Season Premiere Haiku

Its a brand new football season but theres one thing that won't change, my Auburn trashing haikus. So lets get this season kicked off right:
Auburn Tigers fact
They're not on like donkey kong
Fans are super square.

Games of the Week

WEEK 1 -- Which of these is the most interesting story line going into this weekend? A) All three SEC teams in big games this week are underdogs to schools from the west and I don't mean SEC West. B) Quarterbacks for LSU and Miami are suspended after one of the most scandal-plagued years for college football and neither's trouble had anything to do with the Auburn bagman. C) Mark Richt's job is already on the line in only the first game of the season and the same goes for person at Nike who designed the uniforms. D) Houston Nutt and David Lee plan to shock BYU by exclusively running Ken Hatfield's old Flexbone offense. E) A win by the Fighting Irish gives Ben Baldwin an excuse to dress down in a Notre Dame T-shirt at church on Sunday. F) College football finally arrives. Answer: F
Lleeggoo.


South Florida - Notre Dame
2:30 p.m., Saturday, NBC
Line: Notre Dame by 10
* Underdog worth four points

BYU - Ole Miss
3:45 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: BYU by 3

The Cowboys Classic
Oregon - LSU
7 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Line: Oregon by 3

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
Boise State - Georgia
7 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Line: Boise State by 3

Miami - Maryland
7 p.m., Monday, ESPN
Line: Miami by 5
* Underdog worth three points


Good luck.
****#****

NCAA football attendance for 2010 -- in order!

In its infinite wisdom, when the NCAA released football attendance figures for 2010, for the second year in a row it did not list the schools in descending order of attendance after the top 30. Instead, it released the attendance figures in alphabetical order. What good does that do?! Do they just not want to bother because they are investigating half the schools on the list, or are they trying to make everyone look good?

If you are like me and want to see the FBS attendance figures in their proper order, I've done the NCAA's job for them again this year and compiled the following list of average home attendance. Note that all schools listed below the break in the list had attendance figures worse than the top school in the lower division (Appalachian State at 25,715 in the FCS).

Attendance is everything in college football. If you don't believe me, check the last 10 winners of the national championship in red. My motto is that fans have no right demanding that their team finish any higher than their own attendance rankings.

Attendance is also important because the top 81 teams on this list make it into the Project Playoffs plan, which is the world's best plan for a college football playoff and conference realignment. Click the above link for this week's updated playoff seedings!

1 Michigan 111,825

2 Ohio St. 105,278

3 Penn St. 104,234
4 Alabama 101,821
5 Texas 100,654
6 Tennessee 99,781
7 Georgia 92,746
8 LSU 92,718
9 Florida 90,511
10 Auburn 86,087
11 Nebraska 85,664
12 Oklahoma 84,738
13 Texas A&M 82,477
14 Notre Dame 80,795
15 Southern California 79,907
16 Wisconsin 79,862
17 Clemson 77,469
18 South Carolina 76,668
19 Michigan St. 73,556
20 Florida St. 71,270
21 Iowa 70,585
22 Arkansas 68,932
23 Washington 66,264
24 Virginia Tech 66,233
25 Kentucky 66,070
26 Missouri 61,540
27 BYU 61,381
28 UCLA 60,376
29 Oregon 59,398
30 North Carolina 58,250
31 California 57,873
32 Texas Tech 57,108
33 North Carolina St. 56,877
34 West Virginia 56,325
35 Mississippi 55,898
36 Arizona 55,408
37 Mississippi St. 54,999
38 Illinois 54,188
39 Miami (FL) 52,575
40 Pittsburgh 52,165
41 Oklahoma St. 50,812
42 Louisville 50,648
43 Kansas St. 49,816
44 East Carolina 49,665
45 Minnesota 49,513
46 Purdue 48,063
47 Arizona St. 47,943
48 Colorado 46,864
49 Georgia Tech 46,449
50 Rutgers 46,195
51 Oregon St. 45,509
52 Utah 45,459
52 Virginia 45,459
54 Iowa St. 45,395
55 Kansas 44,851
56 TCU 42,466
57 Indiana 41,953
58 South Fla. 40,849
59 Air Force 40,093
60 Syracuse 40,064
61 Baylor 40,043
62 Stanford 40,042
63 UCF 39,614
64 Maryland 39,168
65 Boston College 38,369
66 Connecticut 38,248
67 Hawaii 37,311
68 Northwestern 36,449
69 Cincinnati 35,067
70 Fresno St. 34,120
71 San Diego St. 34,133
72 Boise St. 33,269
72 Vanderbilt 33,269
74 Navy 32,653
75 Houston 31,728
76 Army 31,667
77 Wake Forest 30,474
78 Southern Miss. 29,400
79 UTEP 29,350
80 Duke 28,750
81 Marshall 27,046

