But he is hesitant — at least publicly — to address specific items in the Arkansas record book.

Still, Petrino didn’t hide the fact last August that he wanted an Arkansas quarterback to break Kevin Scanlon‘s passing record for completion percentage. The 66.2 percent completion mark, set in Scanlon’s senior season in 1979, has yet to be broken.

Is Ryan Mallett poised to break a 31-year-old record? (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE)

Ryan Mallett wasn’t close to setting the record in his first season. He set or tied 16 school records and threw for 3,624 yards, but completed just 55.8 percent of his passes. He struggled mightily on the road, where he completed just 39.3 percent of his pass attempts in four losses.

More than a year after Petrino issued a challenge to his quarterbacks to break Scanlon’s record, Mallett may finally be on track to make some noise and hit, perhaps, the most coveted record in the quarterback record books.

“I think I’ve been a lot more accurate,” Mallett said Thursday, the 18th day of preseason camp. “We keep a tally in the quarterback room every day and my numbers really haven’t been up and down, they’ve been consistent and gone up each day. That’s really what I’ve been working on — my completion percentage.”

Petrino says he hasn’t broached the subject this preseason in the meeting room. Maybe, though, the coach doesn’t have to flip through Arkansas’ media guide to get a point across to Mallett, a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate on many lists.

“I think it’s an understood statement that we want to do that every year,” Mallett said. “We want to set a new level of achievement every year, and that’s what we’re trying to do. That’s why we keep the completion percentage chart in the quarterback room.”

Mallett has struggled at times this preseason, but he has been unstoppable in stretches. He completed seven consecutive passes during a scoring drive in one practice in the middle of camp, and he connected on 31 of 39 passes for 483 yards and 5 touchdowns in a scrimmage against the second- and third-team defenses last week.

“He’s doing a good job,” Petrino said. “When I go in the quarterbacks’ meeting room every day, that’s the first thing I look at, is how many completions from the previous practice, what the percentage is.”

Petrino revealed after a practice earlier this month that Mallett had completed 79 percent of his passes, a noticeable and impressive jump even if there have been a few hiccups here and there.

Receivers have dropped their fair share of catchable balls this preseason, but Mallett has managed the offense well by finding open men in the middle of the field. The most noticeable improvement is the rekindled connection between the junior gunslinger and the reliable D.J. Williams at tight end.

Mallett often looked deep and forced throws on the road. At home, he looked relaxed and masterful with the offense. The junior completed 68.3 percent of his passes in those seven games, which included 21 of his school-record 30 touchdowns.
Mallett, criticized for overlooking a wide-open Williams in the middle of the field last season, has learned from his mistakes. During his blistering scoring drive that included seven consecutive pass completions in one practice earlier this month, Mallett found Williams on four of those attempts.

Mallett opened eyes with his scrimmage last week, which was open to the media. Arkansas closed its practices after the evening scrimmage, which was followed by some much-needed downtime for the players after an early morning practice Saturday.

“When I go in the quarterbacks’ meeting room every day, that’s the first thing I look at, is how many completions from the previous practice, what the percentage is.”
- Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino

Practices have been closed to the media and fans since Saturday. A few short weeks ago the concentration was on Mallett’s surgically-repaired left foot, which had kept the quarterback hobbled for the better part of five months.

He hasn’t hesitated stepping into throws and looks comfortable on the move. He looks so comfortable, in fact, that it’s been more than two weeks since a member of the media has asked the Texarkana, Texas native about his foot.

“I haven’t had any problems, been able to go full speed and I couldn’t be happier with it,” Mallett said Thursday. “It’s come along just like we thought.”

With practice closed and Mallett’s foot completely healed, there are some simple questions remaining to be asked.

How has Mallett stacked up since his eye-opening scrimmage more than a week ago?

“We still have a ways to go,” Petrino said. “I thought we took a huge step last Thursday, when we gave them a break and they had time to get their legs back underneath them. Our timing really showed up. This week it’s been better, with not as much work, with the rest over the weekend. Our timing continues to improve.”

And the numbers, Mallett said, keep rising on the completion percentage chart in the quarterbacks’ meeting room.

Apparently those numbers are dangerously close to Scanlon’s passing marks from 31 years ago.

“If we continue to the game, I think we might break that with ease,” Mallett said.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

It’s already been a busy Saturday on and off the field. The Hogs got in a two-hour practice filled with some big offensive plays and, while the offense was drawing applause from a few hundred fans in the stands early this morning, they also entered The Associated Press preseason poll at 17th.

By the way, if you’re out at fan day, share your photos and stories on Twitter (@bmarcello) and in the comments below.

For now, here are some observations from the final practice open to the media:

— Ryan Mallett was criticized last season for overlooking tight end D.J. Williams. Was there a rift between the two stars? Was Mallett too anxious to throw the ball deep, forcing throws that ended in some interceptions and plenty of incompletions?

At least in practices and scrimmage this preseason, Mallett has cut back on those bad decisions and found his security blanket in the middle of the field. The record-setting Razorback has thrown to Williams early and often in simulated situations, and it continued today in practice when he tossed a touchdown to Williams near the goal line. Backup quarterback Tyler Wilson also tossed a touchdown to Williams and holder Austin Tucker nearly threw a third touchdown on a fake field goal late in practice.

— Several hundred fans were in the bleachers at Razorback Stadium to watch the practice before the start of Fan Day fesitivities. There were several cheers, but the loudest came on a one-handed grab near the sideline by freshman tight end Garrett Uekman in the newcomers’ section of practice.

