Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Brady Latham and running back AJ Green previewing game against BYU on Saturday, recapping win over Kent State last week.
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00:00 Just curious your overall thoughts on matching up with BYU,
00:03 returning to Fayetteville,
00:04 and an opportunity to play those guys again.
00:07 Yeah, kind of like what the defensive guys are saying
00:09 is BYU is a great team.
00:11 They win. Every year, they win.
00:14 They have a great head coach.
00:16 They're a super disciplined team,
00:17 and they play super, super hard.
00:19 We have a lot of respect for them,
00:21 and we're preparing really hard to get ready for them.
00:24 AJ?
00:25 I would say just another challenge.
00:28 We played them last year, but that was last year.
00:30 There's going to be a new team coming in.
00:32 They're going to fight. We're going to fight.
00:34 Somebody has to go down, but either way,
00:37 like I said, it's going to be a fight.
00:39 I'm just curious for both of you guys with the running game,
00:42 Brady, your thoughts on how you guys were run-blocking,
00:46 AJ finding the hole.
00:47 Actually, I mean, I think you found the hole
00:49 probably as well as any back on Saturday,
00:51 but just your guys' thoughts on just continuing
00:54 to improve in that area and what you've done this week.
00:58 Yeah, so we've had a huge emphasis on getting to fits,
01:02 getting to fits and driving.
01:04 You know, no lines gone together,
01:06 and the run game is kind of what we want to be known for.
01:10 We've had success in the pass and run game,
01:12 and we want to continue to have success,
01:14 so we've taken these challenges really personal,
01:17 and it's something that we're going to get fixed
01:20 and we're working really hard at.
01:23 Yeah, I would say, like he said,
01:25 I mean, it's really a challenge now,
01:27 and obviously we got new people on the line.
01:30 We have some people that left, so we're not all comfortable yet,
01:34 and that's what we've been working on every single day.
01:38 So the run game, as you can see,
01:40 is just going to keep getting better from now on,
01:43 and we're just going to learn to execute our plays better.
01:48 Thanks, guys.
01:49 Daw.
01:52 Hey, AJ, you got the start last week,
01:54 and, I mean, until Rocket comes back,
01:56 I guess you guys are going to kind of be,
01:58 you know, mixing it up.
01:59 How does it feel maybe, you know,
02:01 going out there with a starting unit?
02:05 I was -- It felt good, but, I mean,
02:08 I'm out there with the starting unit a lot,
02:10 so it wasn't really anything different to me.
02:13 It was just I got the ball first last game,
02:16 but, I mean, it's like the same looks that we get, so.
02:21 I got you.
02:22 Brady, you guys really kind of overpowered BYU last year,
02:27 particularly in the second half.
02:29 Is there any concern that maybe guys might underestimate
02:33 what they have this year?
02:36 No, I don't think there's any concern
02:37 that we're going to underestimate BYU.
02:40 We're playing them again, but we have a really new team.
02:45 We've got a lot of new guys up front.
02:46 We got new guys at almost every position.
02:50 We got guys who this is their first year
02:52 being raised back. We got a lot of transfers.
02:54 So this is a new team.
02:56 They're a new team. They're a really good team.
02:59 We've watched a lot of their film.
03:01 They won a lot of games,
03:03 so we're not underestimating them at all.
03:06 AJ, any concerns there?
03:09 No, just like Brady said, really no matter what team
03:13 comes in here, we're never going to underestimate them.
03:16 We're going to play them as we were playing Bama.
03:18 We're playing, as Coach Pitt liked to say,
03:21 the Green Bay Packers.
03:24 All right. And, AJ, just maybe what you make
03:26 of the BYU defense in particular
03:29 because they've got a lot of changes,
03:31 new guys on their defense.
03:34 It's still -- It's kind of similar to last year,
03:37 but now they play more of a one-safety-high look.
03:41 Their players fly around. They run to the ball.
03:45 They're really physical, and we just got to match
03:47 their intensity or even overmatch it, you know?
03:50 Got you. And my last question, Brady,
03:52 your thoughts about BYU, what you're up against, the personnel?
03:56 Yeah, they have a really talented defensive line.
03:58 They have some really good linebackers.
04:01 They're really smart, and they play super hard.
04:03 They give us a lot of different looks,
04:05 which we're going to need to prepare for and be ready.
04:07 We're going to need to spend some extra time in the film room,
04:10 make sure that we know the looks
04:12 and that we're comfortable with them.
04:14 It'll be a good challenge, and we're up for it,
04:17 and we're excited for Saturday.
04:20 Bob?
04:23 And I know he's obviously on the other side of the ball,
04:25 but, you know, Pooh was banged up in camp,
04:28 and then he got ejected in the opener
04:30 and then he was out the first half,
04:31 and it seems like, you know, maybe he's finally,
04:35 you know, full go physically
04:36 and doesn't have any restrictions on him.
04:38 Just kind of what do you guys expect from Pooh on Saturday?
04:42 And as a relatively, you know, young player,
04:44 just still a third-year guy, redshirt sophomore,
04:46 how important is he to you guys?
04:48 Yeah, he's super important to us.
04:51 He's a great guy. He's a vocal leader.
04:53 He plays hard all the time.
04:55 He brings fire and juice to the defense.
04:59 We expect -- every time Pooh's on the field,
05:01 we expect him to make plays,
05:02 and he's a great guy to have back.
05:06 Yeah, I would piggyback off of what he said.
05:09 He's one of those guys that brings a lot of energy
05:12 to the defensive side of the ball.
05:14 I mean, he's going to fly around.
05:15 He's going to find a way to the ball.
