MEMPHIS — UA out to avoid slip-ups
Arkansas shifted its Liberty Bowl practice venue on a chilly, wet Wednesday to the Memphis University School, an upscale all boys institution that has a synthetic playing surface.
Several Razorbacks had reported slipping on cuts and routes as the team practiced on the natural grass surface at Rhodes College on Monday and Tuesday. The Liberty Bowl has synthetic turf, and Coach Bobby Petrino wanted to get in some workouts on a similar surface before Saturday’s kickoff against East Carolina.
“It was good to be out there and see the type of speed we’re going to have, the timing of everything ... and the cuts,” Petrino said.
“The last couple of days we were kind of taking care of ourselves, making sure we weren’t going to hurt anything on our cuts, but today was good to be able to do it full speed.” New outlook
Arkansas’ veterans detect a different tone to their Liberty Bowl preparation as compared to their work for the 2008 Cotton Bowl after Coach Houston Nutt departed for Ole Miss.
“Nobody was really focused on the game because so much was going on,” senior Malcolm Sheppard said. “A lot of players were loyal to Coach Nutt.
“It was just a confusing time for everybody.
... The preparation for that game wasn’t there. The commitment to the team wasn’t there for that game.”
Current Coach Bobby Petrino was hired Dec. 10, 2007, but an amalgam of coaches from Nutt’s staff, with the only holdovers being Bobby Allen and Tim Horton, prepared the Razorbacks for that Cotton Bowl, won 38-7 by Missouri.
“This is a lot better,” Sheppard said. “Everything is structured now.
Everybody knows why we’re here, what we’re here for and what we’re going to do.” Can you go now?
East Carolina’s Skip Holtz laughed when asked if he believes Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett might be distracted by his decision about whether to declare for the NFL Draft.
“As long as he decides before the bowl game to leave, I’m very supportive of his decision,” Holtz quipped.
Turning serious, Holtz said he doesn’t believe Mallett has been distracted.
“I certainly don’t think he’s sitting in meetings, watching film and breaking down East Carolina going, ‘Hmm, what should I do’ ” Holtz said.
Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino confirmed Wednesday that Mallett has indeed been focused.
“I don’t think you could ask anything more than what he’s given,” Petrino said. “He’s been great in the meetings, he’s been very, very good at practice, not only on leading but understanding what we’re going to do.
“He’s very into it, and I expect him to have a good game.” Walking in Memphis
Cornerback Greg Gatson has been an unofficial member of the Memphis visitor’s bureau this week as the Memphis native has shown some of his Arkansas teammates around town.
“I’ve been showing them around downtown and showing them down on Beale Street,” Gatson said. “I’m just trying to give them a good experience in Memphis. I didn’t want anyone to say anything bad about it.”
Gatson and defensive end Tenarius Wright are the only scholarship Razorbacks from Memphis, a city Bobby Petrino said will play more into Arkansas’ recruiting.
Average Hogs?
East Carolina defensive coordinator Greg Hudson said it “just drove me nuts” when a media member referred to Arkansas as an average SEC team.
“I don’t know what that is. That does not exist, OK?” Hudson said. “There’s no such thing as an average SEC team. They’re in that league, they’re there for a reason. They’re recruited to that school for a reason, because they’re good.”
Arkansas finished 3-5 in SEC play and is among 10 conference teams in the postseason.
Remembering ’04
Bobby Petrino has fond recollections of his Louisville team’s Liberty Bowl experience in 2004, despite challenging weather conditions.
“I think we had an ice storm,” Petrino said. “We had to share the University of Memphis indoor facility with Boise State.
... You’d have your offense in there for an hour and a half and the defense would go in for an hour and a half, so it was really a challenge in your preparation for the game.”
Petrino said the temperature was about 62 degrees on game day, presenting near-perfect conditions.
The Cardinals won a 44-40 shootout that day, the highest-scoring game in Liberty Bowl history.
Forecasters are calling for a high in the upper 30s for Arkansas vs. East Carolina on Saturday, with about a 10 percent chance of rain.
Sports, Pages 18 on 12/31/2009