Rolling Into September

With 24 days and 90 posts under our belt since we started, the TipsterHog Blog rolls on. Thanks to the over 700 visitors this month!!! GO HOGS!

Practice Reports - 8/31/2005

U of A SID: Hogs Focused on Missouri State

Before practice the Razorbacks were treated to inspiring words by middleweight champion of the world Jermaine Taylor.

"We appreciate Jermaine Taylor coming to speak to our team," Nutt said. "I thought he really came from the heart with exactly the same thing we've been saying since Jan. 14. It’s about an attitude and a work ethic and doing it every single day. That’s how he became a champion. We have a lot of respect for him."

Also:

U of A SID: Photo Gallery - Jermaine Taylor Visits Razorbacks
ARSN: Wednesday Razorback Report
Dudley Dawson: UA Wednesday Grid Report, 8-31 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Undisputed champion visits with Razorbacks (subscription)
Grant Hall: Families Of Two Razorbacks Escape Worst Of Katrina
Chris Givens: Taylor shares story with Razorbacks
Chris Cocoles: Razorbacks Report

Updated 9/1/05 7:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

SEC Football Conference Call - 8/31/2005

SECSports.com: SEC Football Coaches Press Conference - 08/31/2005

Houston Nutt:

(On facing Missouri State) "We have had a good camp and we are excited to play. We know it is game week and we are excited that it is here and we are ready to go."

(On families of player from the state of Louisiana) "Both families are safe and have gotten out. It's been a tough deal for the state of Louisiana."

(On replacing Matt Jones) "The year before that we lost five junior to professional ball and that really hurt. We weren't ready for that. When you lose a guy like Matt Jones, that really hurts. He did so much offensively for us and we will miss him a great deal."

Practice Reports - 8/30/2005

U of A SID: Razorbacks Excited About Season Opener

"We are getting a little closer to that first game each day," Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. "It was good to get (the team) back on the field after an off day yesterday. I felt like our guys had their legs back for the most part."

The Razorbacks have picked their captains for the 2005 season and Coach Nutt announced them following Tuesday's practice. Seniors Kyle Dickerson, Brandon Kennedy, Pierre Brown, Vickiel Vaughn and Kyle Roper were selected by their teammates to represent the Hogs this season.
...
Nutt did say he expected offensive linemen Zac Tubbs and Cody Green to miss the season opener along with tight end Jared Hicks. The decision on tight end Wes Murphy's status for the opener will depend on his ability to practice on Wednesday.

Also:

ARSN: Tuesday Razorback Report
Trey Biddy: Jack-in-the-Box (subscription)
Vernon Tarver: Defensive Line Spots Still Undecided
Nate Allen: There for the taking
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Report

Updated 8/31/05 7:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Swatters Club Meeting - August, 2005

Heath Allen writes a nice article about what Dave Van Horn discussed at yesterday's Swatters Club meeting at the Clarion Inn in Fayetteville.

Also:

Chris Cocoles: Hogs work on shoring up pitching for run at CWS

Broyles at Little Rock Touchdown Club

AP: Broyles supports Nutt at Touchdown Club meeting

Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles emphatically supported football coach Houston Nutt on Monday, telling members of the Little Rock Touchdown Club that Nutt was "the perfect person for the job."

"Houston is there to stay," Broyles said.

Also:

Wally Hall: Broyles shows he still can fire up a crowd

Updated 8/30/05 1:50 p.m. - Added additional links.

Patriots Release Cobbs

The New England Patriots released former Hogs running back Cedric Cobbs today. Former LSU quarterback Rohan Davey was also cut from the roster.

Practice Reports - 8/28/2005

U of A SID: Arkansas Holds Light Sunday Practice

The Razorbacks held a short one-hour practice in shorts and shirts on Sunday afternoon as they got settled into a normal game-week schedule. Tomorrow will be an off day for Arkansas as the Hogs prepare for their home opener on Sept. 3.

"We had a good walk-through today and covered different situations," Nutt said. "We went over the film a little bit. We're just getting ready for game day. We're glad it's hear and it's time to hit on someone else."

Also:

Clay Henry: Sunday Grid Report, 8/28 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Hogs start game week (subscription)
Nate Allen: 5 days and counting
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Report

Updated 8/29/05 8:40 a.m. - Added additional links.

Top College Football Coaching Brains

Houston Dale gets lead mention (for being on the "hot seat") as Matt Hayes of Sporting News magazine discusses the top brains in college football coaching.

Nutt is one of the nation's brightest coaches, but he's midlevel in his own league and the clock is ticking.

Complete 2005-06 Basketball Schedule

U of A SID: Razorback Basketball Schedule Finalized

Arkansas opens SEC play at Mississippi State before playing host to both LSU and Vanderbilt, and then going on the road to Alabama and Auburn. The Hogs close the regular season with three of five in Bud Walton Arena – Florida and Alabama at home, on the road at Tennessee, at home against MSU and at Georgia.

"Our schedule seems to be harder on the top side," UA head coach Stan Heath says. "We start off in Starkville, then have LSU and Vanderbilt back-to-back, and then go to Alabama and Auburn. It gives us a chance, with three of our first five on the road, to get some tough wins and gain some momentum.

"Late in the year, we have three of five at home, which is something you want when you're trying to position yourself for a run at one of the top positions."

Also:

August 19: 2005-06 Non-Conference Basketball Schedule

2005-06 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
(Conference only)

Date	Opponent	TV	Location	Time
Jan. 7	Mississippi St.	FSN	Starkville, Missisippi	7 p.m.
Jan. 11	LSU		Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 14	Vanderbilt		Fayetteville	2:05 p.m.
Jan. 18	Alabama	JP	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	7 p.m.
Jan. 21	Auburn		Auburn, Alabama	1 p.m.
Jan. 25	Ole Miss		Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 29	Kentucky	CBS	Lexington, Kentucky	Noon
Feb. 4	South Carolina	JP	Fayetteville	2:05 p.m.
Feb. 8	LSU	JP	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	7 p.m.
Feb. 11	Auburn	FSN	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Feb. 15	Ole Miss		Oxford, Mississippi	7 p.m.
Feb. 18	Florida	JP	Fayetteville	1:05 p.m.
Feb. 21	Alabama	ESPN	Fayetteville	8 p.m.
Feb. 25	Tennessee	JP	Knoxville, Tennessee	Noon
March 1	Mississippi St.	JP	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
March 5	Georgia	JP	Athens, Georgia	1 p.m.
Mar. 9-Mar. 12	SEC Tournament		Nashville, Tennessee	TBA

FSN - Fox Sports Network
JP - Jefferson-Pilot Sports
All times central and subject to change

Updated 8/28/05 11:25 a.m. - Added additional information.
Updated 9/29/05 7:50 p.m. - Changes made by UA to schedule.

Practice Reports - 8/26/2005

U of A SID: Razorbacks Continue to Keep Concentration

The depth chart for the Missouri State game was released on Friday, revealing sophomore Peyton Hillis as the starting tailback, while senior De'Arrius Howard is second. UA is not lacking talent at the position with Felix Jones and Darren McFadden following, respectively.

"Peyton Hillis will go out there first, but it depends because there are a couple formations where you could have De'Arrius Howard and Peyton in there at the same time or Dedrick Poole and Peyton," Nutt said. "We still have a little flexibility. I think De'Arrius missing that week hurt him a little, but he’s fighting back strong. We’re going to need all of them.