82 Rice 25,571
83 Washington St. 24,532
84 Memphis 23,918
85 SMU 23,515
86 Tulane 23,220
87 Colorado St. 22,400
88 La.-Monroe 20,934
89 New Mexico 20,888
90 Wyoming 20,791
91 UNLV 20,612
92 Temple 20,515
93 Central Mich. 20,448
94 Tulsa 20,379
95 FIU 19,808
96 Nevada 19,576
97 Louisiana Tech 19,485
98 Toledo 19,333
99 Ohio 19,046
100 Middle Tenn. 19,024
101 Troy 18,947
102 UAB 18,360
103 Utah St. 17,878
104 Northern Ill. 17,760
105 North Texas 17,718
106 Arkansas St. 17,394
107 La.-Lafayette 17,383
108 Kent St. 16,152
109 New Mexico St. 15,906
110 Eastern Mich. 15,885
111 Miami (OH) 15,519
112 Western Ky. 14,577
113 San Jose St. 14,474
114 Western Mich. 14,255
115 Fla. Atlantic 14,025
116 Bowling Green 13,306
117 Buffalo 12,981
118 Idaho 12,730
119 Akron 10,185
120 Ball St. 8,947

LSU tops annual SEC predictions

By Jeff Kendall

OK, it's finally here, the long-awaited annual SEC preview. I would put a number in front to say what annual edition this is, but I forgot. I think its the ninth, but who knows. Here we go.

SEC Offensive Player of the Year -- Marcus Lattimore, RB, USC (I would go with Aaron Murray, QB, UGA, but he has no receivers to throw to)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year -- Chris Marve, LB, Vanderbilt
SEC Comeback Player of the Year -- John Brantley, QB, FU
SEC Freshman of the Year -- Keihl Frazier, QB, AU

East Division Champ -- USC
West Division Champ -- LSU

SEC Champ -- LSU

East Division

1) USC (10-2, 6-2) -- The Ol' Ball Coach has that swagger back and finally a South Carolina team to match. Garcia is a mess, as he would rather be at a fraternity house than playing ball, but he is a meathead athlete, so he doesn't know anything else except football. If he can keep his head in the game, he is a good enough QB and will have Spurrier on his butt enough to win some games. It doesn't hurt to have one of the best RBs in the country with Marcus Lattimore, along with one of the best WRs in the country with Alshon Jeffrey. The defense will again be decent. I really like Stephon Gilmore at CB. The schedule sets up nicely, but there will be the inevitable USC brain fart along the way to cost them a game they should win, I think at Miss State on Oct. 15.

2) FU (7-5, 4-4) -- I really like Will Muschamp as a D-Coor, but not sure if he is really head coaching material, plus can anyone of us imagine a former UGA DB coaching at FU? That’s a head scratcher. Anyway, there is enough talent to win, but the problem is two-fold: a new staff is revamping the entire O and D, and there are no true RBs on the roster to run the pro-style offense that Charlie Weis will run. The schedule isn't great either with the four-game stretch in the middle of the season with LSU, uat, AU, and UGA. I really like John Brantley and think he will be a pleasant surprise in Gainesville. If Charlie Weis can turn Brady Quinn into a first-rounder at Notre Dame, he should be able to do something with Brantley.

2) UGA (7-5, 4-4) -- I would have UGA above FU to finish second, but as mush as I think Murray is the best QB in the SEC, he has no receivers to throw to and he has a true freshman starting at TB with no one else behind him. Plus FU still has UGA's number on a fairly consistent basis, save a year here or a year there. I think Todd Grantham is a decent D-Coor, but I am not a huge fan of the pure 3-4 that he likes to play. Mark Richt may be in his last year before he heads up I-85 to Chapel Hill but still has enough talent to make it to a bowl behind the arm of Aaron Murray.

2) Kentucky (7-5, 4-4) -- Morgan Newton returns at QB without having to split time with anyone, and an experienced O-Line will be there to protect him. I think Joker Phillips is a good coach, and now that he is in his second year, he knows his way around. UK is not just a basketball school anymore, and they should make it to yet another bowl again this year. I believe that will be five in a row.

