Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Joshua Braun and wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa after Tuesday afternoon's practice in Fayetteville before matchup with Kent State.
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00:08 Isaac, I want to talk about the pass game, what y'all got out of it the other night,
00:13 and maybe if you could just discuss your touchdown catch and how that play went.
00:17 Yeah, I think, you know, as an offense, I feel like we executed the pass game extremely well,
00:22 and we went out there and, you know, I feel like we prepared really well. We knew what
00:26 they're going to give us, and, you know, we just took advantage of, you know, what they were giving
00:29 us as a defense. And then, obviously, on that touchdown play, it was just, you know, HUD set
00:34 me up with the interception. We got in short field position, and we just had a play call that I
00:39 basically knew I was going to score on if we were able to execute it well, and obviously that
00:43 wouldn't happen. Okay, and Josh, it looks like we saw Brady back at practice today, so I guess
00:49 you go over to right guard. I mean, just maybe what it's like having Brady back in the lineup.
00:54 I mean, Brady's a captain, and so him having that position on the team just as a whole,
01:01 it's great to have him back. We know how much he's given to this program and how much he cares for it,
01:04 and so it's definitely just a benefit to have him. But on an offensive line, I mean, he's captain of
01:09 the team, but on the offensive line, he's also our captain. He's our head guy, and so just having
01:13 him there driving the bus, it makes a whole world of difference. Hey, Isaac, Sam Pittman said after
01:20 the game that our guys aren't dropping passes, and he said it again on Monday, and I don't think
01:25 there was a drop in the game. Can you maybe talk about what camp has looked like and if y'all had
01:29 zero drops on Saturday? Yeah, we did have a total of zero drops on Saturday, which we were extremely
01:35 happy with. We have drops here and there, obviously, in practice, but I felt like when we
01:39 got to game, it was time to execute, and everyone was locked in, making sure it was eyes to ball
01:45 to hands. So yeah, obviously, that was something we were really focused on, and it was cool to see
01:49 that we were able to execute at such a high level. Cool, thanks. Trey.
01:54 Yeah, both you guys, Isaac, you mentioned having zero drops, but another thing I thought that
02:01 jumped out, there's a lot of new guys. Both you guys are new to the team. No procedure penalties,
02:08 no false starts, none of the wide receivers are lining up in the backfield accidentally,
02:13 five men in the backfield, none of that stuff. What does that say about just the focus you had
02:17 with the game plan going in, both of you? Yeah, I mean, I feel like that was something we've
02:22 kind of struggled with in our scrimmages, so it's something that we really, you know,
02:26 Coach Pittman pounded into us, was making sure that that was something we were going to fix,
02:31 because most of the time that first game is when you kind of get the kinks out and you're getting
02:35 those penalties, but it's good when you can start off the year with almost no procedure penalties
02:42 at all. Yeah, it's definitely a testament to the coaching. Just the coaches make sure we understand
02:47 fully our assignments and what we need to do so that we don't, like as an offensive lineman,
02:51 jumping off sides typically stems from worrying about the play, knowing you need to get off the
02:56 ball and do a certain thing, and they've allowed us to be mentally free and understand our role
03:03 innately so that we don't have to worry about jumping the snap count because we know exactly
03:08 what's going on. Josh, I know that Western Carolina was walking their safeties up, loading the box,
03:16 really kind of coming after the run game. Coach Pittman also mentioned there was some technique
03:20 stuff that he wanted you guys to do a little bit differently. How big of a focus is that
03:24 this week to get the run game going after it was, you know, a little subpar last week?
03:28 Yeah, I mean, definitely no matter what, offensive line is a technical position.
03:35 It's something that we're going to be focusing on every week, no matter what the product on
03:39 Saturday is. You need to hit technique every day or else before you know it, you'll lose it,
03:45 and so it's just going into every practice, not falling for the monotony of technique work,
03:54 and so it's just something we focus on every day and we need to get better at day in and day out.
03:59 Thanks, fellas.
04:01 Hey, Isaac, I know obviously you want to catch passes and you did a nice job of that, but
04:09 there's a lot of postgame talk about that block you threw that helped spring Jaden on his touchdown.
04:15 I was wondering if you could talk about that play and maybe what you think about your blocking,
04:18 and then Josh, you're obviously, you know, you block for a living. What would you think of his
04:24 block and maybe seeing a wide receiver get out there and block it? Yeah, I mean, that was something
04:31 we knew that they were going to do going into practice was, you know, that corner was going
04:35 to trigger really hard, so, you know, I got off the ball and then immediately that corner just
04:39 triggered right into me, so I, you know, I had to just get low and get my hands into him, and at that
04:44 point he kind of just fell to his knees, so at that point, you know, I just took him to the ground,
04:48 and obviously, you know, Jaden read that and he was able to just take it up the seam and use his
04:52 speed to his advantage, so it was just something I was able to do because I basically knew what
04:56 was coming just because of how many reps, you know, the scouts gave us in practice and everything.
05:00 And I've told Tesla this in person, him and the wide receiver, wide receiving core as a whole,
05:08 is I have more confidence in them than I've ever had, and so just knowing that they're going to
05:14 catch the ball and then seeing the effort they give in the run game blocking, it's just reassuring to
05:20 me that they understand that what we do is important as offensive linemen because that's
05:25 all we do is block, and so to see them get into it, it definitely makes me happy. Isaac, you
05:31 obviously went against Nudy a lot in practice. I guess you still do. I think you guys probably do
05:36 some good on good, I imagine, but you know, he had a pick and he's had five picks now and
05:42 in two seasons at Arkansas, you know, season of one game. Well, what do you think makes him such
05:47 a good cornerback? And Sam was saying the other day he's got a lot more physical with his tackling
05:52 also. Yeah, I mean, I would attribute it to, I mean, he's just a smart guy. He knows football,
05:58 and he's very technically sound, so he's going to be able to drive when he sees a receiver,
06:03 you know, give an indicator or something like that, but he also watches a lot of film and he's
06:07 going to be studying those guys so he can go and make a play like he did against Western Carolina.