"It's a good problem to have (depth at the tailback position)," Nutt said. "We just want to keep them healthy and we've had years where two or three of them go down. We have different roles for them and they have good attitudes. That's how you win."

Also:

Dudley Dawson: Friday Grid Report, 8-26 (subscription)
Chris Cocoles: Razorbacks Report
Mike Capshaw: Johnson: "Close To 100 Percent"

Updated 8/27/05 8:05 a.m. - Added additional links.

First Game Depth Chart Released

U of A SID: Arkansas Releases Depth Chart for Missouri State Game

Also:

Robbie Neiswanger: Defense Done Shuffling
Nate Allen: Hogs release two-deep depth chart

First Team Offense	First Team Defense
SE - Marcus Monk, 6-6, 227, SO	LE - Desmond Sims, 6-3, 228, JR
LT - Tony Ugoh, 6-5, 314, JR	LT - Marcus Harrison, 6-3, 300, SO OR Keith Jackson, 6-0, 285, JR OR Cord Gray, 6-2, 270, FR
LG - Stephen Parker, 6-4, 314, JR	RT - Fred Bledsoe, 6-3, 320, SO OR Jeremy Harrell, 6-2, 282, JR OR
RT - Robert Felton, 6-4, 313, SO OR Nate Garner, 6-6, 315, SO	RE - Anthony Brown, 6-6, 223, JR
C - Kyle Roper, 6-3, 291, SR	WLB - Sam Olajubutu, 5-9, 227, JR
RG - Jonathan Luigs, 6-4, 301, FR OR Tyler Morgan, 6-6, 296, JR	MLB - Weston Dacus, 6-2, 230, SO
TE - Mason Templeton, 6-7, 258, SO OR Marc Winston, 6-5, 260, FR	SLB - Pierre Brown, 6-0, 227, SR
FL - Cedric Washington, 6-0, 200, JR	LC - Michael Coe, 6-1, 186, JR
QB - Robert Johnson, 6-2, 212, SO	SS - Vickiel Vaughn, 6-0, 204, SR
TB - Peyton Hillis, 6-2, 240, SO	FS - Matterral Richardson, 6-0, 195, SO
FB* - Brandon Kennedy, 5-11, 246, SR	RC - Darius Vinnett, 5-9, 170, SR
HB* - Dedrick Poole, 5-10, 193, SR
* Fullback or H-Back could start depending on offensive formation
Special Teams: KO - Brian Vavra, 5-11, 175, FR; PK - Chris Balseiro, 6-1, 215, SR; P - Jacob Skinner, 6-3, 212, JR; SN - Brett Goode, 6-1, 229, JR; HOL - Jacob Skinner, 6-3, 212, JR; KR - Peyton Hillis, 6-2, 240, SO AND Felix Jones, 6-0, 195, FR; PR - Michael Coe, 6-1, 186, JR

Updated 8/27/05 8:00 a.m. - Added additional links.

Depth Chart To Be Released Today

Nate Allen: Hogs to release depth chart today
Rob Keys: Razorback Report

Jones Catch Video

Matt Jones made an impressive one-handed reception earlier tonight in the Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons. Video courtesy of jaguars.com.

Also:

Ultimate Jaguars: Grab Bag and Jones gains momentum

Updated 8/26/05 9:05 a.m. - Added additional links.

Circles

Bob Holt's article about Houston Nutt putting circles on the Razorback football schedule when he was a kid, and Chuck's playing off of that on Sports Rap last night got me to thinking. ...more...

Practice Reports - 8/25/2005

U of A SID: Intensity Level Up During Razorbacks’ Practice

Consistency is the one aspect of the offense the coaches are still looking for. The execution is improving, but the Hogs must eliminate the little mistakes that kill drives.

"Offensively, we will have four or five good plays, and then we will have an illegal procedure or an illegal shift," Nutt said. "Those are the things that you just can’t have. We are just going to have to keep working hard on those types of things."

Nutt also praised the Hogs defense and their progress since the arrival of new defensive coordinator Reggie Herring.

"The defense has progressed very well," Nutt said. "It has been a process and that happens anytime there is a change like that. The new terminology and new system take awhile, but the guys have bought into the system, and they are playing hard. We just have to keep improving and keep coming."

Also:

Clay Henry: Thursday Grid Update, 8/25 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Defense coming together (subscription)
Jerry L. Reed: Arkansas Defense Coming Together As Unit

Updated 8/26/05 10:10 a.m. - Added additional links.

Bambi's Number 19 to be Retired

Be sure and don't miss Nate Allen's article today about Lance Alworth, my father's favorite Razorback of all time.

2006 Football Schedule Announced

The Hogs today announce the 2006 football schedule, featuring USC making its first ever visit to Fayetteville on September 2nd. 8 of the 12 games will be home contests.

Also:

Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Finalizes 2006 Football Schedule

2006 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
Sept. 2	Southern California	Fayetteville	TBA
Sept. 9	Utah State	Fayetteville	TBA
Sept. 16	at Vanderbilt	Nashville, Tennessee	TBA
Sept. 23	Alabama	Fayetteville	TBA
Oct. 7	at Auburn	Auburn, Alabama	TBA
Oct. 14	Southeast Missouri State	Fayetteville	TBA
Oct. 21	Ole Miss	Fayetteville	TBA
Oct. 28	Louisiana-Monroe	Little Rock	TBA
Nov. 4	at South Carolina	Columbia, South Carolina	TBA
Nov. 11	Tennessee	Fayetteville	TBA
Nov. 18	at Mississippi State	Starkville, Mississippi	TBA
Nov. 25	LSU	Little Rock	TBA

Updated 8/25/05 10:30 p.m. - Added additional links.
Updated 1/24/06 7:40 p.m. - Updated links and changed USC, Utah State, and Louisiana-Monroe game dates.

Hogs vs. Tide to be Televised

CBS (also known as the Alabama Television Network) has announced they will broadcast the Arkansas vs. Alabama game at 2:30 p.m. CT on September 24th from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Already, the Crimson Tide is scheduled to appear on the network a minimum of four times this season. Executives hope to broadcast at least one game before Tide QB Brodie Croyle is injured and lost for the season. ;-)

2005 Football Media Guide

The 2005 Football Media Guide is now online over at HoustonNutt.com. Thanks to Bomis Hawg on Hogville.net for the link.

Practice Reports - 8/24/2005

U of A SID: Razorbacks Excel in Heat

Sophomore quarterback Robert Johnson continues to improve as he comes back from a pulled groin and is almost at full speed.

"Robert Johnson did a good job of leading us to get a field goal in the two-minute drill," Nutt said. "It’s been a slow improvement, but today he went through every snap and it didn’t slow him down that much. He can’t run full speed right now, but he’s almost there. He’s getting the ball to the tailback and he can sprint out, so he’s doing some good things."

Also:

Trey Biddy: Razorbacks bounce back (subscription)
Dudley Dawson: Wednesday Grid Report, 8-23 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Hogs Try Hillis As Punt Returner
Bob Holt: Bledsoe’s hard work rewarded
Nate Allen: UA backups prepare for live action

Updated 8/25/05 8:35 a.m. - Added additional links.

Still Beatin'...In Cleveland

Wally Hall finally writes an article today that belongs in the sports pages...or maybe the gossip section? Butch Davis is enjoying life on his NFL buyout money. He's just enjoying it in Cleveland and not Northwest Arkansas.

Practice Reports - 8/23/2005

U of A SID: Hogs Looking for Consistency in Practice

Senior tight end Jared Hicks left practice on Tuesday with a high ankle sprain and Tony Ugoh came down with a virus.