5) Tennessee (5-7, 3-5) -- I wasn't so sure about Derek Dooley when he was hired, and the jury is still out whether he has the genes to be a successful coach in the SEC, but he is headed in the right direction. Bray at QB is good, but still young. Another year of experience, and he will be in the top three or four QBs in the conference. UT is still young everywhere, but the coaching staff is recruiting well. They are still a year away, but I think in the coming years, we will see a revival of the '90s with FU and UT fighting it out for the division.

6) Vanderbilt (5-7, 1-7) -- The out-of-conference schedule will get them close, but that is always Vandy -- close but just short of a bowl. I really like their LB core, especially Marve. He could start on any team in the SEC. Vandy always has good LBs. Smith is their returning QB, but supposedly he is actually in a QB battle... that is not good. New coaching staff, same old Vandy.


West Division

1) LSU (11-1, 7-1) -- I think Craig Kragthorpe will be very good for Jordan Jefferson. He still isn't an SEC QB, but with the talent around him, the gambler Mad Hatter as the coach and a very favorable schedule, LSU has a shot at the national title... with a caveat. If their is a QB battle still in the middle of the season between Jefferson and Mettzenberger, then all bets are off. That aside, I am to the point now that I really like Les Miles. He is still a nut, but I am warming up to his style. He is a player's coach, and shows confidence in his players, whether they actually warrant it or not. The defense is strong and the skill players on offense are strong as well. I don't see this as a dominant SEC team, so I think a loss is very possible, but they are good enough to win, and from there, we all know the SEC is well, the SEC.

2) uat (10-2, 6-2) -- I am not buying into the hype over in turd-town. The defense should be very good again, and that should be good enough for a 10-win season, but who do they have on offense? There are three returning starters on the O-line, so Trent Richardson should be a 1,000-yard back. There is a QB battle between two guys who would have problems starting on most other teams in the SEC. There are no proven receivers, except for Marquis Maze, who is average, and no back-up to Richardson at RB. If they can win all their games 3-0 then it is all good, but their offense will have to show for a few games, and there just isn't enough there.

3) Arkansas (9-3, 6-2) -- Arky had a shot to win the division until the third play of their first scrimmage this past week when their only RB went down with a busted ankle -- probably out for the year. With Bobby P running the team, the O will score, and I like Tyler Wilson, but he will have some growing pains being a first-year starter, especially with no running game. The WR core is by far the best in the country, which will make it tough to double-team any one of them, but as always, you have to be able to run to win in the SEC. I still don't think much of the Arky D, but it doesn't have to be great, or even good -- just average, and they should be that.

4) AU (9-3, 5-3) -- I heard it last year, and I will hear it again this year... HOMER! Well, I think I was pretty spot-on with AU last year, so I'm going higher than the "experts" again this year. I know, no experience, so AU will be lucky to win five games. But as the coach says, "Not so fast my friend." Auburn may not have the experience, but it does have the talent with the last two recruiting classes. The BCS Championship MVP returns for just his sophomore year, with RB 1a, Onterrio McCalleb, back for his junior year. Even with Cammy Cam gone, these two should easily run for more than 2,000 yards. There is a QB battle going on between Jr Barret Trotter, Soph Client Moseley, and TFr Keihl Frazier. Anyone could end up starting, and with Gus Malzahn back as O-Coor, the QB position will not be a concern, contrary to popular belief. The defense is the same with little experience but plenty of talent. This will be a rebuilding year, but 2012 will be big.

5) Miss St (8-4, 4-4) -- If MSU played in the East , I may pick them over USC, but they don't, so I won't. Dan Mullen may be in his last year in Starkvegas, and not because he is going to get fired. He is positioning himself for bigger and better, maybe UGA when Richt heads to UNC (just speculation on my part). Chris Relf at QB is not good at all, but Mullen has made him into a Cam Newton Jr. His size is similar, but his passing and running are not as good, though Relf is good enough to run the Mullen offense. As mentioned, MSU's biggest problem is playing in the best division in the best conference in the country. Think of MSU as FU under Meyer with Tebow running the offense, just with 2-3 star players instead of 4-5 stars.