Other big plays includeda great loft pass from Mallett to Joe Adams in the end zone for a touchdown and a catch on a go route by Jarius Wright. Mallett and the offense was backed into its own end zone and Wright streaked past cornerback Isaac Madison for the beautiful catch. But there was a problem with the play.

Wright relaxed after the catch, slowed his stride and Madison slapped the ball out of Madison’s clutch and to the ground. The ball was quickly recovered by safety Tramain Thomas.

— Arkansas worked on onside kicks and its hands team.

Who is on the hands team right now?

Running backs Broderick Green, Ronnie Wingo and Dennis Johnson; tight ends D.J. Williams, Chris Gragg, Ben Cleveland and Austin Tate; receivers Greg Childs, Julian Horton, Jarius Wright and Cobi Hamilton.

Johnson was not at the line for the kicks. Hamilton, Williams and Gragg fit the bill when working with the hands team and were the most impressive on kicks.

— Anthony Leon seems to be catching on at linebacker. He had two pass breakups in drills today, including one which bounced off his hands and into the grasp of defensive end Tenarius Wright. Leon moved from free safety to outside linebacker Monday.

Backup quarterbacks Brandon Mitchell and Brian Beuhner each threw interceptions.

— Zach Hocker may be Arkansas’ only option for long field goal attempts late in games.

Hocker joined the competition at placekicker earlier this week, but has mainly kicked from 30 yards and further. He has the strongest leg of the kickers, but wasn’t as sharp Saturday as he has been in the past. The freshman from Russellville was 2 of 6 on kicks and missed both attempts from 50 yards, including one that bounced off the right goal post.

He connected on a 34- and 44-yarder.

Alex Tejada was 5 of 7 on kick attempts and his longest conversion was a 42-yard kick from the left hash mark. Freshman Eddie Camara was 3 of 3 with a long of 44 yards.

ON TAP

Arkansas will have a two-day break from the practice field, which will include the first day of classes at Arkansas on Monday. The Hogs will hit the field again Tuesday afternoon.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

In fact, after today, the only open practice/scrimmage remaining on the docket will be Saturday at 9 a.m. Arkansas is scheduled to scrimmage Thursday at 7 p.m., but it will be closed to the public.

The Razorbacks also threw a curveball to the media this morning. Veterans will get the afternoon off and only the newcomers will practice at 4 p.m. to wrap up two-a-days on campus. Also, Coach Bobby Petrino spoke to the media this evening instead of special teams coach John L. Smith. He, of course, addressed “Hatgate.” His response can be viewed by clicking here.

Here are some updated notables from practice today:

— Linebacker Freddy Burton may be a senior, but that doesn’t save him from having to practice with the newcomers.

Burton drew the short straw, apparently, and had to practice twice today. The veterans practiced this morning and the newcomers, plus Burton, practiced this afternoon.

Petrino wanted to give Burton more reps after a lackluster practice by the third-year letterman Tuesday.

“I thought he came out this morning, did a nice job, was very focused,” Petrino said. “… We just need to get him some more reps today.”

— Freshman Zach Hocker hit 7 of 12 field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder from the middle of the field to end practice.

Hocker had six opportunities from 49 yards or more, and hit just 2 of 6 attempts. He hit his first 49-yard attempt. Hocker joined the placekicking competition Monday and hasn’t been pushing too hard for the starting job, but did impress with his leg.

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino gave Hocker a couple extra opportunities to kick from 50 yards out, which excited the team. The Razorbacks moved in close, lined Hocker’s periphery and began singing the “Ole” chant heard at international soccer events.

He knocked a 51-yard attempt off the left upright but bounced back on the next kick to nail the 51-yarder.

Alex Tejada was 4 of 5 on attempts. His lone miss was a 26-yarder and his longest conversion was 34 yards. Eddie Camara was the most consistent and was a perfect 4 of 4 with a long of 43 yards.

Still, no one has the edge in the kicking competition, Petrino said.

“I do like what I’ve seen, though,” Petrino said. “I think we’re much better. … The competition has been good for everybody. It’s going to come down to consistency and who can do it on a consistent basis. There’s been flashes of good here, flashes of good there.”

The kickers’ legs may be getting tired, though, and Petrino plans to allow the trio to rest their legs after the scrimmage Thursday.

— Senior defensive tackle Patrick Jones was not at practice in the morning session. Safety Rudell Crim, who has slowly worked his way back after an injury Saturday, was back with the first-teamers at safety today. Anthony Leon, who moved from safety after the scrimmage Saturday, worked with the starters at a linebacker spot. Linebacker Jermaine Love was also back on with the first-team defense.

D.D. Jones and freshman Byran Jones worked first team at the defensive tackle spots.

— The punt returners had their best day of the preseason camp. Joe Adams, Marquel Wade, Jarius Wright and Eric Bennett did not fumble any returns. Wade, in my eyes, is making strides to take the job.

Wade told me after practice this evening he still has trouble “looking the ball in,” but feels he’s done a better job in recent practices of maintaining possession and making the right moves after the catch.

Dylan Breeding, whose punts have been impressive this week, appears to be ahead of Hocker at punter. We get to chat with special teams coach John L. Smith this evening, so I’ll make sure to get his take on the competition.

— Not a lot in the way of miscues from the offense today, but there were some gaffes.

Ryan Mallett overthrew a couple of open receivers in the middle of the field, but did well connecting with tight end D.J. Williams again. Wade fell to the ground on a route, allowing Ramon Broadway to come up with an easy interception off a Mallett pass.