"That is kind of how our day went today," Nutt said. "Thank goodness we have tomorrow, so we can come out here and get better."

Starting quarterback Robert Johnson returned to full-scale workouts on Tuesday after missing most of the last week of practice with a strained groin.

"Robert went full speed today and got all of the work in," Nutt said. "He got loosened up as practice progressed, and if you put a number on it he practiced at something like 75 to 80 percent."

Hicks showed he's the best catching tight end on the team at last Saturday's scrimmage with 2 catches for 34 yards. (Uh...no offense Wes Murphy.) If he's out for a while, that will definitely hurt. As for RoJo, with the injuries he's had to deal with, he's pretty much been 80-85 percent since reporting day.

On another note, it sure seems like there's been a lot more "we were flat" comments from HDN after practice this season (see here and here) and fewer of the "they bounced around" variety that we've become accustomed to over the years. Hmmm...

Also:

Clay Henry: Tuesday Grid Update, 8/23 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Consistency lacking (subscription)
Nate Allen: Hicks injures ankle at Razorback practice
Scott Cain: Bad ankle sidelines tight end

Updated 8/24/05 8:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Nation's Top Offenses and Defenses

College Football News has given their 2005 pre-season rankings of the nation's top offenses and defenses. The Hogs ranked 27th on offense and 69th on defense. The strength of the Hogs in the rankings was their offensive line, which ranked 9th.

Ferguson Caught Speeding

Scott Cain says Stan Heath will handle the matter internally. I foresee many wind sprints in his future.

Johnson and Hillis Return To Practice

Also from today's SID press release:

Starting quarterback Robert Johnson returned to normal drills after resting a pulled groin from last week. Johnson did not participate in Saturday’s scrimmage and was looking forward to getting back out on the practice field.

"Robert Johnson looked good today and I think he felt good,” Nutt said. “I know he’s glad to be back out here and he wanted to be out here last week, so that was good. I expect him to be ready to go."

Hillis returned from a stomach virus that kept him from participating in Friday and Saturday's practices, as well as part of Saturday morning's fan appreciation day autograph session.

Practice Reports - 8/22/2005

U of A SID: Arkansas Makes Position Changes After Watching Scrimmage

"We made a few moves after the scrimmage as we turn the corner and get ready for our game in a couple weeks," Nutt said. "Dedrick Poole will be strictly on offense. He can play tailback, but we’re going to get him a little more involved in an h-back slot. Which is really a third receiver coming out of the backfield, shifting out. I think that’s going to be a great role for him. He can run screens and reverses.

"Defensively we moved Matterral Richardson from a corner to a safety and now there’s going to be some competition between him and Randy Kelly," Nutt said. "We moved Clarke Moore. He was a second team defensive end and now he’s second team middle linebacker. He’s played linebacker before.

"We moved Kevin Thornton back to safety, his natural position," Nutt said. "We appreciate his attitude. We tried to move him up and it didn’t work out so we moved him back. All these moves were made because we’re trying to put the best 11 on the football field."

So is it a good thing or a bad thing that this many moves are happening less than two weeks before the season opener? Yeah...uh oh. It looks like Randy Kelly is the odd man out. The fact that they stuck a yellow jersey on Dedrick Poole and tried him on defense for a couple of plays at the end of Saturday's scrimmage tells everyone that the coaches are searching hard to find a free safety. Maybe Richardson is the guy...but you better find out soon.

Also:

Trey Biddy: Hawgs make moves (subscription)
Clay Henry: Monday Grid Update, 8/22 (subscription)
Nate Allen: Hogs trio returns to practice; defense gets shake up
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Report
Mike Capshaw: Herring Announces Changes On Defense

Updated 8/23/05 10:00 a.m. - Added additional links.

McBride Will Redshirt

U of A SID: Juco Guard McBride Will Join UA Basketball Team for Spring Semester and Redshirt in 2005-06

"He will join our team in the second semester," Heath says. "He has been taking classes all summer. He has successfully completed his work for Monterey, however, he still has Southeastern Conference core course requirements to fulfill, and that’s what he’s making progress towards right now."

Heath considered playing him during the second half of the season, but McBride will now redshirt.

"We knew during the recruiting process that he would not be ready for the first semester," Heath says. "We anticipated him playing in December, but we have now decided to redshirt him. It is not in his best interest to rush through this. He will have two full years of eligibility remaining."

I guess the rumors of this have been flying around for about a week. To me, it's hard to know what you lose when you've never really seen it. And now that it's been pretty well established that Sean McCurdy is at least a decent outside scorer, I still think this team's shooting will be improved.

So with McBride out now and Olu gone, the continuing theme from the offseason of "addition by subtraction" might end up being this team's motto for the season.

Also:

Scott Cain: Heath to redshirt transfer McBride

Updated 8/22/2005 10:10 p.m. - Added additional commentary.
Updated 8/23/2005 8:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

My Scrimmage Thoughts

• Mortensen and Barthel were just okay. The thing that Mortensen appears to bring to the table over Barthel (and maybe all the QBs?) is that he seems to be smart enough to not make mistakes that cause turnovers. If it's not there, he'll throw it away or get out of bounds. My guess on Barthel is that he plays ten times better under the lights than he does during practice. But that guess is about the only comparison to Matt Jones that you might make about any of these quarterbacks.



• Felix Jones was very impressive...especially at the beginning of the scrimmage. Yes, he did have a fumble. But I've seen many (and more highly touted) freshman RBs in the past that never showed the promise that he did last night.



• I'll admit it...when I first saw Darren McFadden at the scrimmage, I was a little concerned. During his first few rushing attempts, he did the infamous Cedric Cobbs "bounce outside" and get tackled for a loss. But all of the sudden, on about his third or fourth carry, he completely blew a guy up. Now...not a stiff arm, mind you...he ran over the poor guy like Cobbs never did when he was here. My very quick (much too quick I'll admit) impression of him changed immediately and he proceeded to get better and better until the scrimmage ended. And, as advertised, he has tremendous breakaway speed.



• We ran a lot of timing routes and very few (if any) running back screens. The timing routes were of the "take a two step drop and hit a receiver running an out and up" variety. And even though we haven't seen much of that during the past few years, the QBs and WRs seemed to execute these plays surprisingly well. As for the RB screens...well...apparently HDN removed them from the playbook when Mark Pierce (and Adam Daily) left town. Here's hoping he's just saving those plays for Peyton Hillis (who didn't play last night because of illness).



• Special teams is a mess. We seem to have several decent kickoff guys, but the best punter last night (Skinner) takes forever to kick the dang ball. Michael Coe will be okay as the punt returner...but there's room for someone else to step up. As for field goals, well, I disappointingly say that none of the new kickers looked good and the old ones looked the same (i.e. adequate). I think all the field goal blocks that happened were a good thing. I'd much rather those happen last night than two weeks from now and beyond.



• The biggest question still left is the defense. Don't get me wrong...there are still lots of big questions. But because many of the first team defense didn't play, a lot of questions are still left to be answered. Will we tackle better? Can we stop the run? Are we going to be better at linebacker? Will the secondary be adequate? Only time will tell.



• Reggie Herring's defensive unit pre-game warmup is worth arriving early to a game. It's impossible to describe it fully in writing...you have to see it. But the first thing I thought when I saw it was "military boot camp." And when plays are over with this season, it's possible the Hog defense may get a penalty for knocking the opposing offense down one more time just because they're sprinting to get back into formation. Compared to what I saw last night, every other defense in the country "loafs" around. I love it.