6) Ole Miss (4-8, 0-8) -- Thankfully Ole Miss has four games out of conference. Houston Dale always seems to turn in a good season when not expected, but not this year. Brandon Bolden returns as the team's lone star at RB. He could start on most teams in the SEC, but he is all they got. Nutt got what he wished for by getting out of Fayettenam, but be careful what you wish for. At least there is The Grove and the hotties in Oxford.


That's all I got for this year. Let the rebuttles begin.

NCAA looking into booster's claims that Miami players took cash

Article from cbssports.com...

The NCAA has launched an investigation into the University of Miami's athletic department involving a potentially damaging extra benefits case, two sources confirmed to CBSSports.com.

InsideTheU.com first reported the news.

A source confirmed that the focus of the investigation stems from claims made by Nevin Shapiro, a Miami booster who has been convicted of running a multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme. He is working on a tell-all book about the claims, which is expected to name nearly 100 athletes at the school who broke NCAA rules since 2001. Shapiro donated $150,000 to the athletic department and was a frequent guest on the sidelines at Hurricanes practices and games.

Palm Beach Post beat writer Jorge Milian reported Sunday night that Shapiro would also be the focus of a damaging story from Yahoo! Sports.

One source said Miami was "in big trouble" as a result of the claims and that Shapiro would be able to back up his allegations. Most of the allegations focus on Miami football players receiving money and other benefits as a result of playing for the Hurricanes. Investigators are expected to question several current players with ties to Shapiro but one source said there was no connection between the current coaching staff and the booster.

The NCAA has been active in South Florida over the past several months, sending investigators to various 7-on-7 camps and making connections with parents and coaches. One source added that the secondary focus of the look was on the recruiting methods of at least three SEC schools and a number of ACC schools in the area. It is unclear whether the two probes are connected but one person told CBSSports.com that the NCAA will be questioning several people connected to the Miami players, such as coaches and other "third parties" connected to them.

Though several have called Shapiro's information into question, two sources told CBSSports.com that the NCAA is taking the claims seriously and investigators have used information from convicted felons in the past.

The NCAA does have a four-year statute of limitations. Miami was hit with major sanctions in 1995 as a result of a lack of institutional control stemming from a financial aid and extra benefits scandal.

Florida State talking to SEC about a possible jump according to source

From the Palm Beach Post...

Florida State talking to SEC about a possible jump according to http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifsource
by Tom D'Angelo

Florida State officials have been flirting with the SEC for several months and the discussion now are getting more serious, according to sources.

Rumors have been spreading that the SEC is poised to expand, first to 14 teams and then to 16, and the Seminoles and Texas A&M of the Big 12 could be the first two to jump.

“This is real,” said a source close to FSU.

Other schools being mentioned as possible SEC candidates: Clemson, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Miami apparently is not on the SEC’s radar. The possibility of being left out if FSU bolts has the Hurricanes, “scared to death,” said a source.

Texas A&M appears to be the SEC’s first choice. The school is a good fit in many ways. Its facilities are first class and it’s a school with a lot of money. Adding the Aggies would allow the conference to gain a foothold in one of the richest states in the country for high school football and add two large television markets in Dallas and Houston.

Texas A&M is unhappy that Texas has created own television network and is unhappy with the Big 12 for bowing down to Texas when the Longhorns flirted with the idea of moving to the Pac-10.

Some believe the Aggies are more of a sure thing to join the SEC than any other school and Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe told the Austin-American Statesman he is treating reports of Texas A&M’s possible move “very seriously.”

The SEC has stayed quiet during this latest round of speculation. At SEC Media Days a couple weeks ago, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said he could add members if he wanted to in 15 minutes.

“I’m going to think about and do things that are in the long-term best interests of the SEC,” Slive said.

Razorback Practice Report: Tuesday, August 9

Petrino Working More on Running Game,
QB Mitchell Not Excelling So Far in Preseason

By Bud Baldwin

Sorry guys I am getting lax in my duty. These evening practices last until about 8 p.m., and by the time I have eaten, get a talking to by my wife, and do my honey-do's, it is hard for me to get motivated at 10 p.m. to write. My bad. Here is what I saw at Monday and Tuesday full-pad practices.

First I need to mention that even though they were in full pads, there has yet to be a scrimmage where people were actually tackled or knocked to the ground. The linemen are hitting each other, but I had been hoping to see something more. So in other words, the practices have been pretty much the same as the pre-pad practices.

