Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Alfaihym Walcott and tight end Luke Hasz after Tuesday's practice looking ahead to Saturday night's matchup with LSU in Baton Rouge.
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00:00 - Hey Al, if you could, what's the breakdown
00:02 of this LSU offense?
00:03 What are they doing well right now?
00:05 - They have a great quarterback.
00:08 So we got to keep Ketane, the quarterback,
00:10 for the D line.
00:13 They have great receivers that can go attack the ball
00:16 and get in and out of their routes.
00:19 So I'll say really just keeping the top on the coverage
00:22 and then keeping the quarterback in the pocket
00:25 as much as possible, knowing he's a good scrambler
00:27 and he can run and use his legs pretty well.
00:30 - Gotcha.
00:30 Luke, your reaction to, I guess your best game so far
00:34 at home, how did that feel to play well,
00:39 even though y'all didn't win it?
00:40 - I mean, it was a great feeling.
00:42 We had a great atmosphere at the game on Saturday night
00:45 and there was a lot of people there.
00:46 I think it was almost over capacity.
00:48 So it was great to see all the fans out there.
00:50 But I mean, it was great to get out there
00:52 and get some confidence going,
00:53 but we're excited for this week.
00:57 - What do you see as the strengths of the LSU defense?
01:00 What are you guys contending with on Saturday?
01:03 - They're really good.
01:04 They're really fast.
01:05 They're physical.
01:07 I mean, they have a great defense.
01:09 - Okay.
01:10 Hey guys, y'all, they've been piping in the noise
01:13 and it's really loud.
01:15 Can you maybe talk about what it's like
01:17 trying to get your communication and stuff
01:19 and how important that's going to be for Saturday, Al?
01:21 - Knowing we're going to go into a venue
01:24 that's over like thousands and thousands of people.
01:28 I mean, we have to get hand signals down
01:31 because you're not going to be able
01:32 to communicate verbally really.
01:34 So really hand signals and just trying to be
01:36 on the same page throughout the week
01:38 and using that sound in practice really helps us
01:42 to get ready for that.
01:44 - Thanks.
01:45 Hey, Luke, could you comment too?
01:47 - I think to piggyback on what he said,
01:49 what we've been doing in practice this week
01:51 with the noise is going to help us tremendously.
01:53 And same with us, just being able to communicate
01:56 with our hand signals and basically knowing
01:59 what we need to do before going into that stadium.
02:02 - Thanks.
02:04 - Bobby with us.
02:10 - Yeah, sorry, I didn't hear you call on me there.
02:14 Hey Luke, your first college road games
02:16 at Tiger Stadium at night, that's kind of baptism by fire.
02:20 Just wondering what your thoughts are on that.
02:24 - I'm excited.
02:24 It's going to be a great atmosphere.
02:27 There's going to be a lot of people
02:28 and it being a night game is going to be special as well.
02:30 So I'm definitely excited.
02:32 This is my first one.
02:33 - And Al, you got a couple of teammates
02:36 that used to play at LSU, you know, with Landon and Nudy.
02:41 I was wondering for, especially playing
02:42 in the secondary with Nudy, what's your take on
02:45 what he brings to the table for you guys?
02:47 Obviously he's, you know, really good at forcing turnovers.
02:51 - Nudy, he's very smart.
02:53 And that's why I try to tell him in the summer
02:55 to use what he already knows to tell the guys
02:59 that are younger than us.
03:00 He has like good football IQ.
03:03 He pretty much knows what's coming before the play.
03:06 So, I mean, I just try to ask him to, you know,
03:08 share those things with the little guys
03:10 so it can make it easier on us on the field.
03:14 - How excited do you think he is to be going back?
03:17 He obviously played LSU, but that was here last year.
03:19 How excited do you think he is to go back to Tiger Stadium?
03:22 - I'm sure pretty excited.
03:24 I mean, Nudy's going to be Nudy at the end of the day.
03:26 He's going to ball regardless, wherever it says.
03:28 So I'm sure he's excited though.
03:31 - And Landon, he's obviously a team captain, kind of.
03:35 What do you thought about his season
03:37 and about him going back to LSU too?
03:39 - Although the season's just starting
03:42 and you're already seeing what Landon's doing.
03:43 I mean, we've all been seeing it in practice,
03:46 but he's still going to keep making plays for us.
03:49 And I'm sure he's still excited
03:52 to go back to LSU and play.