Travis Swanson botched a snap on the goal line to Mallett, drawing criticism and the end to the potential scoring drive.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

A couple of lackluster practices have been sprinkled throughout Arkansas’ camp, and none were perhaps worse than the scene inside Razorback Stadium on Morning morning. The Hogs bounced back for a crisp practice in the afternoon and again Tuesday.

Coaches were very vocal and Arkansas’ offense rallied around their cries Tuesday. The offense, while still struggling at times, began to hit that familiar stride from last season. The running game looked good in team work. Knile Davis, fighting a tender hamstring, broke off a couple of long runs and Dennis Johnson (who bolted for a 30-yard gain and carried a couple of tacklers with him near the end of the run) was also impressive.

Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson made mistakes but were also crisp throwing the ball. Wilson was especially impressive in hooking up with Cobi Hamilton on back-to-back throws, including a deep toss for a gain of more than 40 yards over his shoulder.

Mallett did struggle late, throwing two interceptions that were picked by Elton Ford and Ramon Broadway, but was good in short-yardage throws and also found Joe Adams on a nice loft pass deep down the field.

Overall, the offense looked better after a tough Monday morning and a much-needed rebound in practice Monday afternoon.

NOTABLES

— Tyler Wilson had a good day, in my eyes. The quarterback was surgical with some of his throws during team periods and really found a great hook-up in sophomore receiver Cobi Hamilton.

— Rudell Crim was at practice but was limited in what he could do and Elton Ford remained at first team at Crim’s safety spot. Crim sustained an unknown injury in the Saturday practice and returned to practice Monday afternoon.

Anthony Leon, who moved from safety to linebacker, stayed at outside linebacker for the second day in a row with the backups. Ryan Powers also moved up to get some first-team work at linebacker, just as he did Monday.

— Linebacker spots may seem more like a game of musical chairs at practice, but Arkansas’ staff is looking to find some consistent parts in a unit lacking depth.

Jerry Franklin is a mainstay, obviously, and Freddy Burton figures to be a key cog in the middle. But what about a guy like Matt Marshall at Sam linebacker?

“We feel like he’s really worked hard,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “He’s brought a toughness about his work ethic, and it seems like now all of a sudden he finds his stuff, and the first or second group, his mindset’s a lot different.  He’s not as aloof, I guess would be the word. He’s more focused and he seems to be working well there.”

Coaches also like the move of Leon to linebacker, as do the players.

“I think he’s definitely going to give us some help,” cornerback Ramon Broadway said. “Juice is a hitter.”

— A lot has been said about the apparent improvement of Arkansas’ defense, especially the secondary.

Upon further film review, Arkansas’ first-team defense was, as first suspected, pretty good Saturday in the team’s first scrimmage of the preseason.

“We’ve got to start faster, but it felt like our ones took control in the second half,” Robinson said. “We just have to continue to learn how to start faster in the first half.”

The second-team defense was a different story though. “They just came out very lethargic and didn’t perform up to the expectations that we are looking for,” Robinson said. “We were kind of disappointed in that group.”

Broadway, Arkansas’ most vocal player on defense, was asked about the aggressiveness of the defense since the scrimmage.

“We were OK,” the cornerback said. “There’s a lot more work we’ve got to do. We’ve got to run to the ball a lot better. We’re in the chase of that turnover margin that we had (last season). We’re trying to boost that up and step that all the way. The only way we can do that is run to the ball a lot better than what we’re doing.”

PLAYER/PLAY OF THE DAY

WR COBI HAMILTON

Hamilton was busting his hump on routes and came down with the best catch of the day on a route near the sideline. The pass resulted in a gain of more than 40 yards, which immediately followed a nice catch near the sideline when he managed to stay in bounds.

QUOTE ME

“This was the first summer that I didn’t miss a sprint time, and that was real big because I came in kind of heavy. Now I can run, I can keep up the pace of the game, I can play more than first and second down.”
— Defensive tackle Alfred Davis, who has impressed coaches with his newfound, resurgent stamina and play-making ability stopping the run.

ON TAP

Two-a-days conclude Tuesday with practices scheduled for 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. It’s the second-to-last day practices will be open to the public. Saturday will be the final day open to the public with practice scheduled for 9 a.m.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

The execution just wasn’t there after the first day off in preseason camp. Passes were overthrown and underthrown by the quarterbacks and balls were dropped by the receivers. The running backs could not hold onto the ball, which resulted in several fumbles.

Simply put, it was ugly for the offense.

“These are the dog days of two-a-days,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “This is when you go through the grind, where you’ve got to physically and mentally fight yourself. That’s what we’re going through right now. But we’re tough enough. We’ll get out of it.”

Arkansas did manage to bounce back in the afternoon session. There were still some dropped balls but the execution was crisp and the leadership on the field helped pull the Razorbacks out of the “dog days” for a short practice to cap the day.

“These are the dog days of two-a-days. This is when you go through the grind, where you’ve got to physically and mentally fight yourself. That’s what we’re going through right now. But we’re tough enough. We’ll get out of it.”
- Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee

“I don’t think our attitude was where it needed to be,” tight end and team captain D.J. Williams said of the morning practice. “I wouldn’t say we were dreading practice, but we weren’t focused on getting better. That’s something we need to get out of the system quick.”

Eleven passes were either dropped, broken up or intercepted in the second half of the morning practice. Not included were the badly-placed passes by Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson.

Players came out flat and the energy just wasn’t there, Williams said, and others were visibly upset with the dropped passes and mental gaffes.

Junior receiver Jarius Wright said leaders like offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and Mallett talked to the team between practices today. The result was a lively practice in the afternoon.