The one thing I have noticed is that there seems to be more of an emphasis on the running game this year. In the last two years, a greater majority of the time has been spent on the passing game – probably a 75 to 25 pass-run ratio. This year, it seems to be more 60/40. I think Bobby Petrino knows we are solid at running back with Knile Davis, Ronnie Wingo, and Dennis Johnston. All look bigger and quicker and they appear to be getting equal reps. They have been practicing some option drills. Never saw those with Ryan Mallett here. Kiero Small, the new fullback, besides being a great blocker, is getting some running plays and making catches in the flat as well, especially on the goal line. You all will get a kick when you see him – a fire plug if there ever was one.

I think the added emphasis on running is probably three-fold. Possibly Petrino knows that if our running game would have been better last year, we could have probably beaten Alabama, so he wants to start early. Secondly, the line is suspect so far – during the scrimmage portion the quarterbacks seem to have less time than normal to get their passes off. Possibly this is because our pass rush is better. Finally, the quarterbacks seem to be behind from where they were last year. Again, maybe it is the pass rush and they have less time.

Regarding the quarterbacks, Tyler Wilson is definitely ahead. Brandon Mitchell isn’t vocal and doesn’t seem to cheer people or pat their butts. Wilson is doing all that. Mitchell’s passing is either really good or just bad. He misses the receivers more often than any of the quarterbacks in the passing drills where there isn’t a defense. In the drills with defensive backs, he seems to have decided where he is going to pass it before he has gone through his options. However, having said all that, when he is throwing well he is as good as Mallett. Brandon Allen is definitely third at this point and almost gets as many reps as Mitchell. His passing motion is different, but he is very accurate and seems to have picked up the offense pretty well. Also, we have seen fewer bombs being thrown this year as compared to the last two.

Of the wide receivers, I am still very impressed with Marquel Wade. He is the quickest of the bunch. Greg Childs still continues to drop more than his share of passes. Not sure what is going on there. Joe Adams and Jarius Wright are doing well, as is Coby Hamilton. We are loaded at wide outs and they switch in and out all the time.

One of the newcomers that I wanted to see is Kody Walker, the running back from Missouri. He is built like Broderick Green. He seems a little unsure about what to do and possibly that is holding him back. Petrino jumps him about not cutting inside when he would pop to the outside. Same problem Wingo had. They are both big but want to head for the sidelines.

The other newcomer I wanted to see is Andrew Peterson, the tight end from Texas. He is huge by far the biggest of tight ends. He has a massive lower body but appears to be slow and a little soft. I believe he has an ankle or knee bothering him. In one drill he runs ahead and a manager pops him with a pad and he turns and catches the ball. The manager is not big and it looks like he is getting the best of Peterson.

Colton Milles-Nash seems to be getting the most reps at tight end, more than Chris Gragg, possibly because his blocking abilities are better and we are going to need more protection at least early on until the line develops.

The defense is looking very good from what I can tell. Byron Jones is playing the nose tackle, D.D. Jones is playing right tackle, Robert Thomas is at left tackle, Jake Bequette is next to him, and Tenarius Wright is on the other side. Bequette seems to be in pass coverage more than I have seen him the past. The linebackers are Jerry Franklin, Alonzo Highsmith, and Jerico Nelson. Corners are Darius Winston and Isaac Madison. Safetys are Tramain Thomas and Elton Ford. It is hard to keep track of the defense because defensive coordinator Willie Robinson is always alternating. Plus, it is hard to keep track of all the switches watching from 50 yards away at ground level.

They continue to work on special teams at least twice a practice -- punt or kickoff coverage, scoop and score, and returns. Adams and Wade are the best two on punt returns. Johnson and Wade will probably be the two deep guys on kickoffs. Both Dylan Breeding and Zach Hocker are doing very good as punter and kicker. Hocker is the back-up punter, and it is hard to believe that is where he thought his best chance to play was. Now as the back-up punter, he is far behind Breeding.

Well it is late and I need to sleep.

Razorback Practice Report: Sunday, August 7

Quarterbacks and Receivers Clicking,
Petrino and Smith Argue in Practice

By Bud Baldwin

Not a whole lot to tell from the veterans practice I attended this weekend primarily because they aren't in full pads, which happens at 6 p.m. Monday and I am planning to be there.

The offense continues to get better. I know quarterback and receivers pretty much throw all summer and sometimes there are defensive backs shadowing the receivers, but it isn't the same when there are linemen rushing you (even though up to now it has been tag football) and you are having to throw through linebackers and defensive backs going this way and that way.