Overall, my impression of this team improved after last night. I'm still not ready to say they will have a winning season. But if the offensive line is as good as everyone says, and the impressive freshman running backs help compliment last year's returning backfield, we will be able to run the ball. And if that's combined with the defensive questions being answered positively, this team could surprise many people with its ability to compete in the SEC. It may not be very pretty...but it might be enough to win some games.

Excitement Growing

The TipsterHog Blog has been visited by people from Canada, Argentina, Guatemala, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and Australia, as well as Hog fans stretching from coast to coast in the States.

Tipster's scrimmage photos featuring multiple receiver sets, men in motion, one back sets, and the shotgun have been viewed more than 1,000 times and illustrate how excitement is growing about the coming season.

Also, during the scrimmage, I (HogBlogger) counted more than the 4 running plays referred to in a recent media article. This offense will definitely be a team effort.

So get ready to call those Hogs...and thank you for visiting our new blog!

Associated Press Scrimmage Photos

Here's a few...ahem...more professional shots of yesterday's scrimmage:

Darren McFadden bounces off Dallas Washington
Houston Nutt blows his whistle
Alex Mortensen changes the play
Randy Kelly breaks up a pass intended for Chris Baker

My 2005 FAD Scrimmage Photos

I just uploaded my (admittedly very amateur) fan appreciation day scrimmage photos. Here are thumbnails of a few of them. (Click to see full size photo.)

Scrimmage Reports - 8/20/2005

U of A SID: Razorbacks Cap Fan Day with 90-Minute Scrimmage

An estimated 9,500 fans got their first look at the 2005 Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night as the Hogs staged a 90-minute scrimmage in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt and his staff did their best to emulate game situations in the 64-play scrimmage. Nutt says getting live scrimmage work two weeks away from the season opener is valuable in evaluating personnel.

"We got to play a lot of people tonight," Nutt said. "It’s amazing after you practice this long and then you put them under a game-like situation, it’s amazing how sometimes things change. You want them on automatic pilot and to do exactly what you’ve been doing in practice. Sometimes you revert back to some bad habits. We made some mistakes tonight. We expected that, but there were some good things that happened tonight."

Also:

U of A SID: Official Statistics
Clay Henry: Hogs Scrimmage for Fans (subscription)
Dudley Dawson: Brave New World (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Big plays, turnovers highlight scrimmage (subscription)
Robbie Neiswanger: Hogs Scrimmage Without Starting QB
Mike Capshaw: Herring Tackles Hogs' Defensive Problems
Bob Holt: Defense delivers big play
Scott Cain: Razorbacks Football Report
Rick Schaffer: Offensive Weapons

Updated 8/21/05 9:55 a.m. - Added additional links.

2005 Football Roster

Assuming tonight's FAD scrimmage isn't postponed by some of the weather currently in the Northwest Arkansas area, here's a roster for the 2005 Razorbacks that you can print out and use.

2005 Fan Appreciation Day

HogBlogger and I will be attending the fan appreciation day scrimmage at 6 p.m tonight at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. I'm hoping to post some pictures on my new Flickr page later tonight.

In a rare sign of sanity earlier this week, the SID office actually moved the open seats for the scrimmage from the sweltering east side stands to the shady and comfortable oasis of the west side. Now that's appreciating your fans!

Unfortunately, when I wrote this e-mail a little while back, they hadn't decided to be so responsive:

Date: Sunday, August 04, 2002 11:44 AM
To: Arkansas Sports Information Department
Re: August Football Scrimmage

I read in the newspaper this morning about the football scrimmage on August 24. I am looking forward to attending but I was disappointed to see that we will be forced to sit in the east stands staring into and feeling the heat of the blazing Arkansas sun.

Even though it was extremely hot and uncomfortable at last year's August scrimmage, everyone completely understood that, because of construction, the west side stands were closed. However, it seems unnecessary to me that you would continue that requirement this year. Please consider changing this for the upcoming scrimmage or, at least, for next year's spring and fall scrimmages.

So...I guess it only took them three years to check their e-mail.

Today's forcasted high in Fayetteville: 94°. Everyone going to the scrimmage can thank me later. ;-)

Practice Reports - 8/19/2005

U of A SID: Hogs Sluggish During Morning Workout

Quarterback Robert Johnson is also likely to miss the scrimmage as he nurses a strained groin.

"Right now I would say Robert Johnson probably won’t get in there," Nutt said. "It is important that he is healthy. It is also equally important that Alex Mortensen gets this type of reps. Then we will go back and discuss who exactly we are looking at. After this scrimmage we will be real close to our two deep.

"He (Johnson) wants to, but we will probably hold him out. He practiced the first four or five periods today, just handing off and doing three-step drops. But, he has to make sure it’s healthy. We don’t want to keep re-injuring the groin."

Friday's scheduled afternoon practice was cancelled. With that, all two-a-day practices for 2005 have been completed. (Wow...all four three of them...where did the time go?) The fall term begins at the university on Monday.

Also:

Clay Henry: Friday Grid Update, 8/19 (subscription)
Mike Capshaw: Johnson Not Expected To Play Much
Nate Allen: Hogs hold key starters out of Fan Day scrimmage
Scott Cain: Razorbacks Football Report

Updated 8/20/05 9:20 a.m. - Added additional links.

Arkansas -- Bobby Knight

From the "for what it's worth" department: The Texas Tech game on December 21st in Dallas will be the first time that Arkansas has ever played against a Bobby Knight coached team.

2005-06 Non-Conference Basketball Schedule

U of A SID: Maui Highlights Arkansas' Non-Conference Basketball Schedule; Missouri, Texas Tech, Rice Among Others

"We’ve put together a tough schedule that will better our team and excite our fans," head coach Stan Heath says. "With the help of Coach (Frank) Broyles, (Executive Associate Athletic Director) Bill Gray, (Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information) Kevin Trainor, two assistant coaches and myself, we found getting home games to be very difficult, but this schedule will be very challenging and prepare us for the SEC."

Arkansas faces Connecticut in the first round of the Maui Invitational with other first-round games including Arizona facing Kansas, Gonzaga playing Maryland and Michigan State meeting host Chaminade. UA plays three games in the tournament, which runs Nov. 21-23.

"Maui is an incredible field," Heath says. "It will give us a definite gauge of where we are on the national scene."

Also:

Grant Hall: UA Releases Non-Conference Basketball Schedule
Nate Allen: Hoop Hogs release 2005 nonconference schedule
Scott Cain: Hogs beefed up in nonconference

2005-06 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
(Non-conference only)

Date	Opponent	TV	Location	Time
Oct. 29	Red-White Game		Fayetteville	4:05 p.m.
Nov. 4	Southwest Baptist (Exhibition)		Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Nov. 12	LSU-Shreveport (Exhibition)		Fayetteville	TBA
Nov. 18	Portland State		Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Nov. 21-23	Maui Invitational		Maui, Hawaii
(Field includes Arkansas, Arizona, Chaminade, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan State)
Nov. 21	Connecticut	ESPN2	Maui, Hawaii	10:30 p.m.
Nov. 22	Arizona or Kansas	ESPN/U	Maui, Hawaii	3 or 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 23	TBA	ESPN/2/U	Maui, Hawaii	TBA
Nov. 26	Radford	FSN	Fayetteville	3 p.m.
Nov. 30	Southern Missisippi	FSN	Fayetteville	8:05 p.m.
Dec. 2	Missouri	ARSN	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Dec. 6	Texas State	ARSN	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Dec. 15	Missouri State	ARSN	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Dec. 17	Rice	ARSN	N. Little Rock	7:35 p.m.
Dec. 21	Texas Tech	ESPN2	Dallas, Texas	9 p.m.
Dec. 30	Texas-Pan American	ARSN	Fayetteville	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 1	Western Illinois	ARSN	Fayetteville	7:35 p.m.

