:40 you know, and roads a big tall guy so.
08:43 They had a little bit more success
08:44 on on third down at that point,
08:46 but yeah, I think it is probably good thing.
08:49 Can I ask you about single
08:50 carry Walcott and secondary?
08:51 Kind of single Terry,
08:52 but how did Walcott look out there today?
08:55 He looked good to me.
08:56 Now he was a little banged up going into it,
08:59 but.
09:01 Down down down in the red area that
09:03 you know it's his job was to fill a gap.
09:06 My promise you he did.
09:08 He was sitting back there and they
09:10 opened it up really big effort.
09:12 They opened it up and here he came.
09:15 You know he's it's hard to be a transfer
09:17 kid and come in and earn the respect
09:20 of the team like he has and we've
09:22 got some other guys in that too,
09:24 but he's he's got a special personality.
09:26 You know, but he will.
09:28 He'll rock you now and he showed it today.
09:31 But settled in safety 'cause with
09:33 snacks maybe moving dog you talked
09:35 about you might have to play both.
09:37 He told me they played defensive
09:38 hand if you put him there,
09:40 but he's going to play safety probably for you.
09:43 Well, again, just as I didn't want it,
09:45 I didn't want to play anybody
09:47 today to positions.
09:47 So when they came to me and they
09:50 start talking about how we're going
09:51 to play the players 'cause you have
09:54 to figure that out before you ever
09:55 go out there because you have to
09:57 give him its opportunity.
09:59 You have to give him the opportunity
10:01 at a position to win the position.
10:03 And at first it was, you know,
10:04 him going to hog and then playing
10:06 some corner and I said, oh no,
10:08 no, no, no, no, no.
10:10 We gotta figure out if he's.
10:11 The hog and Jay Lou made a night.
10:13 You know,
10:14 Jay Lou made a nice interception today too,
10:16 but we gotta find that out so.
10:20 I don't really know what I think about
10:22 that yet 'cause I haven't watched the tape,
10:24 but I've I've assumed the snacks
10:26 had a good day at the hog and that's
10:28 the only place he played and we know
10:30 we can play corner eventually down
10:32 the road if we need it.
10:33 Didn't leave it last couple of days.
10:37 Yeah.
10:38 You know, streets valuable,
10:40 you know, because he can play center.
10:42 He can play guard play guard today.
10:44 We're trying to see what
10:46 Murray Wiggins can do.
10:48 But you know,
10:49 he starts on special team.
10:51 Just really valuable guy and and I know
10:54 we all know I put him on scholarship,
10:56 but.
10:57 He earned that and.
10:59 And.
11:02 You know, I don't announce it 'cause
11:03 you know there's other kids on our team
11:05 that would like to have one too,
11:07 and you know I I really don't need
11:09 no more videos of me, you know,
11:10 giving out a scholarship to a kid so.
11:13 I can get some likes and some
11:15 retweets I'm running into that.
11:18 I just called him and gave the scholarship.
11:21 Coach.
11:22 Coach, you mentioned Dominique
11:27 Johnson with the what he said.
11:29 Yeah.
11:30 No, that's why I'm not on it
11:36 very often, but thank you.
11:37 Yeah, I still don't know what he said,
11:39 but I get it. Thank you.
11:41 You mentioned Dom with the big run
11:43 and the bright spot. You know,
11:45 can you talk a little bit about the
11:48 rest of the run game on both sides of the
11:50 ball are dubbed man special player
11:52 and he made some special runs today.
11:55 Some there was something there
11:56 and some there wasn't.
11:57 He made something out of nothing.
11:59 I mean, it's hard to tackle, you know.
12:01 Obviously, Rocket, I don't know what he had.
12:07 What he had 50 hours regime or something
12:09 like that somewhere in there, but
12:11 Rocket had a good day too, but but.
12:14 Dom stood out.
12:16 And and RW stood out right,
12:18 you know, we Rocket had a good day.
12:22 It's just.
12:23 You know, that's what we expect out of him,
12:25 but.
12:25 We did the special team stuff.
12:28 How did Max Fletcher look under
12:30 heck out of the ball?
12:32 We have one with the with the shoes.
12:35 We had one bad time all day and the
12:38 rest of my moment I think and.
12:41 And again. We made.