The execution also improved and provided some much-needed confidence for an offense that has failed to click on all cylinders consistently in preseason camp.

Even in the 184-play scrimmage Saturday the Hogs’ offense was routinely halted by the first-team defense. Film review showed a problem with technique and execution, Williams surmised.

Mallett started out well in the scrimmage. He led the Hogs on a field goal and touchdown drive, but not much else as he finished the day completing 24 of 43 passes for 274 yards and one touchdown. McGee believed Mallett “started pressing” to make big plays in the second half to “get us out of the rut.”

“I do know early he missed some checks because he was excited,” McGee explained.

The good news? Mallett still has some time to work through the kinks and the “dog days.”

“He’s on the right path to come out here a few weeks from now and have a good performance,” McGee said.

NOTABLES

— Linebacker Jerry Franklin was not at Arkansas’ two practices Monday and linebacker Jermaine Love worked the majority of the morning and afternoon on the sideline in conditioning drills. Safety Rudell Crim, who was injured in the Hogs’ scrimmage Saturday, missed the morning practice but returned in the afternoon to work through conditioning drills on the sideline with a trainer. Cornerback Andru Stewart, who has had a great camp so far, missed the morning practice was back on the field in the afternoon.

— Ross Rasner and Tramain Thomas had interceptions, and Darius Winston and Anthony Leon (now at linebacker) dropped interception opportunities in the morning practice.

— Leon, who lined up at safety all preseason, moved to linebacker in the morning practice. It was a move to help combat the Hogs’ battle with depth at linebacker and the loss of Franklin and Love from the practice field Monday.

Linebackers Freddy Burton and Ryan Powers worked some snaps with the first-team defense as well.

— Dylan Breeding continues to be the most consistent punter at practice. The sophomore boomed a 54-yard punt in the afternoon practice.

— After 10 days of practices and one scrimmage, freshman Zach Hocker joined the competition at placekicker.

Hocker, whose kicks were high and arcing, connected on 6 of 10 kick attempt. His longest a 44-yarder from the right hash mark.

Overall, the kickers (and snapper) struggled.

Eddie Camara hit a few snags and connected on 4 of 7 kicks. One of his misses was partially blocked by Elton Ford. His longest conversion was from 44 yards on the right hash mark.

Alex Tejada had the strongest day and connected on 5 of 6 attempts, but that did not include a high snap over the head of holder Austin Tucker. His longest conversion was only 40 yards.

— Running back Knile Davis, who tweaked his hamstring after one carry in the scrimmage Saturday, was back at practice. He committed two fumbles — one apiece in the morning and afternoon practices — on handoffs in the Shot formation.

— Monday marked the 21st birthday of backup quarterback Tyler Wilson. What will he do on his big day?

“He’ll probably get lost somewhere tonight,” tight end D.J. Williams joked. “I think he’s going to Vegas or something like that. Him and Coach Petrino are flying out after practice …. That’s off the wall, obviously. Hopefully nobody will believe that.”

Wilson doesn’t have time for much in the way of a birthday celebration. After all, he’s got to be back on the practice field in the morning and there’s that competition for the backup duties at quarterback with Brandon Mitchell.

Or is it really a competition? Could both see the field this season?

“We don’t spend a lot of time in our meeting room talking about the competition between the two,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “We talk about those two guys getting better and better, and getting in position to get in the game and help us.”

— Want to know more about the miscues and big defensive plays of the morning? Here are my notes from Arkansas’ 11-on-11 and pass skeleton drills in the latter half of the morning practice.

INTERCEPTIONS
Ross Rasner, Tramain Thomas

PASS BREAKUPS
Jerico Nelson, Darius Winston (nearly intercepted), Anthony Leon (nearly intercepted) and Bret Harris

FUMBLES
Tyler Wilson, Knile Davis, Broderick Green

DROPPED PASSES
Ronald Watkins, De’Anthony Curtis, Lance Ray, Van Stumon, Marquel Wade and Jarius Wright

PLAYERS OF THE DAY

Arkansas’ team captains

Let’s give a much-deserved tip of the hat to Arkansas’ team captains led by Ryan Mallett and DeMarcus Love, who rallied the troops after a disappointing morning practice. On a day that could have quickly turned south, the Razorbacks showed some maturity in the afternoon and responded well to a challenge from the coaching staff.

QUOTE ME

“The day off was great. The only bad part was we had until noon to sleep in, and I still woke up at 6 o’clock staring at my wall.”

— Tight end D.J. Williams on Arkansas’ day off from the practice field Sunday.

ON TAP

Arkansas is scheduled to hit the field Tuesday for one practice at 9 a.m.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

On to the notes and observations in Day 10 of the Razor Review.

— Defensive tackle Alfred Davis continues to impress. The run-stopper had two tackles for losses early in the scrimmage and was in on many tackles.

“Alfred has had a very good camp,” Petrino said. “First of all, it started with his summer. He got himself in much better shape. He can run and play full speed now, and stay in there and play a number of reps.”

— Tailback Knile Davis got the start with the first-team offense, but didn’t last long in the scrimmage. Davis carried the ball once for a 6-yard gain and was held out after straining his hamstring.

Davis tweaked the hamstring in practice Friday.

Starting safety Rudell Crim also left the field early during the scrimmage.

— Would defensive end Jake Bequette be a good option at defensive back?

Well, surely not, but the 271-pound junior fit the role well in a busted coverage. Bequette broke on a pass play near the goal line late in the scrimmage, dove to the ground and knocked the ball away from fullback Van Stumon on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

“I’m not talented enough to play defensive back. But on those zone blitzes and coverages, I’ve got to get better,” Bequette said.