FSN – Fox Sports Network
ARSN - Arkansas Razorback Sports Network

Updated 8/20/05 9:20 a.m. - Added additional links.
Updated 9/29/05 7:45 p.m. - Changes made by UA to schedule.

Arkansas Football -- Ranked 26th

The Razorback football program ranked 26th overall in the 3 year analysis by CollegeFootballNews.com.

The SEC ranks 3rd in conferences, and Arkansas ranked 6th in the SEC.

Buyout Clears Way For Johnson Trade

Now that the ownership squabble has finally been resolved, it appears former Razorback Joe Johnson will soon be traded to the Atlanta Hawks.

Pimp My Ride

UA Office of Admissions Kicks Off 2005-06 Year with Introduction of the 'Razorbug'

Practice Reports - 8/18/2005

Because of a sore groin, recently designated first team quarterback Robert Johnson may have to sit out Saturday's Fan Appreciation Day scrimmage.

Sophomore starting quarterback Robert Johnson continued to observe practice in shorts and shells as he is temporarily sidelined with a pulled groin. Redshirt freshman Alex Mortensen has picked up the extra snaps and has used this opportunity to improve his game.

"It’s very helpful and he’s (Mortensen) done an excellent job," Nutt said. "I’m really proud of him with the decisions he’s making right now. He did a great job with the two-minute drills today. This is the kind of experience he needs."

Johnson will wait and see how he feels after tomorrow to determine how much time he will play in Saturday’s scrimmage.

"Dean thought he (Johnson) could go today, but wanted to hold him for another day or two," Nutt said. "We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He’s anxious and wants to get back out here. It’s just a bad groin pull and you want to make sure the next time he comes out here he has the endurance to practice and to not go back into the training room. That’s just a precaution. He’s still our No. 1 guy."

Also:

Clay Henry: Thursday Grid Update, 8/18 (subscription)
Jerry L. Reed: Hogs Johnson Remains On Sidelines
Nate Allen: Injuries modify Hogs’ practice
Chris Cocoles: Razorbacks Football Report

Updated 8/19/05 8:50 a.m. - Added additional links.

A Long Shot

In Arkansas, Decori Birmingham will be forever remembered for his 31-yard touchdown catch that led the Hogs to a "Markham Miracle" win over LSU and a share of the 2002 SEC Western Division title.

But now he's out in the "real world" pursuing his own dream...the long shot dream of playing in the National Football League (registration required).

Practice Reports - 8/17/2005

U of A SID: Hogs Focus on Situational Work in Wednesday’s Practice Sessions

The Razorbacks have only been able to conduct two-a-day practices every other day since last Saturday and have just four scheduled for the entire preseason. With the reduced number of practices dates, the off-season conditioning program has the players already in shape before practice starts and allows the coaching staff to concentrate on fundamentals and teaching.

"The year-round conditioning helps out a lot," Nutt said. "It is not like it used to be when you come in and find out who is in shape, and then get them in shape. Those days are over. It is a year-round game now and they have been running year-round."

Man that's amazing...four two-a-day practices. Like everything else, the NCAA continues to slam down the iron fist on its "member institutions."

Also:

Dudley Dawson: Wednesday Grid Update, 8/17 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Razorbacks bounce back (subscription)
Nate Allen: Mortensen, Barthel get reps as Johnson sits
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Football Report
Grant Hall: Mortensen Impresses While Johnson Rests

Updated 8/18/05 9:15 a.m. - Added additional links.

Media Guide Explored

There has been much discussion regarding Arkansas offense on the various message boards. I thought it would be interesting to see how the "era of Houston Dale" looked in the record books. ...more...

Welsh Commits To Hogs

Dudley Dawson over on Hawgs Illustrated breaks the news tonight that Stan Heath has received his second verbal commitment (subscription required) of the recruiting season from Stefan Welsh, a 6-3, 180-pound combo guard from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia.

Heath previously received a verbal commitment back in June for 6-9, 210-pound power forward Michael Washington out of Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas.

Also:

Dave Telep: Top 100 Welsh Picks SEC School (subscription)
Justin Young: Arkansas snags Welsh (subscription)

Updated 8/17/05 10:00 a.m. - Added additional links.

Practice Reports - 8/16/2005

After ending practice yesterday on a high on the recruiting front, Houston Nutt and his coaching staff came back down to Earth during today's session.

The reality of today is that they have some very young and inexperienced players on offense that need to improve:

"We’ve got to have a better practice than we did today, our offense was really sluggish and sloppy," Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. "We had too many mistakes. We didn’t break the huddle right and we felt a little too bit sorry for ourselves. You can’t have any mental errors. You’ve got to come off the ball with good pad level. We did none of those things today. We have to do much better."

Also:

Clay Henry: Tuesday Grid Update, 8/16 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Sluggish and sloppy (subscription)
Nate Allen: Wes Murphy earns spot at first-team tight end
Scott Cain: Change suiting Murphy
Vernon Tarver: Special Teams Still Up For Grabs

Updated 8/17/05 10:00 a.m. - Added additional links.

Contracts and "Big Daddy" Frank

Following the news over the weekend that Houston Nutt's contract had been extended, Scott Cain reports in today's Democrat-Gazette that the same courtesy has been extended to Stan Heath through 2010.

"Obviously, I’m real happy, and my family and I are appreciative for the extension," Heath said. "I’m thankful to Coach [Broyles] and the University of Arkansas for the commitment to the program. It hasn’t been a major thing on my mind. I’ve been more concerned with making improvements and adjustments for the upcoming season."

One interesting note was stated very clearly in the article. After last season's disappointing end, Frank Broyles was going to fire someone.

Broyles said that in the spring he suggested that Heath make staff changes so a more experienced coach could be hired. Heath didn’t end up firing anybody because one assistant, Rob Flaska, left to take the head coaching job at Centenary, and Heath eventually hired Dan Hipsher, a former head coach at Akron. "We were going to make some changes, so I guess [Flaska’s leaving] is a break in that you’d have had to pay somebody," Broyles said, referring to severance pay. "He gave us an opportunity without terminating anybody."

Adding a more experienced assistant coach fulfilled the main objective Broyles said he had given Heath in the off-season. That allowed Broyles to extend Heath’s contract, albeit several months later than usual.

I'm sure the only thing that made Frank feel better when he couldn't fire someone was the fact that he didn't have to pay them severence pay after they left on their own.

Always remember...don't mess with the Big Daddy.

Practice Reports - 8/15/2005

U of A SID: Two-a-Day Practices Continue for Razorbacks

Arkansas concluded its second day of two-a-day practices on Monday evening with a full-pads, two-hour session on the practices fields south of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“It is a great day to be a Razorback,” Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said following Monday’s evening practice.

That, of course, is a veiled reference to the recruiting news of the day. Because of NCAA restrictions, Nutt cannot comment on the verbal committment of Mitch Mustain until after he signs with Arkansas in February.

Also:

Clay Henry: Monday Grid Update, 8/15
Nate Allen: Nutt all smiles after Mustain’s, Norman’s commitment to UA
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Football Report

Updated 8/16/05 9:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Mustain Commits To Razorbacks

In what will be surely be considered one of the pivotal days in Houston Nutt's tenure as Razorbacks football coach, Springdale High quarterback Mitch Mustain verbally committed to the Hogs today.

