TAT: Five Keys vs. Louisiana-Monroe

This article originally appeared in the September 7, 2012 sports section of The Arkansas Traveler.

1. Improve Special Teams

The Hogs did block a field goal early in last Saturday’s game against Jacksonville State, but there were still rough spots in the special teams. A booming punt by Dylan Breeding was brought back with a penalty for misalignment and the next punt only went 17 yards. On kickoff return, Dennis Johnson was swarmed before he could reach the 20-yard line. He had one 42-yard return, but his other three returns totaled only 54 yards (an 18.0 yard/return average). Arkansas also muffed a punt return; however, it was called back due to a Jacksonville State penalty. These special teams mistakes must be fixed if Arkansas expects to have success against Louisiana-Monroe.

2. Stop the Pass

Against Jacksonville State, the Razorback defense gave up 322 yards, 227 of which were passing yards. Early in the game, senior cornerback Darius Winston gave up several big plays and was replaced by senior Kaelon Kelleybrew. Senior safety Ross Rasner turned in a solid game in the secondary, gaining 11 tackles and breaking up one deep pass. Starting at quarterback for ULM is junior Kolton Browning, who has thrown for over 5,000 yards in two years. It is crucial that Arkansas stops the pass against the Warhawks and gains some confidence heading into the Alabama game.

3. Stay Healthy

Senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton had two receptions for 13 yards before coming out of last week’s game with an injury. He is expected to play this week, but it is key that he stays healthy. If Arkansas intends to have success against ULM and have a chance against Alabama the following week, they must keep Hamilton and the rest of the team healthy.

4. Protect Tyler Wilson

The offensive line only gave up one sack against the Gamecocks last week, but interim head coach John L. Smith still expects improvement. Senior Jason Peacock will be back with the Hogs this week after sitting out last week due to disciplinary reasons and will add competition that will improve the offensive line as a whole, Smith said. Junior David Hurd, senior Tyler Deacon and sophomore Brey Cook made their first starts as Razorbacks last week and need to continue to improve.

5. Don’t Look Ahead

With No. 1 Alabama around the corner, Arkansas must not overlook the Warhawks. Just four years ago, ULM almost upset the Hogs, leading 27-14 with 12:56 remaining in the game. A late rally eventually won the game 28-27 for the Hogs, but it was much closer than it should have been. If the players don’t come out swinging at the beginning of the game because their minds are already on next week’s game, ULM could pull off the upset. John L. Smith must make sure his players are focused on this week’s game.

TAT: Members of Competitive Club Excel Nationally in Paintball

This article originally appeared in the September 5, 2012 sports section of The Arkansas Traveler.

     For nearly a decade, UA students have had the opportunity to participate in the paintball club, either as a recreational sport or a competitive club sport.

     Currently, nine students compete on the tournament team that is a member of the National Collegiate Paintball Association. While the NCPA season ends in April, the team continues to compete in a regional league.

     “It’s a year-round sport,” said sophomore Travis McCaghren, vice president of the club. “We travel to tournaments all over the country.”

     Last year, tournament sites included Chicago, St. Louis and Lakeland, Fla. In all, the club traveled 5,800 miles and expects to travel travel approximately 10,200 miles this year.

     “We went the most miles of any club last year,” McCaghren said.

     As you might imagine, that much travel is very expensive. The University Recreation Department provides some funds for the club, however it only covers a portion of the expenses.

     “We are very grateful for UREC’s help, but we still have to pay a lot out of pocket. It is very expensive,” McCaghren said.

     Between all nine members of the tournament team, they spent $15,491 out of their own pockets last year. With so much money invested into the sport, the members take it seriously and practice once or twice a week.

     “I take paintball every bit as seriously as I took football, and (as a team) we take it as seriously as any of the other sports,” McCaghren said.

     They have practice at Arkansas River Valley Paintball in Alma, and during these practices, they work on communication, do situational drills and scrimmage.

     At tournaments, they play 5-on-5 matches in which they attempt to hang their flag on the other team’s side. They typically play a “race to four” format, where the first team to hang their flag four times wins. If neither team scores four points, then the team with the most points when time expires, wins.