— Someone finally got a leg up in the competition at kicker Saturday.

Alex Tejada was a perfect 3 for 3 on field goals. His longest was a 42-yarder. Eddie Camara struggled, missing two of his four attempts. The freshman did hit a 48-yard field goal, however.

Petrino says the battle there is still a tight competition.

— The first-team defense was impressive. They forced fumbles, broke up passes and also had a coverage sack or two.

Holding Ryan Mallett‘s offense to just one touchdown is a good sign, but what is it about this defense that’s making them better?

For one, experience and a few breaks here and there.

“Our defense is doing a much better job of disguising,” Petrino said. “You can see their experience”

The defense was also helped by several drops by the receivers. Mallett had “two bad decisions” during the scrimmage, including a pass protection non-call.

“That’s going to happen,” though, Petrino said.

— A word to the wise: Don’t wear Florida gear at an Arkansas press conference.

Petrino didn’t appreciate the fashion choice of  a local radio personality who wore a Florida Gators hat to the coach’s post-scrimmage press conference.

The coach answered the radio host’s question like every other question but added a caveat: “That will be the last question I answer with that hat on.”

PLAY OF THE DAY

De’Anthony Curtis‘ 67-yard touchdown catch from Tyler Wilson was impressive on its own. After all, he was being pegged near the sideline and managed to force a tackling whiff by safety Anthony Leon as he juked his way to the end zone.

But it’s what set up the scoring play that caught our ears.

“Right before I took off, I saw (outside linebacker) Ross Rasner,” Curtis said. “He was throwing up.”

Really?

“Yeah,” Curtis responded. “When I took off, he was standing right there throwing up, so I didn’t have anybody to jam me up. I didn’t see Juice (Anthony Leon). He wasn’t paying attention, so I just broke my route off and ran off and Tyler hit it.”

PLAYER OF THE DAY

QB Tyler Wilson

There is not a quarterback controversy at Arkansas, but Tyler Wilson‘s work with the second team offense had to give the redshirt sophomore some breathing room in the competition for the backup spot.

Wilson completed 16 of 22 passes for 268 yards and five touchdowns against the second-team defense. He completed his first nine passes of the scrimmage.

QUOTE ME

“As far as improvement goes, we’re miles ahead of where we were even in the spring. You turn the film on and we’re a different team. We’re flying to the football. I think anybody who watched the scrimmage, who watches practice, can tell our defensive backs have improved an incredible amount. ”

— Defensive end Jake Bequette

ON TAP

Arkansas returns to the field Monday for two practices at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

RELATED

Defense rebounds, holds Mallett’s offense at bay in scrimmage

Day 10 scrimmage statistics (unofficial)

Raw Video: Petrino post-scrimmage

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

Below are statistics I tabulated during and after the scrimmage that lasted 2 hours, 22 minutes. Again, these are unofficial. I’ll have more thoughts, observations, notes and quotes later this afternoon on the blog.

PASSING
Ryan Mallett — 24 of 43, 274 yards, 1 TD
Tyler Wilson — 16 of 22, 268 yards, 5 TDs
Brandon Mitchell — 13 of 19, 140 yards, 2 TDs
Brian Beuhner — 4 of 9, 28 yards, 1 INT

RUSHING
Ronnie Wingo — 12 for 79 yards
Broderick Green — 27 for 78 yards
Dennis Johnson — 11 for 76 yards, 4 TDs*
Jatashun Beachum — 4 for 19 yards
Knile Davis — 1 for 6 yards
Brandon Mitchell — 4 for 5 yards
Van Stumon — 2 for 4 yards
Ronald Watkins — 3 for 2 yards
Ryan Mallett — 1 for minus-5 yards
Tyler Wilson — 2 for minus-6 yards

RECEIVING
Cobi Hamilton — 5 for 102 yards, 2 TDs
De’Anthony Curtis — 3 for 89 yards, 1 TD
D.J. Williams — 8 for 86 yards
Maudrecus Humphrey — 6 for 77 yards, 1 TD
Greg Childs — 3 for 67 yards
Jarius Wright — 7 for 65 yards, 1 TD
Javontee Herndon — 4 for 48 yards, 1 TD
Joe Adams — 3 for 36 yards
Marquel Wade — 4 for 34 yards
Julian Horton — 2 for 30 yards, 1 TD
Broderick Green — 1 for 19 yards, 1 TD
Austin Tate — 1 for 15 yards
Chris Gragg — 3 for 14 yards
Garrett Uekman — 1 for 13 yards
Lance Ray — 1 for 6 yards
Van Stumon — 2 for 4 yards
Brad Hefley — 1 for 4 yards
Jatashun Beachum — 1 for 4 yards
Ben Cleveland — 1 for 3 yards

KICKING
Alex Tejada — 3 for 3 on field goals (25, 42, 41 yards)
Eddie Camara — 2 for 4 on field goals (48, 42 yards)

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
DE Jake Bequette —  Two forced fumbles, fumble recovery (touchdown) and one pass breakup
DT Alfred Davis — Two tackles for loss
CB Darrell Smith — One interception

*All four touchdowns were in goal-line simulations and were not part of touchdown drives.

The first-year Arkansas assistant has a noticeable white spot on his upper lip, which has obviously not been graced by the sun’s rays in recent years. The thick, dark mustache peppered with white was a trademark of the longtime Tennessee assistant. But the mustache is no more.

1978-2010: Steve Caldwell's mustache, pictured here in April, is no more.

The Razorbacks’ defensive ends coach allowed razor to meet skin Wednesday. It’s the first time Caldwell has been sans mustache since 1978.