Ranked by several services as the number one quarterback in the country, Mustain will bring high expectations...and a fellow teammate with him to Arkansas. Wide receiver Andrew Norman accepted a scholarship today to come to Fayetteville as well.

Mustain's decision came down to Notre Dame and Arkansas. He informed Coach Nutt earlier in the day and will be personally informing coaches from several of the 27 schools that offered scholarships to him beginning tomorrow.

Dudley Dawson: Mustain, Norman Pick College (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Mustain says Oink (subscription)
Ryan Aber: Mustain, Norman Staying Home
Otis Kirk: QB Mustain selects Hogs, quieting recruiting frenzy
Terry Wood: Mustain lightens the load for Nutt, Hogs, SHS and himself

Updated 8/16/05 9:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Mustain To Announce At 6 P.M.

From Razorback Nation:

Springdale QB and Hog recruit Mitch Mustain will announce his plans on where he`ll play his college football tonight at 6:00 p.m. We will carry the announcement live on KNWA and KARK 4.

Also:

Trey Biddy: Mustain ready to commit (subscription)

Updated 8/15/05 3:15 p.m. - Added additional links.
Update 8/15/05 4:00 p.m. - Otis Kirk posts that Andrew Norman will also announce (subscription required) tonight.
Update 8/15/05 4:30 p.m. - Mitch Mustain has agreed to appear live on Sports Rap (subscription required) after his announcement.

August Contract Ex-Tension

So we all learned Sunday that Houston Dale has a contract extension in the works.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt is to get a one-year extension of his contract to 2011, athletic director Frank Broyles said.

The final wording of the extension is still being developed, but Nutt and Broyles said there are no vexing issues to overcome.

"It's a done deal," Broyles said. "It's been a done deal since December as far as I'm concerned."

Nutt said that with players working through fall drills, he's not thinking about his contract."

I don't worry about it because it's football season and I've got blinders on," Nutt said. "I just know that the extension is going to happen and it's a good thing."

"I knew it back in December, January, whenever it was," Nutt said Saturday. "But your nose is on the grindstone. You have blinders on. You don't worry about it."

Pow! Bam! Zowie!

Former Razorback Ahmad "Batman" Carroll apparently got the worst of it today (subscription required) in a fight with wide receiver Javon Walker at Green Bay Packers mini-camp.

During the practice-ending 11-on-11 session, Carroll and Walker got into a fight, with Carroll absorbing a couple of good shots before Walker was pulled away by teammates.

Practice Reports - 8/14/2005

After showing during the first week of practice that he was the obvious choice, Robert Johnson was named the Razorbacks starting quarterback today by Houston Nutt.

"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."
...
"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."

Also:

Dudley Dawson: UA Sunday Grid Report (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Johnson's the man (subscription)
Bob Holt: Nutt says Johnson will be starting QB and Razorbacks Football Report
Nate Allen: Obvious decision

Updated 8/15/05 9:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Trashing The Turf

An intriguing article in the Democrat-Gazette today by Bob Holt on the issues the UA experienced with the practice field turf that was installed last year and subsequently replaced this summer.

One prominent name mentioned in the article was John David Lindsey, son of former Razorback football great and real estate mogul Jim Lindsey, who was hired as a subcontractor by Lasiter Construction of Little Rock to build the base of the practice field. The turf itself was sold by a company called ProGreen Sports Surfaces.

As anyone knows who visited practice last year, the field had a very noticeable incline from south to north and was obviously poorly built. For their part, the university claims that Lindsey was "only following procedure outlined by ProGreen Sports Surfaces/Forever Green Athletic Fields and agreed upon by Lasiter."

One thing the article doesn't mention is that Lindsey also built the field at Shiloh Christian Schools in nearby Springdale. In fact, the Shiloh field is still displayed as a customer on the ProGreen web site. The University of Arkansas, however, is not.

Also: UA complaint list

Updated 8/14/05 9:30 p.m. - Updated Democrat-Gazette links.

Jones Catches TD in First NFL Preseason Game

Looks like Matt Jones is off to a great start in his professional career!

Also:

Jaguars.com: Defense strong in win
Ultimate Jaguars: Big debut for rookies, but offense stalls

Practice Reports - 8/13/2005

U of A SID: Offense Gets the Best of First Two-a-Day Practices

The 65-play scrimmage was slowed and eventually cut short after injuries hampered the Hogs’ progress. Right tackle Zac Tubbs went down with a high-right ankle sprained early in the scrimmage for the first team. Cornerback Michael Grant then left a short time later with what appeared to a dislocated finger.

Also:

Clay Henry: Saturday Grid Update, 8/13 (subscription)
Nate Allen: Tubbs leaves practice with high ankle sprain
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Report
Mike Capshaw: Johnson Leads Quarterback Race

Updated 8/14/05 10:45 a.m. - Added additional links.

Practice Reports - 8/12/2005

Looks like it was a day for the defense to dominate and the offense to sputter. Also, as you would expect, some minor injuries are starting to add up to reducing practice time for a few players.

And with Friday's practice marking the first session of many this season in full pads, Mike Capshaw writes a nice article about Separating The Men From The Boys. The quotes near the end of the story about Felix Jones are especially impressive:

Freshman tailback Felix Jones broke away for several nice gains, according to teammates, during full-team drills. He showed plenty of speed in shorts, but everybody wanted to see what he could do in full pads against a defense.

Apparently, he didn't disappoint.

"Felix is phenomenal, just amazing to me," Vaughn said. "I see a young guy with tons of talent and potential who ran hard (Friday) with the ball and when you get close to tackle him, he just puts it in another gear and runs away from you.

"He's going to be exciting for fans here at Arkansas for years to come."

Also:

Dudley Dawson: UA Friday Grid Report, 8/12 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Pressure defense (subscription)
Robbie Neiswanger: Nutt Not Happy With Mistakes
Nate Allen: Turnovers plague Arkansas offense at full-pads practice
Scott Cain: Injuries, heat take their toll

Updated 8/13/05 10:00 a.m. - Added additional links.

"The Rest Of It"

Pat Forde of ESPN.com includes Houston Nutt in his column today: Coaches have different styles, same goals.

"From 6 o'clock to 11:30 every day, I'm totally devoted in the offensive film room," Nutt said. "From 12 o'clock until it's time to go to practice, that time is for the rest of it."

"The rest of it" includes checking in with defensive and special teams coaches, administrative duties, dealings with athletic director Frank Broyles, media demands or other face of the program obligations. At practice, Nutt will make some general comments to the entire team, then put on his coordinator's hat again.

The defense belongs to Herring.

"I have 100 percent, total trust in him," Nutt said. "I let him have [the defense]. He knows what he's doing."

And it's largely the same on game day. Calling the plays is "part of the game I really enjoy," Nutt said.

Like A Pro

After only moving to defensive end at the very end of spring practice, former wideout Anthony Brown appears to be one of the defensive highlights so far of fall camp. Nate Allen quotes Coach Herring:

"I don’t think there is any doubt the tempo-setter is Anthony Brown," Herring said of the wide receiver he moved to firstteam defensive end the last couple of days of last spring’s drills. "He plays like a pro. Every snap is full-speed game tempo. You throw a 40-yard pass downfield he’s down there taking off on the guy after he rushes the passer. Incredible work habits. A great example for anyone in America wanting to watch someone practice.