     At the NCPA National Championships last year, they finished in the top 20.

     “Last year’s and this year’s teams are probably the most talented teams we’ve ever had,” McCaghren said.

     Even if a student doesn’t want to dedicate a lot of time to the club, they can still be a part of it. There are 20-25 students who are on the recreational team.

     “You can take it as seriously as you want,” McCaghren said. “It’s a way to get away from everything else. It takes your mind off school and work, and it’s a way to make new friends.”

     Students on the recreational team can play and practice anywhere from once a week to once a year, depending on their interest levels.

     As for McCaghren, he has been playing since he was in fifth grade.

     “I got invited to a birthday party and was scared to death, but my dad told me to give it a shot. Luckily the first time I got hit was from a long way away and it didn’t hurt, and I got addicted to (the sport),” McCaghren said.

     He expects this season to be another successful one for the tournament team and the recreational team.

     “I think we have a great shot at bringing a national championship back to Fayetteville,” McCaghren said. “The sky is the limit to what this group of guys can accomplish this year.”

TAT: Smith Has Confidence in Razorbacks

This article originally appeared in the September 5, 2012 sports section of The Arkansas Traveler. If you want to read about my personal experience with this press conference, I recommend reading my post titled "My First Press Conference - John L. Smith."

     Following a 49-24 victory over Jacksonville St. on Saturday, head coach John L. Smith is pleased with his team but still sees areas that could be improved.

     “After reviewing film, there were a lot of good things and a lot of things we need to improve on,” Smith said. “We’re going to build on the positives and correct the negatives.”

     The offense performed well, and that team leadership and maturity helped them get back on track after the three lost fumbles, he said.

     “There was no sense of panic at all,” Smith said. “Everyone was very confident about what we had to do.”

     Senior Brandon Mitchell helped the offense by catching four passes for 122 yards in his first game as a wide receiver.

     “We’ve seen that day in, day out at practice this fall, so it’s not a surprise to us,” Smith said. “It was a good outing for a guy’s first time out of the block as a wide-out.”

     Part of Mitchell’s and the other wide receivers’ success can be credited to senior quarterback Tyler Wilson, who made some “tremendous throws,” Smith said.

     At running back, senior Dennis Johnson “ran hard,” Smith said, and junior Knile Davis returned to the field after missing the 2011 season due to injury, rushing for 70 yards on 18 carries.

     “I feel good. I’m a little sore, but that’s to be expected,” Davis said. “My speed, cuts, and vision were there.”

     Smith said that the offensive line played well, but still needs improvement. He expects senior Jason Peacock back this week and added to the mix.

     He also said senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, who was injured during Saturday’s game, will be back in practice on Monday.

     The defense has areas to improve, as well. Smith thought the Hogs played the run well, but their secondary and tackling need a little work.

     “We need to tighten some things up in the secondary, which we’ll work on,” Smith said. “We have some tackling circuits we’re going to put in and try to improve on that. (Tackling) was not near as good as it should be.”

     Smith was particularly happy with the second half because the Gamecocks didn’t score any touchdowns.

     At linebacker, Smith said seniors Tenarius Wright and Alonzo Highsmith were “rusty” and that it was “good for them to get some work in.”

     Senior cornerback Darius Winston struggled against Jacksonville State before being replaced by senior Kaelon Kelleybrew.

     “Kelleybrew came in and did a decent job,” Smith said. “Darius has to step up now and go earn that spot back.”

     Smith was also pleased by junior defensive end Chris Smith’s play, which earned him SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.

     He said senior safety Ross Rasner played “one of his better games,” as well.

     This Saturday, the Hogs take on the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

     “We’re looking forward to going to Little Rock. (The players) are excited about it,” Smith said. “The fans there are as good as it gets. It’s a great atmosphere.”

     As for Louisiana-Monroe, Smith expects them to spread the field and throw the ball more than Jacksonville State.

     “There are going to be adjustments made on the sideline and some in halftime,” Smith said. “That’s what you have to do in the first few games.”