“I just decided to shave it off and start all over again,” Caldwell said. “A new beginning.”

The noticeable change in grooming habits is reminiscent of one pulled off by defensive coordinator Willy Robinson during his first summer at Arkansas in 2008. Robinson felt he wasn’t blending in with the younger staff, which had cropped hairstyles and, for the most part, no facial hair.

“I just decided to shave it off and start all over again. A new beginning.”
— Defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell

“I didn’t fit in with my mustache,” Robinson said in August of 2008. “I miss my mustache but I didn’t have the look.”

Robinson, who also buzzed the hair on his head at the time to “stay one step ahead of the posse,” grew the mustache and wild locks back to his traditional look by the next summer.

We’ll keep an eye on Caldwell’s upper lip as the season progresses.

Now on to the important stuff:

NOTABLES

Bouncing back: Ryan Mallett didn’t have his best day Thursday. He fumbled away a touchdown, overthrew receivers and made some bad checks at the line of scrimmage. But the record-setting quarterback bounced back in team drills Friday during 11-on-11 work in practice.

What resulted was Mallett’s sharpest period of team work in practice of the preseason. His first pass meant for receiver Jarius Wright fell incomplete, but he proceeded to complete his next seven passes (four to tight end D.J. Williams) on the touchdown drive. The fade route to Joe Adams was well covered by safety Tramain Thomas, but Mallett’s throw had a beautiful arc ending just over Adams’ shoulder for the touchdown of roughly 30 yards.

Mallett, who completed 7 of 8 passes on the drive, celebrated by throwing his hands in the air. It was a sight that hadn’t been seen much during the last three days of camp.

Tyler Wilson, who struggled Thursday, also bounced back by completing 5 of 6 passes in the last period of 11-on-11 work.

Back to work: Offensive linemen Ray Dominguez and Grant Cook were back on the field after missing an afternoon practice Thursday. Dominguez did not work with the first-teamers at tackle in 11-on-11 drills. Grant Freeman was in his place most of the day.

Defensive end Tenarius Wright, who did not practice Thursday, was not at practice Friday because of back spasms. He may return Saturday for the Hogs’ first scrimmage of the preseason.

Offensive tackle Anthony Oden, who has battled the heat and has been pulled out of practice several times, left practice early before re-joining the team near the end of drills. Oden joined the newcomers for extra work after practice.

Freshman defensive lineman LaCraig Brown was not at practice today and has been removed from Arkansas’ 105-man roster, as I reported this morning.

Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson would not comment on Brown’s whereabouts and neither would a team spokesman. The Monroe, La., native is also not listed in Arkansas’ student directory.

“I’m not going there,” Robinson said. “I’m going back to that thing. I’m in my lane.”

Arkansas’ punters have struggled to boom kicks, but walkon Westin Cox managed to drill one late in practice.

Dennis Johnson fumbled in punt return drills and Maudrecus Humphrey fumbled a ball of his chest in kickoff return. Zach Hocker and Alex Tejada each had deep kicks into the end zone on kickoff.

Elton Ford picked off quarterback Brandon Mitchell, cornerback Andru Stewart continued to impress with a pass breakup and tight end D.J. Williams had his first dropped pass (from what I’ve seen) in camp.

“It’s a great feeling catching a tip ball,” Ford said.

PLAY OF THE DAY

The aforementioned touchdown catch by Joe Adams was the best pass and catch of the day and stands to be one of the best of camp. Adams, known more as a streaky runner who catches most of his balls in the middle of the field and uses his hips to gain yards after the catch, showed off his rarely used vertical speed to come underneath Ryan Mallett‘s touchdown toss.

PLAYER OF THE DAY

QB Ryan Mallett

His seven consecutive pass completions was his best stretch of the preseason camp. Make no mistake, the quarterback who was criticized last season for looking over tight end D.J. Williams on plays, was aware of the junior Friday. Mallett found Williams four times during the touchdown drive when deep routes were covered, and took advantage of a mismatch to end the drive with a touchdown toss to Adams.

QUOTE ME

“The thing that’s really impressive for a 323-pound man that he is, is he can sustain. It’s not like last year or the year before, where it was two plays, tap the hat and get me out of here, I need oxygen. This cat can sustain this now.”

— Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson on defensive tackle Alfred Davis, who has impressed coaches in camp stopping the run.

ON TAP

Arkansas has scheduled a 9 a.m. to start its first scrimmage of preseason camp Saturday. The Razorbacks have moved practice up to 8:30 a.m. or before all week, so expect an early start Saturday.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

Garrick McGee likes what he’s seeing from Ryan Mallett in his preparation in the film room and the amount of time he spends studying his playbook.

But there was something holding Mallett back from performing at a high level Thursday in both of the Razorbacks’ two-a-day practices.

Ryan Mallett has been making some "elementary" mistakes in practice, says offensive coordinator Garrick McGee. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE)

“He’s still making some mistakes that he shouldn’t make,” McGee said. “He made a couple of mistakes this morning that were really elementary mistakes for him.”

Arkansas’ gunslinger overthrew receivers, made the wrong checks, forced a few throws and — worst of all — fumbled a snap on third-and-goal in a simulated overtime period near the end of the second practice.

It was third down at the 4-yard line and Arkansas’ first-team offense was attempting to defeat the backups, who missed a 41-yard field goal during the previous possession. Mallett was under center and the snap from Seth Oxner was muffed. The quarterback was forced to dive to the ground to maintain possession.

