Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman's final media appearance before Saturday's game with the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, La., updating personnel, motivation for quarterback KJ Jefferson.
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00:00 Last year's game against LSU.
00:01 Daniels only passed for 86 yards.
00:03 I'm wondering, do you think they like maybe toned things down
00:08 because of the weather and stuff,
00:09 and you're gonna see like a much different attack on Saturday?
00:12 - Yeah, I think so.
00:15 I mean, I think they're throwing the long ball
00:17 extremely well right now.
00:19 So I think we're definitely gonna see that.
00:21 Some of it was stop and goes, out and ups,
00:24 things of that nature.
00:25 Mississippi State tried to man,
00:29 you know, man coverage them quite a bit,
00:32 and then Daniels was on.
00:35 But I think,
00:37 I think we'll see a lot of what they did last week
00:42 versus probably what they did last year.
00:45 - Gotcha.
00:46 So you rushed for 177 yards last week,
00:49 and we didn't ask you a lot of questions
00:51 about the run game on Saturday night.
00:53 I'm wondering, was that more along the lines
00:55 of where you're heading for?
00:56 And what would you say about the status
01:00 of where you are as a run game right now?
01:03 - Well, obviously we were better.
01:05 We're not consistent as we'd like to be.
01:08 And we started out well, you know,
01:12 but we're still having too many negative plays.
01:15 We're not necessarily winning first down all the time
01:19 as much as we need to.
01:24 But yeah, I thought we were better in that aspect.
01:28 We got cut down the MAs and the penalties.
01:31 I mean, but if we can cut out the penalties,
01:35 I think we can win a whole lot of games
01:37 and could have won last Saturday
01:40 if we would have with that run game.
01:43 But I think, you know, until we get Rocket back,
01:48 which could be this week, I don't really anticipate that.
01:51 I don't know.
01:52 That 180 closer to 200 would be something
01:57 I think would be a pretty good for us
02:02 in what we're trying to get done offensively.
02:04 The bottom line is we're trying to get more points
02:07 than they do and being able to run the ball efficiently
02:10 and when we want to.
02:12 And we haven't got there yet
02:13 in the first three games consistently.
02:17 - You mentioned on Monday, the last three games
02:20 you decided by three points, which is true.
02:23 Do you think maybe it's the nature of a rivalry game
02:27 that maybe despite whatever differences the teams have,
02:31 that it just kind of seemed to work out that way,
02:33 that it just becomes a tight game?
02:35 - Yes.
02:36 I think it has a lot to do with it,
02:38 which, you know, you wish you could bottle all that time.
02:41 I mean, you wish you could bottle
02:43 what makes kids tick all the time, you know,
02:46 what makes them play up each and every week.
02:50 But I do think trophy games, rivalry games
02:53 has something to do with that where you,
02:55 a lot of times, not all the time,
02:57 but a lot of times you throw out maybe
03:00 what's happened in previous weeks
03:02 and you go off of just that game.
03:04 And I think any rivalry game probably is that way.
03:09 We certainly will be ready to play.
03:11 I know they will be, but yeah,
03:13 I think you're absolutely correct.
03:15 - Bob.
03:18 - Hey Sam, how you doing?
03:20 - Hi Bob.
03:21 - Hey, you got a couple of players,
03:22 obviously we know from LSU with Nudy and Landon.
03:26 What are you seeing from those guys this week?
03:28 And do you talk to them about going back there,
03:31 just how to handle that?
03:32 How do you think they're doing with it?
03:33 - No, we haven't.
03:35 Nudy, you know, he talks a little bit more than Landon.
03:40 Landon doesn't say anything, you know,
03:42 he doesn't talk a whole lot.
03:44 But I think that they are excited to get back.
03:49 You know, anytime you leave a team,
03:51 you want to play well against that team.
03:53 You know, you just do.
03:54 Not necessarily that you don't,
03:56 didn't like the team or anything like that.
03:58 You just, you do, you want to perform well
04:00 and I'm sure they want to play well and those things.
04:04 - We know, you know, Nudy, he's had two forced turnovers,
04:08 I guess a pick and a forced fumble.
04:10 How do you think he's played for you really overall?
04:14 - No, Bob, you know,
04:15 (laughs)
04:17 he got hurt, you know, and so he had the turf toe.
04:22 I think he would be more advanced,
04:26 we would, you know, play him more and more
04:29 if he was healthy, which I think he's finally healthy now.
04:33 But I've liked the way he's played this year.
04:37 He seems to be around the football, you know,
04:41 seems to be able to make big plays
04:43 and things of that nature.