03:53 - Okay, thanks.
03:55 - Trey.
03:58 - Yeah, just for both of you guys,
04:01 Al, you're obviously older.
04:03 You've experienced losses before,
04:05 and Luke, this is your first collegiate loss.
04:07 Just curious, how do you move on from that?
04:11 I know that there's a 24-hour rule and stuff like that.
04:13 And Al, I don't know if you have some kind of mechanism
04:15 you use or something maybe to move on from losses
04:18 and get focused on the other team.
04:19 And just curious what you could share with us on that
04:23 and how you move on.
04:24 And Luke, if you're having any difficulty
04:27 moving on with that.
04:28 - Me personally?
04:30 Personally, I mean, it's hard.
04:32 No one likes losing.
04:33 No one likes losing.
04:34 So it's hard, and we knew we should have won.
04:37 But you just have to move on.
04:40 I mean, I don't really have nothing else to say besides
04:43 you have to move on and look forward to the next week
04:45 because that team is still preparing for you.
04:48 And you still got to go out there
04:49 and play to the highest level.
04:51 And our season is far from over with.
04:53 So I know we're still good.
04:55 - Yeah.
04:56 - Thank you.
04:57 - Exactly what he said.
04:58 I mean, no one likes losing,
04:59 especially with all the work that we've put in,
05:02 the time that we spend on trying to win.
05:04 But just going, starting this week strong.
05:06 I mean, we've been practicing really well.
05:09 So I think it's great, but we moved on from it.
05:14 - You guys definitely took different routes
05:15 to big time college football.
05:18 Did either of you visit LSU?
05:20 Have you ever been to Baton Rouge, either of you?
05:23 - My first time.
05:24 I'm excited.
05:25 This is a venue I always wanted to play in.
05:27 - I went once just for one visit,
05:30 but I didn't get to see much of that stuff.
05:33 - Yeah, you didn't go for a game or anything?
05:35 - No, sir.
05:36 - Yeah.
05:37 Al, I don't know, I jumped on late.
05:38 I was curious if you could share what your thought is
05:41 on neighbors of YBARC there
05:43 that's been so prolific for them.
05:44 What does he bring to the table?
05:46 - He's very elusive.
05:48 At the top of his route, he's very good.
05:52 And then high point in the ball, he's also very good.
05:55 That's the number five's favorite target.
05:58 So we're going to hone in and key on him a lot,
06:01 but still play our game and our scheme
06:03 and what we want to do.
06:04 - Thanks guys.
06:07 - Jackson.
06:08 - Yeah, obviously, you know,
06:11 penalties kind of played a part in the loss to BYU
06:13 on Saturday.
06:14 I'm just curious, like as players,
06:15 how do you in practice work on not committing penalties?
06:19 Is there anything that you guys do,
06:21 or is it just a matter of like listening to your coaches
06:24 and trying to focus on it a little bit more?
06:26 - I'd say it's for sure listening to our coaches
06:30 because we have a really great coaching staff
06:32 who is really good on like the details and practice.
06:34 So for my position personally,
06:37 just keeping our hands on the side
06:38 and ultimately just keep on trying to play clean,
06:42 but do what we can do.
06:43 - Our coach, as the DB,
06:45 our coach is going to let us know right as it happens.
06:48 So even if we have refs out there or not,
06:50 the coach is going to let us know, you know,
06:53 whether it's a penalty or not.
06:54 So we just need to eliminate that as a whole.
06:58 - And Luke, I know you might spend a little bit of time
07:04 chipping or helping out blocking Harold Perkins.
07:07 What have you kind of seen from him on film?
07:08 And are you kind of excited to go against someone
07:12 who might be a, you know, top five, top 10 pick?
07:15 - Yes, he's a really great athlete.
07:17 I mean, watching him on film, he's fast, he's physical,
07:20 and he's all around, all over the field.
07:23 So, I mean, it'll definitely be exciting
07:25 to go against someone like his caliber.
07:27 - Daniel.
07:30 - Luke, I'm just wondering, you've had three games now,
07:34 just kind of how is it working with the tight ends
07:37 in practice and on the sidelines as you'll rotate reps?
07:40 - They're awesome.
07:42 I mean, ever since I got here, they've been welcoming,
07:45 helping me learn on and off the field
07:48 with class and stuff like that.
07:49 But Coach Turner has been a huge help too,
07:52 just with like the vocabulary of football terms
07:55 and him helping me working on my footwork
07:57 and my routes and all that stuff.
