Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Jaheim Thomas and defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat previewing Saturday morning's game with Florida after bye week.
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00:00 What do y'all make of the Florida offense
00:02 when you break them down?
00:03 What's the scouting report on those guys, Jaheim?
00:05 - I would say, you know, very good quarterback.
00:07 They run a lot of screens, a lot of like big exits,
00:10 a lot of waggles.
00:11 So just, we just gotta be able to fit the run.
00:13 It's a lot of motions, be able to fit the run
00:15 and know, be sound assignment players,
00:16 sound assignment football.
00:18 - Trey, what do you see from them?
00:20 - Very talented team.
00:21 Could do a lot of stretches, a lot of zones,
00:25 things of that sort.
00:26 So we just locking in, taking it one play at a time.
00:29 Looking forward to playing.
00:31 - There's been some change on the other side of the ball
00:33 since you guys last played.
00:35 Have you noticed maybe any kind of different energy
00:39 or anything since Kenny Guyton moved up
00:43 to be offensive coordinator?
00:45 - Yeah, I would say a lot of tempo, you know,
00:46 just there's a lot more, just change of energy.
00:49 So just, we just very confident in our offense.
00:51 - Yeah, we're very confident in the change
00:55 and just gonna take it one day at a time,
00:58 one game at a time.
00:59 - Trey, you've been to Florida for games.
01:01 What can you tell your teammates
01:03 about the atmosphere y'all are going into?
01:06 - Oh, it's pretty cool.
01:08 I'm gonna be honest, this is pretty cool.
01:09 Florida fans are all hype, I mean,
01:12 but it just motivates for us.
01:14 So looking forward to it.
01:16 - All right, I might circle back at the end.
01:18 Thanks guys.
01:19 - Go ahead, Bob.
01:21 - Hey, Jaheim, you know, I know you got to play
01:26 a lot of snaps in Cincinnati.
01:28 You know, had a lot of tackles and,
01:30 but you know, this year you're the guy, you know,
01:32 I think you're third in the SEC in tackles.
01:34 Just kind of, what's the season been like for you?
01:37 - You know, just being able to just come out
01:39 and just ball out with my guys every week
01:41 has just been very motivating.
01:43 So just having the scheme that we are
01:46 and just having the coaches that we are
01:47 has really has helped me translate my game.
01:50 - What do you think you've done a really good job of to,
01:53 I think you got 74 tackles
01:55 and you seem like you're usually double digits
01:57 leading the team.
01:58 What do you think you've done real well?
01:59 What's been working for you?
02:01 - I would say my, it's just the D-line, you know,
02:04 the D-line keeping the offensive line off of me
02:06 and just having instincts to find the ball.
02:09 - Has this season gone better than you thought it would?
02:10 Or has it gone about like you thought it would?
02:12 Or how's that been?
02:13 - So, you know, I have a lot of confidence.
02:15 So I'm very confident in like how the season has been going.
02:18 I pretty much thought it would be going like that.
02:21 - And Tree, what have you thought about how Jaheim's played?
02:25 Has he surprised you at all?
02:26 - Nah, he hasn't surprised me at all.
02:28 You know what I'm saying?
02:29 We know what we getting.
02:30 Like, sure.
02:31 Hey, we confident.
02:32 You know what I'm saying?
02:33 So, Jaheim, yeah, he coming.
02:36 - What is it about his play that really,
02:39 really impresses you?
02:41 - Definitely his instincts.
02:43 He also is vocal on the field.
02:44 So if I'm looking, I'm looking for the signal
02:46 on the sideline, I don't see it.
02:48 He's very vocal to echo the call.
02:50 A very aware guy.
02:51 His awareness is great.
02:53 Comes down, he'll smart guy, talented guy,
02:57 everything about him.
02:59 - And you guys, you know,
03:00 Florida had to play Georgia last week, a pretty tough game.
03:02 You guys had an open day.
03:03 How do you think that could benefit y'all?
03:05 Just how good was it to get up, to get a break?
03:09 - I would say just having a full week of just preparation
03:12 and then having a whole nother week to watch the game
03:14 that they played.
03:15 So I feel like that has helped us a lot.
03:16 You know, just being able to have that film study
03:18 and just having a break off really helped us,
03:21 healed our bodies.