04:45 That turf toe just has heard his progress this year,
04:49 but I feel like he's about as close to 100%
04:52 as he's been this season going into this week.
04:56 - Same question on Landon,
04:58 I know he's a captain obviously,
05:00 and how's he played for you?
05:02 - I'm sorry, I coughed right.
05:04 - That's okay, same question about Landon,
05:06 how he's played.
05:07 - Yeah, you know, he's had some big moments.
05:11 He's been probably as consistent
05:13 as any defensive lineman we've had.
05:15 I'm sure he'd like to get after quarterback
05:18 a little bit more, we'd like for him
05:20 to get after quarterback a little bit more,
05:21 and I think he will as the season continues.
05:26 But he's had a really good start to this year,
05:29 he's playing a lot faster, a lot bigger
05:33 than what he was last year, and bigger by bigger,
05:35 I mean, he's harder to block.
05:37 - Thanks.
05:39 - Jackson.
05:42 - Hey Sam, just wondering if you can kind of reveal
05:46 who's been the Harold Perkins on your scout team this week,
05:50 and what are you asking that person to do?
05:53 - Well, Alex Sanford's been the Harold Perkins,
05:59 and he's done a nice job, you know,
06:03 he's the closest thing we can get to him.
06:05 And,
06:07 well, we just ask him to do whatever's on the card,
06:12 whatever Perkins does, you know,
06:17 and, but he's done a really nice job,
06:22 obviously you can't duplicate that type of speed,
06:26 you know, but he's done a nice job with it.
06:29 - And just real quick, I know we've touched
06:33 on some of the guys that are a little banged up,
06:37 but I was just wondering if you had an update
06:38 there on Devin Manuel, will he be available this week
06:41 after not playing last week?
06:43 - Man, I don't know.
06:45 He's practiced the first two days, but in my opinion,
06:51 it's yet to hit that he's let it go.
06:56 I mean, he's got to let it go and get back
07:01 to where he was to help us.
07:03 And so I don't know if he'll be available
07:08 full speed or not.
07:09 And if he won't, then we won't play him
07:12 unless he's full speed.
07:13 So he's not as of today.
07:16 So we'll have to figure that out.
07:18 - Thank you.
07:20 - Trey.
07:22 - I know Devon is working as hard as to get back,
07:26 but is there any extra motivation for him being
07:28 from Louisiana, trying to get back for this?
07:31 - Absolutely, Trey.
07:32 He wants to play.
07:33 I want him to play all those things.
07:36 He's trying his butt off.
07:38 He's just still a little more beat up
07:43 than what I was hoping that he would be.
07:46 That's why I'm not giving up on him this week.
07:49 'Cause I know how bad, you know, he wants to be out there.
07:52 However, he's just not fully healthy yet.
07:59 And a non-fully healthy guy,
08:03 we've got one that'd be better than him on the field
08:06 if he's not healthy.
08:07 So hopefully he'll be better today.
08:10 And then Thursday, we still got a lot of time.
08:12 So I'm banking on him being ready to play,
08:15 but he hasn't to this point.
08:17 - When you and Coach Jimmy Smith came in,
08:21 seemed like there was more of an emphasis
08:23 in SEC recruiting states.
08:24 And then of course your defensive staff,
08:26 even more with that with Coach Woodson
08:29 and Williams and such.
08:30 But I was looking at the roster
08:32 and Devon is the only guy from Louisiana on the roster.
08:35 - Yeah.
08:36 - It'd be a big influx
08:37 and guys that kind of had a chip on their shoulder
08:39 from, you know, maybe not,
08:40 they weren't offered by LSU and stuff.
08:42 - They weren't offered by LSU, yeah.
08:43 You know, I don't, Trey, we're still sending some guys.
08:48 Some of our guys that we had in there aren't here anymore.
08:51 So that might be part of, you know,
08:53 part of the transition, might be part of the problem.
08:58 But we're still in there deep with our recruiting staff
09:03 for whatever reason.
09:05 You know, we've been pulling a few more out of Alabama
09:08 instead of LSU, you know, instead of Louisiana.
09:11 And I don't know if it's because we haven't been doing
09:13 as good a job recruiting there,
09:15 or now, you know, with Coach Kelly or whomever,
09:18 or whoever it may be,
09:20 other schools are going into Louisiana more.
09:23 I don't have the answer.
09:24 I wish I did, but you're right.
09:27 We, I think, prior to me getting here,
09:30 I think we, you know, obviously Greg and Ocea,
09:33 and Fouché, and some of the guys were on our team.
