Football keeps focus in warm weather

FAYETTEVILLE – The chill of the morning turned into a fantastic day for the Arkansas football team as it practiced on the fields behind Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Wednesday in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s contest with 19th-ranked Tulsa.

The Hogs wore shoulder pads and shorts on Wednesday and worked on their game plan to stop one of the nation’s best offenses, a task that Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson has had to attempt to do quite a bit this season.

“Wow, its amazing numbers,” Robinson said of the Tulsa offense. “You go through that media guide that you get for each team and you go through it and its like wow, then you read another [media guide] and its wow.”

Tulsa presents several challenges for the Razorbacks as the Golden Hurricane will give Arkansas a no huddle look for the first time this season.

“I saw [Tulsa] Sunday night and I saw them on film,” Robinson said. “The film doesn’t simulate the pace of [the offense]. Sunday night was amazing and I know that a lot of our players saw it.”

Leading the way for Tulsa is quarterback David Johnson who ranks third in the nation in total offense with more than 350 yards per game and a staggering 32 touchdowns.

“He’s really a good football player.” Robinson said of Johnson. “He has a good arm and is very savvy with the offense; very comfortable with the offense and has great control over it. He can run, but he has a great arm and can throw all the balls.”

Arkansas’ defense should get some help this week as senior cornerback Jamar Love is expected to see action after missing several games to an injury.

The Razorbacks head to the practice fields again on Thursday for a quick workout in preparation for Saturday’s 1 p.m. kickoff at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. For more information regarding Razorback football or University of Arkansas athletics please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.