05:17 He's either going to make the play
05:19 or make the play for somebody else.
05:21 So he's definitely somebody
05:23 that will make a big impact on the game.
05:26 And then for both of y'all, you know,
05:28 BYU's a Big 12 team now,
05:29 and the SEC's gotten off to kind of a rough start
05:32 in some of these marquee matchups,
05:34 I think three and six against Power Five teams.
05:37 And is that something you guys think about at all,
05:40 SEC versus Big 12, you know, kind of holding up the SEC banner?
05:44 Does that enter into it at all?
05:46 No, it doesn't really cross our mind.
05:48 We have a lot of pride about being the SEC.
05:50 That's really cool, but there are good conferences
05:53 and good teams all over the country,
05:55 so that hasn't been an emphasis.
05:58 Same thing he said.
06:00 Okay. I just got one more.
06:02 I guess I spoke and missed on that one.
06:05 Brady, you were talking about their personnel,
06:07 defensive line, I think it's number 95, Caden Hawsey.
06:11 He's actually from Pulaski Academy.
06:14 I know that's a different part of the state.
06:15 Well, yeah, actually, you know, he wouldn't have played
06:17 against them or anything in high school,
06:19 but I was wondering, 95,
06:21 do you have any impressions on that guy?
06:24 He's a great player.
06:25 I actually know a lot of PA guys.
06:28 I used to room with Hudson Henry and J.D.
06:30 Wyatt, and, you know, I'm really good friends with Luke Jones
06:34 from playing with him for so long.
06:36 And I know one thing is, like, those PA guys,
06:38 they're smart and they're going to play really hard.
06:40 So I remember him from last year,
06:42 and, you know, I expect him to be the same way.
06:46 Thanks. Jackson.
06:48 Hey, guys, for both of y'all, from our vantage point,
06:54 it seems like the offense got a little bit better on Saturday
06:58 when KJ started running the football, you know, more.
07:03 What is it like when he does get running,
07:04 not only from just a scheme set,
07:07 but an emotional set for you guys on the offense?
07:09 Does it make a difference when he kind of adds
07:11 that element to the offense,
07:12 and maybe just everybody's a little bit more fired up?
07:15 I don't know if it, like -
07:20 I know in the past in big games and stuff like that,
07:22 when KJ's running down the field and he lowers his shoulder
07:25 and says sliding or something,
07:26 it always gets me a little bit juiced.
07:28 Like, if my quarterback's going to go lay someone out,
07:30 then, shoot, I can dig deep and keep going.
07:32 So, definitely, KJ getting physical
07:36 definitely makes me want to play harder.
07:39 Yeah, that always brings extra juice
07:42 just to see him make big plays,
07:45 like plays that really aren't expected.
07:47 Well, it's kind of expected now
07:48 because we've seen it so many times.
07:49 But last game, we had a couple drops to start,
07:53 and he just felt like, okay, we're not there yet.
07:58 So he just started running the ball whenever he could,
08:00 and that just juiced up the rest of the team,
08:02 like Brady said.
08:04 And that really opened up a lot of more things
08:06 because now they have to watch KJ in the box.
08:09 And make sure he's not able to get out.
08:11 So the receivers were able to get open,
08:13 and it was just history from there.
08:18 Thanks, guys.
08:19 Daniel?
08:22 Well, to you all, Coach Pittman has mentioned
08:24 that you only had seven drives all of last Saturday.
08:29 And for the most part, the number of plays is down.
08:31 I'm just wondering if that's something
08:32 that the coaching staff has talked to both of you all about.
08:37 Well, they haven't talked about that to us.
08:39 There's some new clock rules with football,
08:41 so the games have been going faster.
08:44 But, yeah, the games fly by.
08:47 Yeah.
08:49 I don't really have a comment on that one.
08:52 The games do seem a little faster to me.
08:55 I wish we could get the ball more,
08:56 but we can't really control, really, how that goes.
09:00 So...
09:03 Thanks, guys.
09:04 Bob, last one.
09:06 Yeah, it's not -- Okay.
09:12 Oh, I'm sorry. I was looking at the hand thing.
09:14 It should go down.
09:15 Finally getting the hang of this Zoom after five years.
09:18 You guys are talking about KJ being physical.
09:20 Speaking of that, what do you remember about that play
09:22 last year where about five people,
09:23 you guys had a shot at him, and he stayed upright and hit,
09:26 I think it was Trey, for a big gainer.
09:28 And what do you all remember about that play?
09:29 Does that fire you up when you see something like that?
09:32 Well, it's not my favorite play to watch
09:35 since he almost got sacked,
09:38 but we see it a lot.
09:39 It's all over Instagram, all over social media.
09:42 We're really lucky to have a player like KJ
09:44 who can bail us out and make big plays when we need him to.
09:48 Yeah, same here.
09:51 It's funny how he always talks about how he lifts weights,
09:54 but I really think that's just more of a balance thing,
09:57 but, I mean, y'all don't have to tell him that.
10:02 No, I'm sure he likes to watch the Zooms.
10:05 I'd say one more.
10:06 Brady, you were banged up in camp,
10:08 and then you had to miss the first game.
10:09 Your last week was your first game back.
10:12 Do you feel better now, like you're better prepared,
10:14 got knocked the rust off?
10:16 How do you feel going into your second game back now?
10:19 Yeah, I feel great. My body feels good.
10:23 I'm excited for BYU.
10:25 I prepare hard every single week, no matter what,
10:28 but I'm definitely really excited
10:30 for this weekend night game at home.
10:32 There's nothing like being at home with a home crowd.
10:35 So I'm excited.