My First Press Conference - John L. Smith

     Yesterday, I covered my first ever press conference. I am writing for The Arkansas Traveler, the University of Arkansas student newspaper, and I was assigned to cover the John L. Smith press conference. I was told he would talk about the Jacksonville State game from last week and the upcoming Louisiana-Monroe game.
     I was super nervous and paranoid about showing up late, so I got there 30 minutes early. When I got there, I was the only media person there and I asked a UofA employee if I was in the right place. He looked at me funny, said yes, and immediately asked "Who are you with?" I showed him my press pass and said "The Traveler." As soon as I could get that out of my mouth, he asked me what my name was. I answered and must have passed the test because he said, "Okay, have a seat."
     Then, I awkwardly sat down in a chair, waiting for more people to show up. The press conference was at 1:00, and it wasn't until 12:40 that people started showing up. I expected this because I had talked to Jacob Pinter, my friend and co-worker from Sports Talk - The High School Show, who has covered several press conferences for Bo Mattingly's show. He said that he is always 10-15 minutes early because "they generally start late rather than early."
     At 12:44 (I know this exact time because I looked at my phone), Coach Smith walked into the room, and boy did he make an entrance. He came in hollering, "Let's get this started! Already running late! Waiting on you guys (the media)! Let's go! It's already 1:03!" Again, I checked my phone...still 12:44. Of course, I wasn't going to be the one to tell the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks that we was wrong. Actually, wrong is an understatement. He was a good 20 minutes off. Thankfully, another one of the older, tenured journalists informed him that his phone, which "runs off that computer time," said it was 12:44.
     I'm still not sure if Coach Smith realized his watch was wrong, but he wanted to start the press conference ASAP. We were about to start when one of the older journalists said, "Wait! We don't have Nate!" He was referring to Nate Allen, the journalist who has covered the Hogs for many years and has even written several books about the Razorbacks. The journalist then opens up his cell phone (yes, opens up- he had a flip phone that looked like it was older than me) and calls Nate Allen. Coach Smith then takes the phone and starts messing with him. "Where are you?! We're waiting on you! You better hurry or we'll start without you! Dollar waitin' on a dime!" All of the journalists in the room were cracking up at this point and one even said, "We would have never had anything like this the last couple of years." (He was taking a shot at Bobby Petrino, who was notorious for boring press conferences).
     Finally, the press conference got underway and it went pretty smooth. I took notes and recorded everything on my phone. When Coach Smith finished up, two players were brought in to take questions. The first was star running back Knile Davis. As soon as Coach Smith saw Davis, he yelled "K-nile!" purposely pronouncing the silent "k" in his first name.
     My article about the press conference will appear in tomorrow's issue of The Arkansas Traveler (I'm pretty sure). I look forward to covering the press conferences in the future, especially with Coach Smith. He is a pretty funny guy.

TAT: Five Keys vs. Jacksonville St.

This article first appeared in the August 31, 2012 Football Edition of The Arkansas Traveler.

1. Fresh Faces

By now, most Hog fans have heard of true freshman wide receiver Mekale McKay. He will be starting tomorrow as one of the replacements for Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, who graduated and are now in the NFL. It is key for McKay, as well as Keon Hatcher, Dayvon McKinney, Will Hines and Rohan Gaines, to get acclimated to college football and gain some confidence for the rest of the season.

2. Heisman Hopefuls

Senior quarterback Tyler Wilson and junior running back Knile Davis have received a lot of hype concerning the Heisman Trophy during the offseason. When players are considered Heisman contenders, they and their coaches tend to “pad their stats” against smaller opponents, such as Jacksonville State. However, this can backfire if Wilson or Davis try to do too much, possibly resulting in costly interceptions or fumbles. These turnovers keep games close when they should really be blowouts, leading to the next key.

3. Score Early, Score Often

In recent memory, Arkansas has been notorious for allowing smaller schools to stay in the game longer than they should. Last year, a mid-third quarter interception pulled Troy within ten points of Arkansas, before a fourth quarter Joe Adams touchdown reception made the lead more comfortable. The Hogs must score early and score often, not letting their foot off the accelerator, in order to take a lead that Jacksonville State can’t overcome.