12:45 We make all our fellows except for one.
12:47 And the first one, what was it?
12:50 Ford Ford missed his first field goal
12:52 and then after that we we went.
12:54 Either 8th and one or 9th.
12:57 Why can't remember we keep 99 or 10?
13:00 I know I know I know we we kicked at
13:03 least nine and none of them were
13:06 really short and can make can no no.
13:09 Ford Ford made his can miss his first one.
13:12 We had a little bit of bubble on the whole.
13:16 But at the end of the scrimmage
13:18 we put 13 seconds one time out.
13:20 We're on the 46 yard line.
13:21 And we got up to the 40.
13:24 Call timeout and cam came in there
13:26 and busted a 58 yard and it could have
13:29 went 68. He not take out that ball.
13:33 I think I saw on your posted on video
13:35 that he had a 60 yarder for this week.
13:38 Do you still I didn't post it, but yes,
13:41 I said y'all mean the football.
13:42 You know, that's like really whatever.
13:44 Yeah I did.
13:45 But I mean, you feel like he's showing
13:49 a lot of good good strength and camp
13:50 in terms of I can't play the guy
13:52 play just a little bitty fellow.
13:53 But man, he can kick it,
13:55 but he's I tell you what,
13:57 he's fast too so.
13:58 Maybe we have a fake with it,
14:01 but he he's fast and he's he's powerful
14:03 and he kick him and he's kicking good.
14:06 He's hitting him and he got a leg,
14:08 you know, and he's he's earned
14:10 the kickoff spot too, you know so.
14:14 It's really started before you came back,
14:16 but the defensive line coach job has
14:18 been a little bit of a revolving door.
14:19 Deeks first time in a long time.
14:22 You got a guy going for second year.
14:24 How important do you think that is?
14:26 Trying was saying the other news
14:27 yesterday that that was important
14:29 to have some have his position
14:30 coach back and just what do you
14:32 think about how Deeks doing?
14:33 Yeah, I think there's a lot to be said for that,
14:35 but.
14:36 If the position coach can't change his room,
14:39 then and he's still back and he still
14:41 got a room that he ain't changed.
14:43 You know what I mean?
14:45 And they like him all they want,
14:46 but.
14:48 If we ain't changing that room then.
14:51 You know it's hard to like a guy 'cause
14:53 he's probably not going to be there.
14:55 You know we so big went in and he
14:58 changed that room and more importantly,
15:00 like Torian and Landon and those
15:03 guys that are back Eric Gregory.
15:05 He knows how to blend the new
15:08 guys with the old guys.
15:09 Bigs big handles problems in a room.
15:12 He he he can recruit to his room,
15:16 but he just a really good coach.
15:18 Really good dude.
15:19 Really good recruiter.
15:21 Yeah.
15:23 Sometimes, but I don't think anybody
15:24 talked about the quarterbacks so.
15:26 Uh? Yeah, I think you're right.
15:31 Didn't Malachi have a long touchdown throw?
15:34 Who was that to Daz?
15:36 Daz fast and he he's he's sparked a
15:39 little bit here over the last few days, but.
15:43 Like AJ played well.
15:47 You know, like I said,
15:48 I don't know that we had a whole
15:49 lot of time early,
15:50 but when he got time he threw the ball
15:52 accurate and and did a nice job.
15:55 He he had touchdown down the red area.
15:57 I called back 'cause.
15:59 They tagged and he got all mad at me.
16:01 You know, he said that ain't you know,
16:03 they tackling me on that and.
16:06 He's probably right and I was wrong,
16:07 but we went ahead and went
16:09 third and three anyway, but.
16:11 He he ran the offense.
16:13 Well, he's a veteran.
16:14 I tell you.
16:17 You didn't ask about Friday,
16:18 but Friday he threw the ball as well
16:20 as I'd ever seen him throw and then just.
16:23 Crazy accuracy.
16:25 And he did when he had time to throw
16:28 that he did one heck of a job.
16:31 And then Kobe had had some sparks.
16:34 You know, I think Jacobi is going
16:35 to be a guy that you'll you'll see
16:38 being a much better player when
16:39 you have tackling, you know,
16:41 he's he can run over 21 miles an hour and.
16:45 But he's got incredible arm and
16:46 it was very accurate as well.
