Speed zone ahead

Davis gets edge if TE seals deal

Former Arkansas running back Knile Davis was drafted by the Chiefs on Friday.
Former Arkansas running back Knile Davis was drafted by the Chiefs on Friday.

— When Arkansas tailback Knile Davis rushed for 1,322 yards in 2010, a lot of those yards came on the outside zone play.

“I like all the running plays, don’t get me wrong,” Davis said, “but outside zone is a great way to stretch the defense, and I like the track and to get outside and use my speed.

“That’s my No. 1 play.”

The outside zone run wasn’t as big a part of the Razorbacks’ offense last year, when Davis suffered a season-ending ankle injury in August.

“Hopefully, that’s a play we can get back in our arsenal that we weren’t as good at last year,” running backs coach Tim Horton said. “Last year run-wise we were probably more of a direct team, an isolation team, and so if we can get that outside zone element back into our package, I think that will help us.”

Davis, a redshirt junior, is back to full speed and looking forward to getting outside for big gains again. He ran the team’s fastest 40-yard dash in the offseason at 4.33 seconds, according to numbers released by Arkansas’ strength and conditioning staff.

“To run the outside zone, you’ve got to have speed,” Davis said. “I guess I bring that to it.”

The outside zone is designed to get the running back to the edge behind a wall of blockers who have positioned themselves between the opposing team’s defenders and the sideline. A key element is having a tight end who can seal the edge against a defensive end, something D.J. Williams did well as a senior in 2010.

Williams, who won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end that season and is now with the Green Bay Packers, is fourth on Arkansas’ career list with 152 receptions, but his improved blocking in 2010 was a key element for Davis’ rushing success.

“D.J. was a big reason why we were such a terrific outside zone team,” Horton said.

Tight end Chris Gragg, who caught 41 passes for 518 yards last season as Williams’ replacement, said he’s excited about showing off his blocking skills.

“Knile’s one of the best outside zone runners in the country,” Gragg said. “Hopefully I can set that edge, so he can get out there and make something happen.”

Arkansas’ coaches have challenged Gragg, a fifth-year senior, to become a better blocker, as they did with Williams, to become a complete tight end.

“To get the ball outside, Chris has to be a big part of that as a blocker,” offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. “We’ve told him that’s what he has to do for us, and for himself, too.

“He has to show that on film this year. We always say the film’s our resume. ... I think he’s gotten himself stronger, and he’s worked on his technique, and now he needs to take that step this year to show he can be a good blocker also.”

Davis said Gragg’s blocking has improved noticeably since last season.

“Chris has done an unbelievable job this camp with his blocking,” Davis said. “He sat out one practice, and you could tell Chris was missing.

“He’s doing a great job of setting that edge we need.”

Sports, Pages 21 on 08/19/2012

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