09:36 So I don't know the answer to that,
09:39 except maybe we've had a couple of coaches
09:41 that had that area that aren't with us anymore,
09:44 and maybe that's hurt us.
09:45 I don't really have a better answer than that.
09:48 - You talked about Brad Davis a little bit the other day,
09:51 but I was curious about what your thoughts are
09:53 on the job he's done with those two,
09:56 well, they're sophomore, two sophomore offensive tackles,
09:58 both highly recruited guys that played,
10:00 I guess they were freshman All-Americans last year.
10:02 - Yeah, both were really good players.
10:04 One of them was a captain, the left tackle.
10:07 Emory, we tried to get here.
10:08 We thought we were going to get him, you know,
10:10 and weren't able to get it done at the end.
10:15 But they're playing, you know,
10:17 they went through some pains,
10:18 I think Coach's first year there,
10:22 and then they got a little bit better last year,
10:23 and then they're really playing well now.
10:26 I'm not talking about the freshmen,
10:27 but I'm talking overall as a line.
10:29 You know, anytime you have more experience,
10:33 you're going to play a little bit better,
10:36 play a little bit better together,
10:37 as long as you stay healthy.
10:39 Brad's a really good coach, good man.
10:41 He lost his daddy about a month ago,
10:45 so I know he's hurting a little bit there, obviously,
10:49 but I love Brad Davis.
10:51 I think he's a great coach,
10:53 and they're doing a wonderful job over there.
10:56 - I just have one more.
10:58 I've been to Tiger Stadium.
10:59 It doesn't sound as awful as the stuff
11:01 you've been piping in.
11:02 How did you guys, did you just decide,
11:05 like, let's make it as awful as possible
11:06 so it'll sound better when you get there?
11:09 Or, like, how did you go about picking that track?
11:12 - It's one of our goals this week, Trey.
11:16 One of them is to embrace the noise.
11:19 So we're trying to make it worse
11:21 than what it possibly can be
11:23 so we can go have fun with the crowd.
11:25 We know it's going to be loud and all those type things,
11:27 but one of our goals is to embrace the noise.
11:31 So you're right, we got it cranked now.
11:36 I'll tell you what, I've never watched so much defense
11:39 because I got through about period eight yesterday,
11:43 and I couldn't, I was about to throw up.
11:45 I had a headache, everything else.
11:47 So I'm going to go over here and watch the defense
11:49 a little bit, you know, see how they're doing,
11:51 get away from it.
11:52 But they've done a nice job with it.
11:55 You know what it is, you're building confidence
11:57 with that you've had it plenty loud enough
12:00 to handle any situation.
12:03 - I know Houston, not one year, got noise complaints
12:06 from the neighborhood next to the stadium one time.
12:08 - I imagine we will, too, you know.
12:11 I thought we might have to go inside because of the rain,
12:14 but we'll go outside again,
12:15 and then tomorrow we'll go inside.
12:17 So the community won't be too mad
12:20 after this afternoon's practice.
12:23 - Thanks, Coach.
12:24 - Touch.
12:26 - Yeah, Sam, I noticed whenever you had a couple of guys
12:28 get banged up on the offensive line in that last drive,
12:30 it was Amarion Harris that went in.
12:32 I'm just curious, is Tykeese Crawford healthy,
12:34 or was that just a matter of, you know,
12:36 Amarion has gotten, made that much progress
12:38 in practice lately?
12:40 - The second part of that, he had just,
12:43 he's made some progress.
12:46 We went again on that Saturday morning going,
12:49 he would be the guy go in there,
12:51 and he's doing a good job and a better job.
12:56 And, you know, you obviously have your sixth man,
13:00 seventh man, eighth man, all that kind of,
13:01 some of that changes weekly on how they prepare.
13:05 But yes, that, to answer your question, yes,
13:09 because he's practiced much better.
13:11 - Scottie.
13:15 - Yeah, Sam, just going back to the crowd noise
13:17 for a second, I know you got the headset on
13:18 during the games.
13:19 Does that help kind of block out some of the crowd noise?
13:22 Does it really impact you that much?
13:24 - Does, and it impacts me zero.
13:27 I'm a two ear guy because of that,
13:33 because I don't want to hear any.
13:36 Some guys wear one piece, other wear two,
13:39 but I don't want to hear any of the noise.
13:43 So it affects me zero and our coaching staff,
13:48 but obviously the players have to deal with it,
13:51 but that's why I have two ear pieces.
13:54 - Second thing I got, Luke has been a guy
13:58 that you've liked for a long time.