06:11 And for both y'all, you won your game by 50 plus, the team you're playing, Kent State,
06:16 lost their game by 50. What's the key to not overlooking them and maybe looking ahead to BYU?
06:22 Last week is last week, next week is next week, this week we play Kent State.
06:27 Our performance on Saturday won't do anything for our performance on this Saturday. Their
06:33 performance last Saturday won't do anything for their performance this Saturday. Both teams are
06:36 going after it in practice today, we'll go after it in practice tomorrow and then throughout the
06:40 week, and so you just got to take it one day at a time. Isaac, you got a thought on that?
06:46 I would agree. I mean, basically, you know, he wrapped it up well.
06:49 Okay, thanks. I might have another question, but I'll turn it back to Oliver. Thank you.
06:54 All right, thank you.
06:58 Isaac, I think all camp coaches, fellow teammates have just talked about how good
07:04 you can catch the ball, you catch contested passes. Have you always been good, you know,
07:09 kind of going up, high pointing, making contested catches? And is there anything like specific
07:13 drill-wise or some weird practices that you do to kind of make sure you're good in those
07:18 traffic situations? I mean, I've been good at it for as long as I've been playing receiver. I mean,
07:24 I don't know if you know, I played quarterback in high school, so I wasn't repping too much
07:28 of, you know, contested catches or anything like that. But once I did move to receiver,
07:32 man, I would just do drills every day with my dad. We would just go to the gym and just do
07:37 ball drills for half an hour a day. And I feel like that's honestly what helped me the most,
07:42 is just getting reps and just, you know, seeing the ball going in my hands and
07:46 going up and getting the ball. So you never played receiver in like
07:50 youth football or anything? The first time you did was when you got to college?
07:54 That's right. Cool. And Josh, you know, we talked about the run blocking, but the pass blocking was
08:01 pretty good on Saturday with Brady out, you know, four new starters on that offense line compared to
08:07 last year. Is there maybe a little added confidence coming into, you know, this week after a pretty
08:13 good start protecting the KJ? Yeah, I mean, we did a good job of it on Saturday.
08:20 It's definitely a confidence booster. It's something that we'll need to constantly get
08:24 better at and just prove it week in and week out that we can do it. Thanks, guys. Daniel.
08:30 Hi, guys. Thanks. Josh, specifically about Chambly making the spot start with Brady not
08:38 being there, how was he kind of with the rest of the line and communication and things like that?
08:44 Yeah, he was great. He communicated very efficiently. Me and him were on the same page.
08:49 Nothing comes to my mind of when we weren't on the same page, so I believe we were on the same
08:54 page every play. And so it's definitely it was good to have him there next to me. Me flipping
09:00 sides. I relied on him early on in practices to just make sure everything was smooth and
09:05 it was a confidence booster having him next to me. And then quick word on the home opener for both of
09:12 you all since this will be your first time playing in front of 70,000 hopefully or close there
09:17 or thereabouts. You know, do you say a quick word about it? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm just excited.
09:24 I'm just going out there to play football, you know, excited that we're going to have so many
09:27 people out there, you know, supporting us. I'm just excited to go play some football.
09:31 Yeah, I'm excited to run through the A and hear him call the hog. So it'll be a fun day.
09:36 Thanks, guys. Last one, Bob. Okay. Isaac, did Hillsdale recruit you as a receiver? You got
09:46 there and they said, hey, you need to move to receiver. How'd that work? Yeah, no, they recruited
09:51 me as a receiver going in, like going out, like going into camps my senior year. I figured my
09:58 talents were more suited at receiver. So I decided I was going to go to camps and start working at
10:03 receiver. So I was being recruited as a receiver. And both you obviously practiced with KJ a bunch,
10:10 but that was your first time to play in a game with him. And he started off 12-12, had a real
10:14 good day. What would you think of KJ's performance? Yeah, I mean, I wasn't surprised. He's been doing
10:22 it for however long now, but it was cool to be able to see it in person. That one play where,
10:28 I mean, he made something out of nothing where he was about to get sacked, rolled out, Andrew came
10:33 back to the ball. And then the one-two where, you know, he pulled the ball from the running
10:38 back and just, you know, went up to see him. I think that's just a testament to the kind of
10:41 player he is. I mean, he's a freak. Yeah. I think it's summed up in the adage, KJ lifts weights.
10:46 One more for Josh. You've played both guard spots, I guess, in camp, and now you're going back to the
10:56 other side. I imagine that's harder than people would think. I mean, what's that like flipping?
11:00 And I guess, what does that say about your preparedness that you could go left or right
11:05 as needed? So statistically, I have more experience at left guard just on paper. I think I've started
11:13 seven games at left and two games at right. But throughout all the three springs I've been a part
11:25 of and three fall camps, four fall camps, I'm old. I don't really remember. But I've never had a rep
11:32 at left guard and practice throughout spring and camps, but I have the game experience at left. So
11:38 just being able to rely on that allows me to shift and just move around the ball. It just helps me
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