Whoa.

Better Looking Every Day

Looks as though Matt Jones reached a decision about the hair.

2005 Media Day Audio Clips

ARSN: 2005 Media Day Audio Clips

Hear audio clips from Head Coach Houston Nutt, Defensive Coordinator Reggie Herring, DE Anthony Brown, QB Alex Mortenson, QB Cole Barthel, RB De'Arrius Howard, RB Darren McFadden, LB Desmond Sims, RB Peyton Hillis, QB Robert Johnson and Safety Vickiel Vaughn.

"Bare...Naked...Scratch"

Reggie Herring quoted on tonight's Razorback Nation:

"We're starting from bare...naked...scratch. From the basics on up. From learning how to stand...how to buckle your chin strap. And the first three or four days has really been a nightmare to be honest with you. It's been like pulling teeth. I thought they gave into the heat early in the week."
...
"Having said that, the first day today, we finally looked like we wanted to compete and we wanted to be a good defense."

I can see now why they are limiting media access to Coach Herring. With some of great quotes he's already said, he'd get more airtime than Houston Nutt!

Practice Reports - 8/11/2005

U of A SID: Razorbacks Push Pace in Evening Practice

The Razorbacks will conduct their first full-pads practice on Friday on the practice fields just south of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The preseason’s first two-a-day practice is slated for Saturday.

Also:

Clay Henry: Thursday Grid Update, 8/11 (subscription)
Jerry Reed: Razorbacks Ready To Don Pads
Bob Holt: UA defense is gradually getting better
Trey Biddy: Hawgs grow as team (subscription)

Updated 8/12/05 7:40 a.m. - Added additional links.

Run to...Perfection

I couldn't help but notice in Scott Cain's article:

The running game itself won’t change. Arkansas still will run primarily four plays and try to run them to perfection...

I'm concerned that closing practices isn't going to help if the media insist on giving out information.

Maybe This Is Why

Earlier in the week, Otis Kirk worried that maybe the two members of the "Springdale 5" that have committed to Florida had forgotten that HDN actually passed the ball six years ago.

Who knows, Otis...maybe they are going to Florida because they want to play in a slightly more innovative offense?

No MJ...Now What?

Scott Cain asks the question everyone wants to know about the offense: So Matt Jones is gone, now what?

To me, it always seemed like we were never using Matt Jones the right way. Of course, the "right way" might have been to run the triple option every play...but coaches who would do that (like Barry Switzer or Ken Hatfield) are either long gone or almost forgotten.

In truth, there was probably no way you could ever feel like you got "the most" out of a Matt Jones because anytime you thought you did, it always seemed like he raised the bar a little higher. Here's hoping there's someone still on campus that has that quality as well.

Practice Reports - 8/10/2005

Robbie Neiswanger writes about the three new freshman running backs: Felix Jones, Darren McFadden and Michael Smith. While watching practice on Tuesday, HogBlogger and I thought Jones looked extremely impressive and Smith was very quick...but potentially a little too small to be a durable SEC back. We didn't see enough of McFadden to get a read on him.

Trey Biddy wrote yesterday about the threesome (subscription required) as well.

Also:

Trey Biddy: Wednesday practice cool for Razorbacks (subscription)
Dudley Dawson: Wednesday UA Grid Report, 8/10 (subscription)
Bob Holt: Razorbacks Football Report
U of A SID: Freshmen Impress at Practice

Updated 8/10/05 10:45 p.m. - Updated Hawgs Illustrated link.
Updated 8/11/05 9:35 a.m. - Added additional links.
Updated 8/11/05 10:15 p.m. - Updated Hogwired.com link.

Sports Rap On The 'Net

Yesterday over on the Hawgs Illustrated forums, Petunia Pig surprised everyone when she found and posted a link to the Sports Rap radio show on the web. The site, hosted by the Fort Smith Radio Group, carries Sports Rap with Chuck Barrett weekdays at 5:00 p.m CT.

Along with Press Row with Mike Irwin and Bo Mattingly, these two shows are definitely the best Razorback talk radio on the airwaves today.

The Serial Killer Hair

Looks like Matt Jones got a pretty bad rookie haircut from his teammates...but his fellow Jaguar rookies might have gotten it even worse.

Media Day

As you would expect, Reggie Herring got a lot of attention on media day:

Wally Hall: High-octane Herring revving up Razorbacks
Joe West: Controlled aggression: Fiery Reggie Herring answers some burning questions about his defense

Razorback Nation has a partial Houston Nutt transcript. (I would link to the original transcript on HogWired.com...but, as most people know, the "official site of the Razorbacks" is hardly ever "officially" up and running. Ugh.)

Also, Bob Holt joins the weight loss story bandwagon (see here) and Nate Allen says to expect to see Peyton Hillis all over the field this year.

Practice Reports - 8/9/2005

One thing that showed in Tuesday's practice was how trim and quick the entire defense looked. Robbie Neiswanger writes about something Reggie Herring has done in his first eight months that Don Decker wasn't able to do for years...get the defensive line to lay off the fried chicken and pizza.

And if you're Houston Nutt and you think all your quarterbacks are probably even in terms of ability, I guess you might as well see if they can take a lick and keep on ticking. Oh yeah...and handle a jailbreak blitz without going colorblind, too.

Also:

Clay Henry: Tuesday Grid Report, 8/9 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Tough on Tuesday (subscription)
Scott Cain: Razorbacks Football Report
Nate Allen: Hogs adjust to heat in second day of practice

Updated 8/10/05 9:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

Some Good Stuff

HawgSports.com has posted some pretty good articles in the past few days (subscription required):

Otis Kirk: Freshmen show flash
Trey Biddy: Influx of talent and Summer practice photos

As a longtime subscriber to Hawgs Illustrated online, I have to admit that I hadn't visited HawgSports.com in some time. So while I still like the forums better over at HI.com (sorry Trey and Otis), the quality of these recent articles convinced me to sign up for a HawgSports.com subscription as well.

Tuesdaze -- Last Open Practice

Tuesday's open practice was well attended by fans and media types alike, with appropriate set-ups for live shots, an extended cell phone call into a talk show, and the water girls staying busy due to the heat. The black tarp around the fence and the sunken nature of the West side of the practice field ensures a lack of breeze to the players were any to be available. ... more ...

The Unique Freak

Don Banks of SI.com says Matt Jones is the subject of much thought in the Jags camp.

Is Closing Practices Enough?

This closed practice thing has gotten a bit silly. If the media proper and the postings by various media types on message boards can be believed, we've learned that: ... more ...

All Fights Will Now Be Closed To The Public

Man...a lot of unexpected stories this morning in the Democrat-Gazette and NWA Times. It seems like they're a day late on the whole closed practice story.

Bob Holt: Open and shut case

Broyles said closing practice has been influenced by the Internet, including a situation last season where two Arkansas players got in a minor scuffle, it was reported on the Internet and Nutt had to calm down the parents.

"Fights happen at practice, it didn’t last over 15 seconds, but it was on the Internet, and the parents of both players were calling and upset that their sons had been in a fight, "Broyles said." So then [Nutt] is spending time talking to parents about that rather than coaching."

Now that story I can at least understand and appreciate, but this crap:

Wally Hall: You can blame the Internet for Nutt’s decision

Seems too much information from practices, such as plays, alignments and schemes, was being posted on various Web sites, and fans for other schools were not only getting that information for their own Web sites, but in some cases making sure the coaches at the school they support knew all they could.