16:49 And then Fortin came in.
16:50 He was a third that came in.
16:52 And maybe statistically,
16:54 Fortin might have had as good
16:56 a day as any of them did.
16:57 And then Malachi had.
17:00 Had a big big throw to Daz and and
17:02 another one to down on the sideline.
17:04 It came in.
17:05 There's another one today's
17:06 both of them were to him and but
17:08 I thought they ran the offense.
17:10 Well, I thought they were in control of it.
17:13 And I thought they were accurate
17:15 and smart with it.
17:16 Like we had one interception,
17:18 is that correct?
17:19 And that was after I blew it.
17:21 I blew it dead because I thought
17:23 we had a sack there.
17:25 But J will did have that nice interception.
17:29 Sam, you've mentioned Tyrus
17:30 Washington a couple of times this week.
17:32 The guy that you know making plays
17:35 and catches like how is he coming
17:37 on and how much can help you?
17:38 He gonna help us.
17:40 I mean he's he's.
17:42 I think we got a pretty good tight
17:44 in room, you know, I think.
17:45 When you look at Francis and and
17:48 Lou and gums and Tyrus and and then
17:51 and bags. There's gonna be a lot,
17:54 but a lot of opportunity to get in.
17:57 12 personnel is going to be a lot of
17:59 opportunity to get on the play.
18:01 Get on the field,
18:02 but Tyrus has made some hard hard catches.
18:04 He's getting better at his blocking.
18:06 Got a great attitude and playing hard,
18:08 but.
18:10 The thing that I'm noticing more
18:12 is he's getting open and catching.
18:15 Contested passes.
18:17 And that's the opinion.
18:19 What's the ceiling?
18:20 Right now is in shape,
18:26 so he's faster and more confident.
18:29 And I think him getting the
18:31 opposite player of the game and.
18:33 Liberty Bowl helped his
18:35 confidence as well.
18:37 I don't think he or us see him as a three
18:40 or I think we just see him as when
18:43 he's in the game there's some good
18:46 things going to happen and.
18:48 But I think he the most he's grown is
18:51 just in his confidence and knowledge
18:52 of of the game of football and the
18:55 expectations of what you know SEC
18:57 football is all about.
18:58 He's done a really good job.
19:00 He's good player man.
19:01 Really is really good player.
19:02 I'm going to couple of days ago,
19:04 but Bolamor plan at a really high level.
19:07 Can you?
19:07 Kind of discuss that move that he's
19:09 made to center and what he's done so well.
19:12 He's been a guard and a lot of times
19:14 when I was a liar coach a lot of times.
19:17 To get a kid on the field faster,
19:19 you put in that guard 'cause he
19:21 doesn't have to make all the calls.
19:23 You know they touch the ball as much
19:25 as a quarterback does every play.
19:27 And responsible for that snap.
19:28 The other thing you gotta look at
19:30 is the guys this far off of you.
19:33 Versus, you know, probably a yard and
19:36 and because their guards can get back off
19:39 the ball. So much more, much, much,
19:42 much, much more difficult place to
19:44 play center than it is to guard.
19:46 So I think his transition from playing
19:49 guard understand the offense understanding
19:51 technique and then going to center.
19:53 A lot of people can't do it,
19:55 but he certainly has.
19:56 I think part of it is he he wants to.
19:59 I think he thinks that will help
20:01 the team and help him in the NFL draft,
20:04 which both of those things are true.
20:07 But for him to go a year ago and
20:09 win the Liberty Bowl with no reps
20:11 at center and not have a bad snap and
20:14 Lord knows he played a lot of snaps in
20:17 that game tells you a lot about his
20:20 maturity and just as athletic ability.
20:22 I think you know I've coached.
20:24 I don't know how many, maybe 678.
20:27 Centers has been drafted.
20:29 And he's right up there with with any of them.
20:33 Well, the extent of in Buckhan's
20:36 actually able to say it was an
20:38 athletic lower body and he doesn't
20:40 have this. I don't know.
20:41 I'm gonna comment whenever I find out about it.
20:44 Thank you, coach.
20:45 What were the coordinators today?
20:47 Was it experimental or you know?
20:49 Oh, there's both up.
20:50 There's both that we're trying to.