4. Stop the Run

The Gamecocks are led by junior quarterback Coty Blanchard, who played in all 11 games last year, starting nine of them. Not only did he throw for 1,703 yards, but he was also the third leading rusher on the team, with 427 yards. Jacksonville State also has senior 2011 First Team All-Conference running back Washaun Ealey, who gained 1,082 yards on 178 carries last year. Arkansas struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks last season, as well as in overall run defense (74th out of 120 teams). In order to come out on top tomorrow, the Hogs must shut down Blanchard and Ealey.

5. Avoid an Appalachian St. Repeat

Everyone remembers Appalachian State of the FCS (formerly Division IAA) upsetting then-#5 ranked Michigan in their home stadium in 2007. Arkansas isn’t immune to such upsets either, as they fell to The Citadel of the FCS in 1992, leading to the firing of Jack Crowe as Arkansas’ head coach.

Crowe, now the head coach at Jacksonville State, hopes to be on the winning side of an upset tomorrow. In order to prevent this, John L. Smith must stress that this game isn’t a “cupcake” as everyone makes it out to be. They must take it seriously and not look past the Gamecocks.

TAT: Crowe Returns as Competition

This article first appeared in the August 31, 2012 Football Edition of The Arkansas Traveler.

     Tomorrow will be a homecoming for Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe, as he was the head coach at Arkansas from 1990 through the first game of the 1992 season.

     The reason many Hog fans still remember him is because of the way he left Arkansas.

     After a 6-6 season in 1991, Arkansas left the Southwest Conference for the Southeastern Conference.

     Crowe knew the SEC was difficult, as he was the offensive coordinator at Auburn from 1982 to 1985, but neither he nor anyone else expected their first non-conference game of the season to be challenging.

     “Some people were saying (Arkansas) needed to be better, but no one felt like a coaching change was imminent,” said Rick Schaeffer, former UA sports information director.

     The Citadel was the first Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school Arkansas ever played. Many fans were “looking ahead” to the next week’s game against South Carolina, their first SEC game, and considered it a “forgone conclusion” that Arkansas would beat The Citadel, Schaeffer said.

     Instead, the Bulldogs pulled off a shocking 10-3 upset.

     “Everyone was stunned,” Schaeffer said. “About 37,000 people were there and the stadium was dead silent.”

     Besides the outcome, everything else after the game was normal. The media wrote their stories and the team shifted their focus to rebounding against South Carolina.

     The following day, plans that would lead to the temporary downfall of Crowe were set in motion. Crowe held his weekly Sunday press conference, then went straight to Athletic Director Frank Broyles’ office, where he was informed he had been fired.

     “The media was still upstairs, but no one knew what was going on,” Schaeffer said.

     An hour after Crowe held his press conference, another one was held to introduce defensive coordinator Joe Kines as the interim head coach.

     Crowe went on to be the offensive coordinator at Baylor for three years, before dropping out of coaching and going into private business in Birmingham, Ala.

     “He was doing well from what I was told,” Schaeffer said. “He was a brilliant guy. He had a major in chemistry and was pre-med.”

     However, in 2000, Jacksonville State approached him about becoming their next head coach and he took the job.

     In 2010, he was on the winning side of a similar upset, as he led the Gamecocks to a double overtime 49-48 victory over Ole Miss. Ironically, the Rebels were coached by former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt.

     Nutt was also a “rising young assistant coach” on Crowe’s 1992 Arkansas coaching staff, Schaeffer said.

     Tomorrow, Schaeffer expects Crowe to use the Ole Miss upset as an example of “It can be done, a David and Goliath story.” Likewise, Arkansas head coach John L. Smith will use it as an example.

     “He can tell them that this team beat Ole Miss two years ago, so don’t go out and lay an egg,” Schaeffer said.

     No matter the outcome, Schaeffer believes it will be a “great homecoming” for Crowe.

     “He’s a great guy and I’m happy for him. I’m expecting a nice ovation from Hog fans, but it ends there. Arkansas still wants to win the game,” Schaeffer said.