03:23 - And yeah, I'm sorry, go ahead.
03:26 - Oh yeah, I was just gonna say that preparation
03:28 is a big thing.
03:29 Rest, recovery, just ready to unlock the load.
03:33 - And Jaheim, I'm thinking you didn't go through spring ball
03:37 at Cincinnati or here, right?
03:39 Am I right about that?
03:40 - Yeah, you're right.
03:41 - I guess you're putting to test the theory
03:43 that you don't need spring ball the way you're playing.
03:46 But given that, does it surprise you at all
03:50 that you've been this productive?
03:51 You know, didn't really,
03:53 I mean, you just kind of went from the get-go.
03:55 - Yeah, as you know, I just,
03:58 I mean, just trying to take the rust off
03:59 and just being able to get back into the game
04:02 and feel like myself.
04:03 - Okay, thanks guys.
04:06 - Jackson.
04:06 - Yeah, you guys have both, you know,
04:10 had bye weeks obviously in previous seasons,
04:12 but I have to imagine this is the first time
04:13 you've had a bye week after playing four straight road games
04:18 during the course of the season.
04:19 Did it feel like this bye week in particular
04:22 was kind of needed a little bit more
04:24 than maybe off weeks you've had in the past,
04:27 just given the kind of schedule y'all have played this year?
04:30 - I would say most definitely, you know,
04:33 just being able to have a bye week
04:35 after eight weeks straight is truly a blessing, so.
04:38 - Yeah, I'd say it's a blessing.
04:41 Opportunity to wrestle with Curry,
04:43 but also mentally prepare for our opponent,
04:46 so pretty good.
04:49 - Sam has kind of talked about like,
04:52 despite all the offensive struggles
04:54 and the change over there,
04:55 the defensive side of the ball,
04:56 even with all these, the losses and the losing streak,
04:59 you guys have kind of maintained the fire
05:02 and the hungriness.
05:03 I mean, how have you guys kind of been able to persevere
05:06 through kind of the defeats
05:08 and really kind of maintain your desire
05:11 and be a really productive unit
05:13 on that side of the football this year?
05:15 - I would say just having confidence in our offense,
05:18 you know, just cheering those guys on,
05:20 cheering each other on,
05:21 cheering the defense on, you know,
05:22 just going out there, a lot of energy every time,
05:25 every snap.
05:25 - Yeah, just also just motivating
05:30 each and every one of our teammates,
05:32 knowing we have ahead of us,
05:33 going in there very confident as a team.
05:37 So we just keeping the confidence
05:40 and just taking everything one game at a time.
05:42 - Thanks, guys.
05:45 - Wrap this up, Tom.
05:47 - Yeah, guys, Sam Pittman said that he thought KJ
05:50 showed even like more leadership last week.
05:52 And, you know, he's still really engaged.
05:55 Tree, what did you see from KJ
05:57 in terms of, you know, maybe overall team leadership?
06:00 - KJ definitely a vocal guy.
06:04 Everybody respect him.
06:05 So when he talk, everyone listens.
06:06 So I just feel like that trait about himself,
06:09 it's just God given, you know what I'm saying?
06:10 And everybody just open their ears, open their eyes
06:13 and just watch him and also listen to him.
06:15 So very respectable guy, I would say.
06:18 - Taheem, your thoughts about maybe what you've heard
06:22 heard and seen from KJ in the last week?
06:25 - Yeah, just like what he said, you know,
06:26 a true leader, you know, leader of the team,
06:29 leader of the offense.
06:29 So just being able to just be vocal
06:31 and just put guys on your back and lead the team.
06:34 - What do y'all have to do to win Saturday, Tree?
06:37 - So we just going to show what we capable of doing.
06:42 Very confident in my team.
06:43 And just like I said, we ready to unlock and load.
06:46 So we just taking everything one game at a time.
06:50 We just going to go from there.
06:52 - All right, Taheem, what has to go well for you guys
06:55 to give yourselves a chance down there?
06:57 - Oh, I would say, you know, just energy, just passion
07:00 and just being able to just be passionate every snap
07:02 and every time we come on the field.
07:04 So just keeping that energy, keeping guys up,
07:06 keeping everybody going was truly helpless.