13:59 I'm wondering, like in the time that you spent with him
14:02 and around him, kind of like what makes him tick
14:04 or drives him to be a guy that can, you know,
14:06 make an impact for you right away?
14:08 - I think the game of football is just so important to him.
14:11 You know, he's a very talented guy,
14:13 but we've all seen a lot of talent
14:15 that doesn't play like he does, you know,
14:18 guys that have talent.
14:20 It's very important to him.
14:23 The off season is very important to him.
14:26 He's just a football player
14:28 and very passionate about studying, lifting,
14:33 wants to be the best, those things.
14:37 And, you know, for him to do what he's been able to do
14:40 as a true freshman, that's pretty good.
14:42 And I appreciate you bringing him up,
14:44 but he catches the ball really good.
14:48 And I think it's a big, big deal
14:52 for what he's accomplished thus far as a true freshman.
14:55 - Will.
14:58 - Hey, Coach, this is the first time KJ and Jaden Daniels
15:04 have squared off against each other.
15:05 Do you think having a guy like that on the other sideline
15:08 is giving him extra motivation
15:10 or kind of puts like a chip on his shoulder?
15:13 - It would me, you know, if that was the case.
15:16 I think it would any competitor.
15:19 So I believe that, yes, I believe that's the case.
15:24 Anybody that's considered an underdog,
15:28 which obviously our entire team is as well going to LSU,
15:33 but anybody that seemed to be in the world's views
15:37 as lower than somebody else,
15:39 absolutely you want to prove
15:41 that you're as good or better or whatever.
15:43 I think KJ has been driven by that probably his whole life.
15:48 There've been a few games that maybe he wasn't
15:52 because he was the man on the field.
15:54 Everybody thought he was, but most of the time
15:57 he's got something to prove,
16:00 that chip and things of that nature.
16:02 I think you'll see him play well on Saturday.
16:08 - Officer, Otis.
16:09 - Coach, I got two questions for you.
16:14 One, Jay Metcalf, is he progressing along pretty well
16:19 for you at safety there?
16:20 - He really is.
16:21 You know, he's probably four, maybe.
16:26 Yeah, I'm looking over here.
16:28 Besides corner, he's probably five right now.
16:35 So yes, I mean, he's done a really good job.
16:38 We wouldn't be afraid to put him in the game
16:40 and all those type things.
16:41 Right now, we just think the little bit of age guys,
16:46 the older guys are ahead of him,
16:47 but I think he's going to be a really good player here.
16:50 And he's a good player now,
16:52 but yeah, he's progressed really well.
16:55 - This is a little bit of a off the wall question,
16:56 but Shamar Easter is a kid that most people knew
16:58 probably wouldn't contribute immediately
17:00 because he played every sport at Ashdown,
17:02 but, and he got in late as well.
17:05 But how's he doing and how's he coming along?
17:08 I mean, I know not for this year,
17:09 but just how's he coming along?
17:11 - Yeah, I'm glad you asked the question.
17:12 You know, he's gained probably 20 pounds now.
17:16 You've seen him out there.
17:18 Some of the things that we're asking him to do,
17:22 he was really never asked to do in high school.
17:25 The things that he was asked to do in high school,
17:29 he's doing well, you know, just some.
17:31 So a lot, some of the stuff's new to him.
17:34 He's having to learn.
17:36 And obviously you talked about
17:37 he wasn't here in the spring.
17:39 But I will say this, the scout team,
17:42 the work he's getting down there,
17:43 he's doing better, he's blocking better.
17:46 He's doing some things down there
17:48 that I think he'll be somebody we talk quite a bit about
17:52 in spring ball.
17:54 - Thanks coach, appreciate you.
17:57 - Last one, Hutch.
17:59 - Yeah, Otis asking about Metcalfe.
18:01 Reminded me, I wanted to ask about Braxton.
18:02 Just what improvements did you see from him
18:04 from week one to this past week?
18:06 - Think he's becoming a little more confident.
18:11 He seems to be playing a little bit faster,
18:13 a little closer, rerouting some guys,
18:16 doing some things that he didn't do
18:20 necessarily the first week.
18:22 And he'll play obviously on Saturday.
18:26 He's got the talent, things that he just doesn't have
18:30 the experience, but I think each game
18:32 he gets a little bit more confident,
18:34 and he plays, which will make you play a little bit faster.
18:38 So, very smart kid, very reliable, accountable,
18:43 gonna do his job.
18:44 And as, like I say, as he gets a few more reps,
18:48 he'll get better and better each week.