Johnson Named as Starting Quarterback
Arkansas took Sunday afternoon to correct some mistakes from yesterday as the Hogs practiced for 90 minutes in shorts and helmets. They continued to work on the kicking game and allowed some of the younger players to get more reps during the pass skeleton portion of workouts.
“Today was a really good correction day,” Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. “We corrected a lot of mistakes. There were some bright spots, but we still have a long way to go. We have to keep getting better and that was our emphasis today.
“We spent a lot of time on the kicking game, the punt return and PAT field goal,” Nutt said. “We came back with some pass skeleton and let some of our younger guys get more reps. We had four turnovers that you can’t have on offense.”
At the conclusion of practice Nutt named sophomore Robert Johnson as the starting quarterback and redshirt freshman Alex Mortensen as the No. 2 man. Nutt and his offensive staff have been pleased with Johnson’s progress and are confident he’ll keep improving.
“After watching the film this week we’re going to put Robert Johnson in at the first slot at starter and Alex Mortensen will be behind him,” Nutt said. “We feel good about what he’s (Johnson) is doing now, that he didn’t do in the spring. He’s been accurate, but like we told him, ‘We’re giving you this because you earned it, but you still have to come to work everyday. You’ve got some guys right there on your heels and they’re going to work even harder.’ We’re excited about his progress, but I still think we can get better.”
Nutt feels Johnson has a higher confidence level and gave several other reasons for placing Johnson at the No. 1 position.
“There’s a confidence level there and he’s better in the huddle,” Nutt said. “You can see when there’s pressure he’s doing things better, getting rid of the ball and not holding it. He hasn’t thrown an interception in the last couple days. We’ve been real pleased with that. He’s been here for three years, longer than anyone else.”
On Monday the Razorbacks will return to two-a-days. The morning session will begin at 9 a.m., while the time of the afternoon practice will be decided later that day. Arkansas’ annual Fan Day is set for Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon, with a scrimmage following at 6 p.m. The festivities will be held on the lawn in front of the Tyson Poultry Science Building.