With new defensive coordinator Reggie Herring making some changes, there’s no way Nutt wants the word to leak out too soon.

Can someone please tell me where these web sites are on the Internet? Trust me, I know how to Google...and I can't find a darn thing. As usual, Wally is an uninformed conspiracy theorizing idiot.

And even Terry Wood realizes they're beating a dead horse...but he joins in anyway.

"That Can't Be Accepted"

I love Reggie Herring. After telling reporters that his defensive players didn't finish up strong at the end of Monday's sweltering practice:

"I told them afterwards that, you know, that that's not where we are and that's not where we're gonna be and that can't be accepted. And that is that the adversity, the mental toughness aspect of the game, you know, we just can't do this."

Afterwards, I'm sure the media in attendence were shocked that he never once used the phrase "bounced around."

Swapping Spots

Sounds like the big news of the day was the experimentation of Zach Tubbs and Robert Felton switching positions on the offensive line. Interesting news...but a potential concern if Tubbs' ankle is still not close to being healed up.

And of course Robbie Neiswanger has to write the first practice day edition of the daily quarterbacks race story: Battle For Starting Job Begins.

Mr. Sunshine Says

Rick Schaffer likes what he sees from this year's team.

Summer speculation is over. Arkansas has started for real. Observing the first day of pre-season football practice usually brings optimism and this year is no exception. It’s easy to see why Houston Nutt privately believes the Razorbacks will be better than most pre-season experts are thinking. The Hogs appear to have as many good looking athletes on campus as they have in years.

FYI...we'll post a breaking news flash if Rick ever says he doesn't like what he sees on the Hill.

First Practice Reports

Man...I'm pumped...it's finally football season again! The first practice reports are starting to appear:

Clay Henry: Monday Grid Report, 8/8 (subscription)
Trey Biddy: Welcome Back Razorbacks (subscription)

Updated 8/8/05 9:10 p.m. - Added additional links.
Updated 8/8/05 10:30 p.m. - Updated Hawgs Illustrated link.

Cedric Cobbs Having Solid Camp

In Sunday's Boston Herald Michael Felger reports that C4 is "healthy" and "having a solid camp".

If C4 continues to do well we could see him get a few carries, and maybe quite a few if Corey Dillion gets hurt.

Secret Weapon?

That's what an article from the Buffalo News calls the Bills new special teams stud, former Razorback enigma Jason Peters.

More Fallout From Closing Practices

After Mike Irwin's rant yesterday, Nate Allen writes a more impassioned argument this morning for why closing practices are bad for the media and the fans...but not the big money boosters. So I guess the reports from the spring that Mike and Nate were the most upset at HDN about this new policy were true.

The bigger question is...will this affect their reporting of the program? Based on the emotion Mike is showing, it sure seems like no breaks will be afforded to HDN for a while. And for those of us who feel like the local media isn't tough enough on Houston, that could be a welcome change.

Scarbinsky on Nutt

I love al.com. Just last week, Paul Finebaum of the Mobile Register mentioned Houston's hot seat "status" in his Fact and fiction from Media Days column. And if you ever get a chance, hop on over to the al.com forums after an Alabama or Auburn (assuming they ever lose again) football loss. It's hilarious.

Now today, Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News writes a glowing column about Houston. So that brings up the question...is it a good or bad thing for HDN that columnists from other SEC states are begging Arkansas fans to keep him?

Hog Football Practices Closed

As expected and following a trend set during the spring, Razorback football practices will indeed be closed this season. Mike Irwin (Channel 5 KFSM and Press Row) is none too happy about it over on Hogville.net:

I got the word a few minutes ago. Forty years of tradition undone by man who doesn't understand the relationship that football program has with the fans. Good luck Houston. You're gonna need it. You just cut yourself off from one of the things that has always made this program special.
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There will be plenty of fans who agree with this decision. They'll buy into Nutt's baloney that the players don't want to be distracted. That's the main problem I have with Houston. He thinks people can't see through his sanitized explanations for the decisions he makes.

From what I've heard, Mike and Nate Allen were the most pissed off about this in the spring. Looks like he definitely confims that in this post!

It's funny that, in a lot of ways, having a policy like this allows people like me who aren't officially reporting on the Razorbacks to "cover" them almost as good as the major media outlets. At least during the practice week, that is. Game day coverage, of course, will always be done better by members of the "official" press.

Mustain's Mom Speaks

In case you missed it, Dudley Dawson posted yesterday afternoon on a phone interview with Beck Campbell (subscription required), Mitch Mustain's mother. Not a whole lot of new information, but Dudley lets her shoot down several rumors going around. Some of the post subjects:

• Where is Arkansas in the pic right now?


• Are Bartley, Damian, others recruiting Mitch?


• Coach Gus Malzahn's involvement


• Will the decision come on ESPN?

Updated 8/8/05 10:05 a.m. - Corrected link to post.

Reporting Day

It was a typical reporting day...always a few who don't make it. This year it was Zack Snider (attending a wedding), Vickiel Vaughn (family obligations) and Jamaal Anderson (bad car alternator). Is it me, or does it always seem like every year that somebody's car breaks down? Where's Steve Landers or Bob Carver when you need them?

Nate Allen's already bringing up the quarterback race. Sounds like Robert Johnson's voice has dropped a few octaves, so now he must be ready to be a SEC QB. Couldn't that just be puberty kicking in, Nate? But the whole "I'm 85% right now and full speed by Sept. 3rd" thing is a little ominous sounding to me. Let's just hope he's 100% by Vanderbilt on September 10th.

Bob Holt: Making themselves at home
Mike Capshaw: Hogs Unify During Summer Workouts
Clay Henry: Hog Gridders Report (subscription)

Finally, as usual, Wally Hall is writing about anything other than things people want to read. What...no softball to write about today, Wally? Can someone please tell him Razorback football practice starts tomorrow?

Preparing For Practice

Lots of good pre-reporting news. Man, these guys are some of the unsung heroes of the program: Equipment Managers Play Key Role As Players Report. It feels like Tim and Mark have been here forever.

Looks like D’Nerian Wrighter's not coming back and Michael Bibbs is having clearinghouse issues. A mention in there of Landon Leach as well. Like all hog fans, I sure feel bad for that kid.

Bob Holt says Houston should get an award. Uh...not sure I'm with you there, Bob. Let's see what he "does for me lately."

So Here We Go...

So you may be asking:

What the heck am I thinking? My life is crazy busy and now I'm adding even more to it? Oh well, with Razorback football practice starting tomorrow, I guess it's now or never.

What the heck is a blog? See here.

Who the heck is TipsterHog? I guess I'll fill you in as we go. Until then, here's my Blogger.com profile.

Why the heck should I read this blog? Well...that's up to you of course. Hopefully, you'll find it a useful compliment to the existing web sites you read (like Hawgs Illustrated and WholeHogSports) and talk radio shows you listen to (like Sports Rap and Press Row). The difference is that this is a fan blog...written by Hog fans...and, hopefully, read by Hog fans.

Are you making money with this blog? Uh...no. No ad money. No paid opinions. No plans to do either in the future.

Will there be opinion on this blog? Absolutely. Maybe not enough for some...maybe more than what others want to stomach. Either way, a blog is by definition a personal log and I see this medium as a way for me (and hopefully a team of fans that I want to recruit) to express my (our) opinions. That said, the comments area will always be open to your opinions in return.

So here we go...to the best of my knowledge, the first Arkansas Razorbacks fan blog on the Internet. Who knows...this blog might live for years to come...or for a week. We'll see...