I think it takes a while for the quarterbacks and receivers to get used to that and start recognizing the openings. But each day it appears they are getting more into game situations. It may be just me, but I think Tyler Wilson is separating himself from Brandon Mitchell in this area.

Although both quarterbacks have thrown some interceptions and passes that should have been interceptions, Wilson's mistakes are not as obvious as Mitchell's, who at times seems to throw it right to the defender where as I think Wilson's are more "I threw if to the guy but my pass was a little high or the receiver got out-muscled for the ball." Each day he seems to be getting better and his mistakes are fewer. Of course, yesterday he dropped a snap (his Achilles' heel).

The receivers are more comfortable now. They seem to be getting used to catching balls in crowds and look more comfortable running routes. To me, the most impressive receiver so far is Marquel Wade (#1). He makes difficult catches and knows what to do with it after he catches the ball. It is nice to see this from him and the other receivers.

I still remember Nutt’s receivers, who could make a difficult catch, but after the catch they would just fall down and not get anything after the catch. Remember London Crawford catching the ball against Florida and no one was around? He ran a few steps and just dropped it. These guys will do well making things happen after they catch it.

Colton Miles-Nash looks good at tight end. Right now our offensive line isn't as good as last year's, and the tight end will be called on to block more and Nash doesn't seem to shy away from that. He caught a few passes this weekend and appears to have good hands. It will be interesting to see how he does in pads.

Kiero Small popped Alonzo Highsmith yesterday when Highsmith was blitzing. I can’t wait to see him in fill pads. They also worked with him on the goal line catching the short fade route out of the backfield. He has good hands.

We have all known that Ronnie Wingo can catch the ball, but Knile Davis was a little suspect last year. Obviously, he has worked on this because I really think the running backs are going to get a lot of receptions this year.

Now that we are in full pads, it will be curious to see who emerges on the offensive line. Brey Cook is huge and after coming early and starting in spring, I really want to see him now that they will be in full pads.

The defensive line looks awesome, but they rotate players in and out so much it is hard to see (especially at ground level) which combination is most effective. I think the addition of Robert Thomas gives them a lot more options and will allow D.D. Lewis to move around a lot. Byron Jones seems planted in the middle along will Alfred Davis. Chris Smith (who I referred to last week as Chris Miller) is back in s and he wasn't told to get "get your ass off of my field."

The defensive backs look good as well. They get beat sometimes, but rarely with the first team do you see a wide receiver left all alone. Darius Winston looks bigger as do the safeties. Isaac Madison is still here. He seems like he is a seventh-year senior. He is not afraid to mix it up. One time he fell down and was slow getting up and I wondered if his knee will make it through the season

They have worked a lot on special teams. In fact, John L. Smith and Coach Bobby Petrino basically got into it about lanes. Smith taught it one way and Petrino wanted it another and they got into it with each other for a short time. Smith will jump a player pretty good and will make him do it over and over until he get the technique right, but when he does get it right Smith will really give him kudos.

They also worked on a scoop-and-score drill for about 10 minutes. Petrino will not forget that cost them the Ohio State game.

My only disappointment was that I did not make a newcomers practice. I was going to go Saturday, but I had been out in the heat all day and it was really hot. Yesterday I went, but they went inside the Walker Pavilion and I couldn't get in. They will be with the veterans from here on out.

Award for Best Use of Fake Iron Bowl Tickets

Razorback Practice Report: Thursday, August 4

Coaches Don't Spare the Cursing as Players
Sweat it Out in First Practice on Intramural Fields

By Bud Baldwin

I went to the 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. veterans practice.

The venue – I had not been down to the intramural fields since 1978 and was amazed. The area is completely fenced and has a lot of light poles. When you walk in the area, the thing that hits you is that as a coach you have to love this place because it is so vast.

There was one football field that runs parallel to Razorback Road. Then there is an area of about 70 yards of open grass area where the blocking sleds and other equipment for the linemen are kept. Then there is a second field that runs perpendicular to Razorback Road – again a 100-yard field. Both fields have goalposts.

The grass was in excellent shape considering the heat we have had (my own backyard with Bermuda grass is entirely brown and I run the sprinkler system every day for 20 minutes). The first field has two sets of bleachers – maybe about five rows holding about 25 people. There is one set on the second field. They have a yellow rope around the field for the fans to stay behind, and there is at least a 20-yard cushion between the field and the fans.

