Razorbacks hold first scrimmage of spring

The University of Arkansas football team used a portion of its Saturday session inside the Walker Pavilion to scrimmage for the first time this spring. “It was a good day,” said UA head coach Bobby Petrino. “I was again happy like I was yesterday. I thought the defense ran around and got guys to the ball. There looked like there were some plays and sacks where you don’t hit the quarterback. I thought our running backs ran the ball well. I thought we broke tackles, which is something we’ve been emphasizing along with yards after contact and spinning. De’Anthony Curtis had a great run, both the young big backs had some good runs and Dennis Johnson had a real explosive run.” Ryan Mallett finished the day 11-of-25 for 164 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Both of his touchdown passes were to Jarius Wright from distances of 24 and 27 yards. Wright led the receiving unit with four catches for 59 yards. “Ryan showed his ability to move in the pocket, keep his vision down the field, and hit some big plays,” said Petrino. “We threw the deep ball well. I wasn’t happy with the consistency of our quick pass game, and we have some work to do there.” Broderick Green led the running backs with 10 carries for 59 yards and a one-yard touchdown. Curtis also ran well with six carries for 56 yards and a 30-yard touchdown. “It definitely helps De’Anthony’s confidence,” said Petrino. “He knows his emphasis this spring is when he has contact to keep his legs driving and get yards after contact. I thought yesterday he took a step forward and I thought today he took a bigger step forward. He is going to work as hard as he possibly can.” The defense had four sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and six pass breakups. Ramon Broadway had seven tackles to lead the unit. Jerico Nelson and Tramain Thomas each had six, and Thomas added a pair of pass break ups. “I think we are learning a lot about our team chemistry and our energy,” Petrino said. “I like our enthusiasm and how physical we are. Last year, I thought that it was like pulling teeth to get us to hit and concentrate on the physical part of the drills. This year, they are real eager and excited about it. They see the success and any time you see success you can build off of it.” Arkansas continues practice at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 31. All spring workouts are scheduled to take place outdoors and are open to the public, weather permitting. Fans should log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the most up to date information.

— HOGS —