Razorbacks report

Hogs jam to the beat of Bielema

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema watches the Razorbacks warm up during practice Saturday morning at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema watches the Razorbacks warm up during practice Saturday morning at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas fans were greeted with not only an open gate at Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the first time this spring, but some pre-scrimmage reggae music on the sound system courtesy of Coach Bret Bielema.

The music came from the short playlist on Bielema’s iPod.

“I know there are 18 great jams on there,” Bielema said. “It happened about five minutes before practice. It was kind of neat with the sound and the beat. Kids love music. It kind of gets it popping a little bit, and that’s the only reason you do it.”

Bielema said the reggae music, which is one of his favorite genres, is a blend that can have broad appeal.

“Today was my mix,” he said. “We’ll figure it out from here. It seemed to put everyone in a good mood. I was in a good mood.”

Bielema said he had been anticipating opening up a scrimmage to the public when he “felt good about the product,” and spring practice No. 9 was the opening.

“I really just felt at the beginning phases of the development of this program and working with our kids, I wanted to work with them in an environment where it was us and them,” he said. “We could correct off film and we could talk to the media, but I really didn’t want to hear a bunch of people’s opinions about what was going on.”

Injury report

Offensive tackle David Hurd went to the sideline with a knee injury and returned to the scrimmage before leaving again.

“I knew he wanted to get back out there badly,” Coach Bret Bielema said.

Chris Stringer received first-team work at tackle while Hurd was out. Bielema said Stringer did “OK” and added that he bounced back from a knee injury last week.

“I thought he might be out for one or two weeks, and he was back out there,” Bielema said.

Tight end Mitchell Loewen, who sustained an ankle injury in last week’s scrimmage, dressed out and went through drills but didn’t scrimmage Saturday.

“They told us he wasn’t going to be back in spring ball,” Bielema said. “We didn’t let him rep in the scrimmage today, but we’ll get good work out of him these next two weeks, and we’re very, very excited about that.”

Fullback Kody Walker, who underwent surgery for a broken leg last season, has practiced on a limited basis. He hasn’t taken part in either of the two scrimmages.

Big backs

The Razorbacks ran one goal-line play with 254-pound Patrick Arinze blocking for 246-pound Kiero Small, who bulled in for a 4-yard score.

The pair combined for 500 pounds of big back.

“[Small] plays extremely low to the ground, and he’s extremely powerful,” Coach Bret Bielema said. “He’s got a big, big a, and in football that’s a good thing.”

Bielema said the package was given a “cute little name, I think 21 Bam or 22 Bam. That’s him and Arinze. Together they weigh as much as our right guard and right tackle.”

Jonesing some stats

Senior linebacker Austin Jones was all over the field Saturday, scoring a defensive touchdown on a 33-yard fumble return and posting three tackles for loss, including a sack while working mostly with the second unit.

“I’ve been impressed with Austin Jones,” Bret Bielema said. “He kind of reminds me of a guy who is always in the right place. He’s very smart. He’s got some good instincts. He can probably play all three [linebacker] positions. … He’s taken to Coach [Randy] Shannon particularly well.”

Green means stop

The quarterbacks wear green jerseys, meaning they aren’t supposed to be hit, but defensive end Chris Smith got a little overzealous during the scrimmage and bumped Brandon Allen to the ground just after he delivered a pass.

It’s not the kind of play that would draw a penalty in a game, but it undoubtedly would have drawn the ire of former Razorbacks Coach Bobby Petrino.

When Jake Bequette brushed the upraised arm of Ryan Mallett in a spring scrimmage a few years ago, Petrino became upset and let Bequette know how big a mistake he’d made. Bequette said after the scrimmage he expected to be punished with extra conditioning work.

No coach appeared to say anything to Smith after he knocked down Allen, who quickly got up and went on to the next play.

DQ for TQ?

Safety TQ Coleman received a 15-yard penalty for hitting receiver Keon Hatcher in the chest deep downfield on an overthrown pass. Hatcher stayed down for a minute after having the wind knocked out of him.

The hit, on a defenseless receiver, could be subject to an ejection based on new rules to be applied in college football this season.

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said earlier this year he was an advocate of the new rule.

Philon coming on

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Darius Philon had two tackles for lost yards, including a 7-yard sack.

“He kind of went through some trials and tribulations during our first couple of months together,” Bret Bielema said. “He’s persevered. I’m very, very excited about the progress he’s made. I love him.

“He’s got a great look in his eyes, great energy, very gifted athlete. Today he got more reps than he had. He kind of had to earn his way back with us a little bit.

He’s proved to me and our coaches, and proved to his teammates, that he’s here to do the right things and compete at an SEC level. I think he’s going to continue to do nothing but grow.”

Turner back

Linebacker A.J. Turner is a wearing a cast for the broken bone in his right wrist, but the sophomore got in for a series Saturday and had two tackles. He missed last Saturday’s scrimmage.

Coach Bret Bielema said Turner is “very limited” in practice.

“I’ve also asked him to do certain things away from the game, to get that shored up a little bit and to make sure we are on track to what we need to do,” Bielema said.

Mitchell’s rise

If Tevin Mitchel can be counted, the Razorbacks have four Mitchells on their spring roster plus a signee, quarterback Damon Mitchell, coming in during the summer.

“I’ve got so many Mitchells,” Bret Bielema said when asked about the linebacker position, at which both Braylon Mitchell and Jerry Mitchell, no relation, play. “I’ve got like 17 Mitchells. [No.] 34, I forget which one it is, but it’s Mitchell. Braylon … the last two weeks he’s been a guy that’s been on a steady climb every day. He really just does a lot of nice things to be in the right spots.”

Braylon Mitchell had a 12-yard sack of Brandon Allen on a botched screen play Saturday.

Sports, Pages 32 on 04/07/2013

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