07:59 So it's been great.
08:00 - And then for either of you, whichever wants to take it,
08:04 what's been kind of the overall message
08:06 from the coaches through drills and stuff
08:09 throughout this week in practice after this weekend?
08:12 Or last week, I'm sorry.
08:15 - You got it.
08:17 You got it.
08:19 - May you repeat the question again, please?
08:25 - Yeah, just while you're doing drills and in practice,
08:27 what's been kind of the overall message from the coaches?
08:31 - Little things.
08:32 Defensively, the little things we just got to take care of.
08:37 I mean, I think that's what beat us last game,
08:40 the little things, eyes, you know.
08:42 So taking care of those things really, you know,
08:46 fixed the problem going on into this week.
08:49 - John and Bob, last ones, please.
08:52 - Okay, I don't know if I was first or what,
08:59 but I'll go ahead and jump in there.
09:01 You know me.
09:02 Also, Tom says Tom Falcon, so I'm confused.
09:06 Hey, Luke, you obviously were highly rated
09:08 and everybody raved about you in camp,
09:11 but to get out, you know, you start every game,
09:13 you've had catches, I think, in every game.
09:14 And just what's this been like
09:16 and has it exceeded expectations so far?
09:18 Just what's it been like for you?
09:20 - It's definitely been a blessing being able to come here
09:24 and get the opportunity to get on the field.
09:26 But no, I mean, it's been great.
09:28 We go against the best competition at practice
09:30 with the defense.
09:31 I mean, our defense is up there
09:34 with any defense in the country.
09:35 So, I mean, it's definitely helped us,
09:37 or helped me, but helped the whole offense develop more
09:41 and it's been exciting.
09:43 - And now as an older guy, I mean,
09:44 I don't know how much you covered tight ends.
09:47 I'm sure you do it some being a safety,
09:48 but what's been your take on Luke just as a player
09:52 and just as a young guy doing so well so fast?
09:56 - We had, I believe, it was like our second day in pads
10:00 and we were doing bubble drill.
10:03 And I can't, Luke had to block me.
10:05 He put me on my butt.
10:07 You know what I'm saying?
10:08 That's really, I don't really get that a lot.
10:11 And then from there on, I just knew Luke was a problem.
10:15 And then he just kept showing me in practice,
10:17 the catches he's made, the blocks he made,
10:18 that he's a dog and he's going to be a great one
10:20 for Arkansas.
10:22 I even told Coach Pitt that.
10:24 - Thank you.
10:25 - Hey, Al, a run defense has been really good
10:30 through three games.
10:31 What's been the keys so far for you guys limiting run?
10:34 - It's simple.
10:37 Like I said, every day, it started with the D-line.
10:40 It started with them.
10:41 I mean, I really don't got much more on that
10:45 besides it starts with that D-line.
10:47 I mean, even if I wanted to come from 10 yards back
10:50 to make a tackle, the D-line and linebackers
10:52 are already there to fit in the gaps and fit in the run.
10:55 So they're taking care of that pretty well.
10:59 - You were talking about with the eyes a minute ago.
11:01 So the misdirection stuff against BYU,
11:04 is that what was the biggest problem?
11:07 - Yes, sir.
11:08 Yes, sir.
11:08 Even with a mistake I made, my eyes,
11:12 you know what I'm saying?
11:13 That can mess any player up, your eyes
11:15 and the discipline of that.
11:16 So focusing on that is very, very important.
11:20 - Last thing.
11:21 Sam Pittman said that y'all might have to chip more.
11:24 I mean, is that something that could be in the game plan
11:26 to help keep KJ cleaner?
11:28 - As of right now, we're still working on our game plan,
11:32 but I mean, it's been a great week so far.
11:35 We haven't finalized anything yet what we're going to do,
11:38 but we've definitely been working really hard
11:40 to figure out what we can do to put ourselves
11:42 in a great advantage to win.
11:44 - I've been carping about that offensive pass
11:46 interference call.
11:47 I wonder how surprised you were when that was called.
11:51 - I mean, I was definitely shocked,
11:53 but at the end of the day,
11:54 we can all do things a little bit better
11:56 to make it not for the refs to throw a flag.
11:59 So, I mean, I can work on going back and watching that play
12:02 and figure out what I did wrong
12:04 or what I gave him the opportunity to throw the flag.
12:07 So that's something we can work on.