“He’s still making some mistakes that he shouldn’t make. He made a couple of mistakes this morning that were really elementary mistakes for him.”
— Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee on quarterback Ryan Mallett

“I told Ryan, ‘now (Alex) Tejada’s got to come out here and bail you out,’” McGee said. “… I was not impressed with that at all.”

Luckily for Mallett, Tejada did just that with a 22-yard field goal in an overtime offensive tackle DeMarcus Love compared to the Razorbacks’ 33-30 loss to LSU last season.

“It’s kind of helpful to have those overtime periods,” Love said. “Games come down to overtime all the time. You’ve really got to be on it.”

Mallett was mostly sharp in the afternoon session. It was an improvement from his morning session, when he completed 5 of 9 passes and nearly tossed an interception in the final section of team drills. He fired back by completing nine of his first 11 pass attempts in team drills at the start of the afternoon session, and was 5-of-7 passing in a 2-minute drill that ended with a 35-yard field goal by Tejada.

“I think Ryan is pushing,” McGee said. “I know he’s hungry, he’s really studying. Mentally, he’s really into it.”

Backups Tyler Wilson and Brandon Mitchell struggled in the morning session. Mallett’s backups both threw interceptions on their first pass attempts in the morning session’s team drills late in practice. Wilson finished a paltry 1-of-4 passing with an interception during that stretch, while Mitchell bounced back from his early miscue to complete 5 of 6 passes with pick.

The quarterbacks competing for the backup job both threw interceptions on their first pass attempt in the drills. Wilson finished a paltry 1-of-4 passing with an interception. Mitchell bounced back to complete 5 of 6 passes after the pick in the morning.

“We’ve got to get Tyler and Brandon caught up in executing our passing game, understanding the checks they’re supposed to make,” McGee said.

Wilson’s unit was the lone offense to score a touchdown in the 2-minute offense in the afternoon, completing a 30-yard strike to tight end Chris Gragg that split safeties Tramain Thomas and Rudell Crim.

NOTABLES

Arkansas’ kickers had their worst day of preseason camp Thursday morning inside Razorback Stadium.

Alex Tejada and Eddie Camara combined to hit just 9 of 17 attempts and only two kicks were made outside 40 yards.

Tejada was 4 of 9 on kicks, and had a very wide miss to the right on a 37-yard attempt from the right hash mark. It was reminiscent of his misses in the 2008 Cotton Bowl.

Camara wasn’t much better, connecting on 5 of 8 kicks. His longest was a 41-yarder and he missed two kicks from 32 and 41 yards wide. He also boinked a 40-yard attempt off the left goal post.

Tejada missed from 37, 39, 43 and 44 yards and his longest conversion was a 41-yarder. Camara connected from 26, 30, 34, 35 and 41 yards.

Camara missed a 41-yard field goal attempt in the afternoon practice’s overtime period.

Neither kicker has an advantage, it seems, even though today seemed to be a prime one for Tejada or Camara to take a step in front of the other. Misses and makes must be contagious between the two.

Smith vs. Smith: Special teams coach John L. Smith was knocked to the ground during kickoff drills in the afternoon. Freshman defensive end Chris Smith was in the area of the fall. John L. Smith jumped back up, but nearly forgot his hat, which had been knocked off his head.

Noticeably absent: I didn’t see offensive linemen Ray Dominguez or Grant Cook at the afternoon practice. Defensive end Tenarius Wright, who worked to the side in the morning session, dressed out but did not wear pads or take part in afternoon drills. I also did not see freshman defensive end LaCraig Brown on the field in either session. Defensive tackle D.D. Jones did not take part in the majority of the afternoon practice. The holes on the defensive line gave freshman defensive end Chris Smith the opportunity to work with the first team on some snaps, while Patrick Jones and Alfred Davis handled the tackle spots with the first team.

Arkansas had an OK day at punt return, but Joe Adams and Eric Bennett both fumbled punts. Bobby Petrino had a hands-on approach with the group of five and sounded pleased with several returns and Jerico Nelson‘s coverage on a punt to the right sideline as he sealed Adams to the boundary for a minimal gain.Going into the day I would have said Bennett had the edge, but his fumble was not a good sign.

The first play of the morning practice wasn’t a good start for the Hogs. Greg Childs dropped a pass up field, which was then recovered by safety Tramain Thomas.

Childs dropped a pass earlier in receiver drills and also committed another drop in 11-on-11 work late in practice.

The secondary had another good morning picking off passes. Two were easy picks, with Isaac Madison stepping underneath a high, but short, toss by Ryan Mallett and Anthony Leon came up with his first pick of the camp by running underneath a loft pass from Tyler Wilson.

Cornerback Andru Stewart was impressive again, intercepting a Brandon Mitchell pass late in team drills. That brings him to four interceptions in the last six days.

Thomas dropped an interception opportunity and freshman defensive end Chris Smith broke on the right side in front of Mallett late in practice, tipping the ball with his outstretched hand toward the sideline. Smith nearly picked off the pass for what could have resulted in a touchdown.

Smith has been impressive in practice in back-to-back days. He recovered two fumbles Wednesday, and his touchdown opportunity Thursday would have been his second defensive touchdown in as many days.

Present: Receiver Joe Adams, offensive tackle Anthony Oden and offensive guard Zhamal Thomas were back on the practice field after missing yesterday.

PLAY OF THE DAY

While Arkansas’ quarterbacks were rusty at times, it should be noted that all three have made some beautiful passes. Tyler Wilson found a well-covered Cobi Hamilton down the sideline, who was toe-to-toe with cornerback Darius Winston. The ball was placed perfectly over Hamilton’s shoulder for a nice catch that ended with the sophomore receiver falling to the ground out of bounds.