As a person who has gone to many practices, I have grown used to seeing things up close and personal. At the old practice fields, you can see what is going on everywhere because there was a hill to sit on, but not now because you are at ground level. It makes it harder to see what is going on when the offense and defense go against each other. It is especially hard to see the lineman because they seem packed together. They had the offense on field #1 and the defense on field #2, and they are far apart.

When I arrived, the quarterbacks and wide receivers were running patterns. There were a lot of dropped balls. Each quarterback got equal reps here. Marquel Wade (#1) made some spectacular one-handed grabs. One brought a loud cheer from the fans in attendance (probably about 300).

Next I watched the tight ends. Only three were there – Chris Gragg (#80), Austin Tate (#87), Colton Nash (#6). Even though Nash and Tate are both listed as 6’6”, Nash looks taller. Garrett Uekman (#88) worked with newcomers and wasn’t here.

When the first-team offense started running plays together, the line was Grant Freeman (#79) at strong tackle (he looks like he is 6”10”), Alvin Bailey (#67) at strong guard, Travis Swanson at center, Grant Cook (#72 ) at weak guard, and Jason Peacock (#71) at weak tackle. I was surprised to not see Brey Cook starting here. Peacock doesn’t appear to have really quick feet, and when he was facing Jake Bequette he was beaten on every pass play. Cook played some guard as well but seemed to spend more time with the second team. Mitch Smothers, a true freshman, practiced with the veterans as well.

Tyler Wilson was the quarterback and Knile Davis was the running back. Kiero Small (#36) was the fullback. He is the junior-college transfer from California. He is listed at 5’10”, 255 pounds. He may be 255, but if he is 5’10’ then I am 6’3” (I am 5’9’). He might be 5”8”. The guy is a bowling ball. One of his legs is bigger than my waist. I think it is significant he started from the get go. He hustled and seems to know he is there to knock someone down. He is quick and caught a pass in the scrimmage.

All of the running backs looked fast and big. Davis, Ronnie Wingo, and Dennis Johnson flew through the holes. Johnson and Davis looked especially quick.

Finally the offense moved to field #2 to go against the defense, so for us fans that meant a 5-minute walk.

It was hard to see who was playing on the defensive line because we were at field level 30 yards away.

Bequette was the left end. Robert Thomas, Bryan Jones, and D.D. Lewis all played interior lineman. And Chris Smith played the other end. All moved in and out of the line. Alfred Davis didn’t see much action probably because they weren’t hitting -- the emphasis was on passing. Linebackers were Jerico Nelson, Jerry Franklin, and Alonzo Highsmith (JUCO guy). Highsmith (#45) has huge legs but appears to move very well. Darius Winston and Isaac Madison were the cornerbacks, and Tramain Thomas and Elton Ford were the safeties.

As usual, there was a lot of screening and cussing by the coaches led by Coach Bobby Petrino. In a previous life, he must have been a sailor or a contractor because he can fling the words around. Chris Miller caught it first when Coach P screamed at him, “Get your ass off the field.” He must have been loafing. However, others got it as well, especially the receivers. Both Jarius Wright and Greg Childs dropped very catchable balls and were screamed at by several coaches. John L. Smith later screamed at Chris Miller and said, “You are killing this team!” Miller did not have a pleasant day. There were plenty of “GDs” and “get your ass” mixed in with every play.

As far as the scrimmage went, Wilson probably got 50 percent of the reps followed by Brandon Mitchell and Brian Buehner (#16). Buehner seemed to have to scramble more. Both Wilson and Mitchell threw some good and bad passes. Neither looked like an all star, but both looked good. I believe with Wilson at quarterback, we are going to see the backs catch a lot more passes. He doesn’t seem to force the ball into places that Ryan Mallett would (Mitchell does). I have always thought Wilson sees the field better than Mallett, and he spreads the ball around everywhere. Marquel Wade and Joe Adams looked the best of the receivers. Neither dropped a ball and both made some amazing catches and runs. Of course, nobody is in pads.

They took a break about 55 minutes into the practice, and you could hear the coaches screaming “Hydrate” a lot. They practiced field goals toward the end.

As a side note, one of the graduate assistants approached me to check out what I was writing. That was a first. I showed him my scribbles and he said OK.

As fans, we caught a break because it was overcast and cooler. If the sun would have been out, we would have been staring directly into the sun. That’s it. I plan to return Friday.