20:52 We had the whole you know the
20:54 whole graphic of how many you know.
20:58 Headsets we had headsets and
20:59 we had him placed on.
21:00 Well, and that's another thing
21:02 to ask kind of a dry run of this.
21:04 Is this really what we want on a Saturday?
21:07 Says we're playing Western Carolina.
21:10 And with Dominic,
21:11 did he give as much run as the other backs?
21:13 And and did he have the brace on?
21:16 And how long is that brace going
21:17 to be on their target date?
21:19 Now I don't know about the phrase.
21:22 He had the brace on.
21:24 And I'd say I don't really know trade,
21:27 but I'm gonna guess in the granary.
21:30 They play right, you know.
21:32 810 times a day.
21:33 You got a pretty good workout.
21:36 Had another nice run to actually
21:39 they officials whistled him dead
21:41 when I when he put his hand down.
21:44 I think he was.
21:45 I think he would have been out
21:47 there races on another one too,
21:49 but.
21:50 No, I think he I think we're going in.
21:53 The distribution was about 88
21:55 carries for those four guys,
21:57 and I'm sure we got it
21:59 probably for all of them.
22:01 Party bank that brace now.
22:04 I don't I think to be honest with you,
22:07 I think you can take it off if he wants to.
22:10 I don't know if he wants to or not.
22:13 And on that long run,
22:14 I don't know what really matters.
22:16 Yeah, what are your focal point for next
22:18 week leading up to the next scrimmage?
22:20 Yeah, I I still think we have a lot of battles,
22:23 you know, so we still have to watch that.
22:26 I think probably by Tuesday,
22:28 probably Wednesday at the latest,
22:29 our install will be done.
22:31 It needs to be named.
22:32 We gotta figure out what we can run both
22:36 sides of all the big Western Carolina
22:39 and run well and and that we know it.
22:42 So next week will be a lot about.
22:46 Nothing about Western Carolina will be
22:48 all about really evaluating ourself like
22:50 Utah. I don't know who asked me.
22:53 You might have about the corners.
22:55 We gotta figure out who they are
22:57 and we leave snacks there.
22:59 Are we OK here?
23:01 And we still got another week to do that.
23:04 You know you could beat somebody
23:07 out during the season.
23:09 But it's hard.
23:11 You know, during the season.
23:13 So we're still evaluating all that
23:15 during the season you very rarely
23:18 beat a guy out. He loses his job.
23:21 You know what I mean?
23:22 And then in free cat you can
23:25 still beat a man out and so we're
23:27 going to scrimmage again next week
23:29 and then after that probably go
23:31 another time probably another three
23:33 days and then we'll start working
23:35 on Western Carolina.
23:36 But this week right here is about
23:38 cleaning up this screen and clean
23:40 up mistakes that we had finding
23:42 out our best 11 and then more
23:44 importantly probably even after
23:46 that is find out our best 15 on
23:48 both sides of all and I think we're
23:50 closer than we I think we're pretty
23:53 close of what we're doing but.
23:55 Hopefully somebody on this film that's
23:56 younger that we weren't thinking about
23:58 shows out and go hey you notice
24:00 give him rep. Let's move him up a
24:02 little bit. See if he can play with
24:04 the two see if he can ready for SEC
24:06 ball and. Like this team,
24:09 I do. Do you like this team?
24:10 Like we're ahead of where we were last year?
24:12 Where you know I like this team
24:15 because they like each other.
24:18 Now I like this thing a lot.
24:20 It's a.
24:21 Never had a team practice this well together.
24:26 And they like each other.
24:27 Now there's flare ups.
24:28 Do you get heated?
24:29 No, I can't stop.
24:31 But I think like and respect
24:33 this team respects each other.
24:36 No, today I told him this
24:37 ain't offense versus defense.
24:39 This is let's go compete.
24:41 You got a job to do.
24:43 Go do your job.
24:44 And I thought we did that the best,
24:47 but I yes, I really do like this team.
24:49 I like the looks in the team.
24:51 And you know we went down there and
24:52 ran sprints at the end of the scrimmage
24:54 and there wasn't no heads down
24:56 and all this that and other.
24:57 They do what we ask them to do
24:59 because they believe that everything
25:00 we do is for them and for their success.
25:03 And that's that's what we're trying to do.