PLAYER OF THE DAY

WR Cobi Hamilton

A lot of receivers have been the victim of drops, including Hamilton, but his athletic catch that garnered the play of the day here in the Slophouse gives him the honor on what was an up-and-down day for the team.

QUOTE ME

“Jake Bequette, he’s probably one of the best (defensive ends) in the country that nobody has heard about yet. … He had a pretty good year last year, but that’s a guy that’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the league. A lot of tackles, they better get ready because he’s coming.”

— Offensive tackle DeMarcus Love

ON TAP

Arkansas is schedule to return to the practice field Friday at 9 a.m. The previous three morning practices, however, have been moved up more than 30 minutes because of the heat.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello

The most impressive player with ball instincts, by many accounts, was freshman defensive end Chris Smith. He played some at outside linebacker and recovered two fumbles in drills. One of the recoveries was a scoop and score opportunity for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound newcomer who has turned some heads and earned a spot with the second-team defense.

Freshman defensive end Chris Smith has been impressive early in preseason camp. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS)

“It’s going great. First day we came out here and I wasn’t used to the tempo,” Smith said. “Now I’m used to the tempo. … I’m just so blessed to have senior leaders like Jake Bequette and Damario Ambrose her to help me out. I’m blessed to be a Hog.”

The obvious push could help the Hogs this season immediately, just like the strong motor of defensive tackle Byran Jones. But footwork and technique is still troublesome for Jones and Smith.The raw talent, though, is apparent.

“His stance is kind of off right now,” Bequette said of Smith. “His pad level at the point of attack is not real good, but he’s got a lot of raw ability and once Coach (Steve) Caldwell harnesses that and he learns how to come off the ball, he’ll be a stud.”

Meanwhile, the offensive backfield had some issues with concentration and handling handoffs. Tailback Broderick Green fumbled three times and Dennis Johnson lost a fumble early in drills. The offensive backfield was responsible for five fumbles, with four of those being lost to the defense. One such miscue was a quarterback-center exchange snafu between Tyler Wilson and center Clay Bemberg.

Up front we have the potential to generate pressure with just four guys, and if we can do that and drop seven, we’ll be in some good situations.”
— Jake Bequette

Cornerback Ramon Broadway joined Smith on the scoop and score parade, securing two fumbles and one touchdown on a return.

Defensive players, in several interviews after practice, confirm they are in great physical shape. Even with the temperature approaching 95 degrees before the end of practice, the team did well period to period — and quarter to quarter — in a fast-paced workout meant to test the mettle of the Razorbacks.

The offense was sharp at times, little to no passes were broken up and the defense failed to come down with an interception.

Overall, it was an even day between the units with a couple of big plays by the offense. Pressure on the quarterback was also apparent.

“… We’ve put a lot more blitzes in, we’re putting a lot more pressure on the QB,” Bequette said. “Up front we have the potential to generate pressure with just four guys, and if we can do that and drop seven, we’ll be in some good situations.”

The depth provided by Jones and Smith has helped with that early in preseason camp.

On to some more thoughts and observations from today:

• The start of practice included the first tackling during team drills of the pre-season. The first played ended with a monstrous hit and audible thud by linebacker Jermaine Love, who stuffed tailback Dennis Johnson at the line of scrimmage.
• The four players who worked off to the side yesterday were back on the field practicing today, including freshman tight end Brad Hefley who had been sidelined Monday and Tuesday.
• Quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson both overthrew wide open receivers in drills. The most noticeable was the same play-action play dubbed “Cowboy Get It” Arkansas ran in 2008 to help defeat Louisiana-Monroe. With the defense biting on the play-action, however, Mallett overthrew a wide open Chris Gragg down the field.
• The Hogs had their worst day of the pre-season returning punts. Three of five return attempts were fumbled. The only player who did not lose a ball or muff the return was freshman Eric Bennett.
• The Hogs had just returned from a water break, flummoxing special teams coach John L. Smith on the lack of concentration.Meanwhile, the punt return competition seems to have been whittled to three guys — Marquel Wade, Dennis Johnson and Bennett.Does anyone have an edge for the job?”Today, you ask that?” Smith laughed. “No, we’ll have to look at that.”
• Arkansas moved up its morning practice time for the second day in a row to combat rising temperatures. Arkansas hit the field at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 30 minutes before its originally scheduled time.
• Missing from practice today: Junior WR Joe Adams, OL Zhamal Thomas and OL Anthony Oden (court date).

PLAY OF THE DAY

Finally, a deep pass play makes it to the forefront on Day 7 of preseason camp.

A perfectly placed pass by Ryan Mallett into the hands of Lance Ray was grabbed by cornerback Isaac Madison, who attempted to muscle the ball out of the receiver’s hands. Ray won the battle, hulking his shoulder and arms away from the defender down the right sideline for a gain of more than 60 yards. It had the opportunity to go for a touchdown before the play was blown dead.

PLAYER OF THE DAY

DE Chris Smith

Two fumble recoveries and a few good plays on the line of scrimmage stuck out. One of his recoveries may have gone for a touchdown if a whistle had not blown the play dead. Cornerback Ramon Broadway also had a good day, matching Smith fumble-for-fumble.

QUOTE ME

“I’ve got to go head up on J. Wright or Joe Adams. Just pray with me on that one. I’m just learning every day.”

— Freshman defensive end Chris Smith, who lines up at outside linebacker in special calls.

ON TAP

Arkansas gets back to two-a-day practices Thursday with sessions scheduled for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello