FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema noted Monday that a combination of factors helped contribute to quarterback Brandon Allen's sub-par passing performance during Saturday's scrimmage.
Allen completed 10 of 23 passes for 110 yards with an interception and had a stretch of seven consecutive incomplete passes during the middle portion of the workout.
"First, it was the first time that we'd had some live rush in his face like that," Bielema said. "But also his No. 1 receiver wasn't there."
Senior Keon Hatcher, the Razorbacks' top receiver who has a strong rapport with Allen, missed the scrimmage with a bruised shoulder.
Bielema said that with Hatcher out and top tight ends Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle already proven weapons in the passing game, offensive coordinator Dan Enos made a concerted effort to target other receivers.
Jared Cornelius had four catches for 70 yards and Drew Morgan had four for 56 yards to lead the receivers during the scrummage. Redshirt freshman Jojo Robinson had three catches for 46 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown, and junior transfer Dominique Reed had three for 42.
Vision change
Sophomore Khalia Hackett needs to have more growth at middle linebacker, Coach Bret Bielema suggested Monday.
"Khalia Hackett was a safety two years ago and now all of a sudden he's in the middle of our defense, calling plays," Bielema said. "We wanted him to come along quicker.
"One of the things he has been deficit at is seeing guard pulls, and that's something we'll see early on in the season, and we do a lot of it."
Bielema said to help Hackett concentrate better on reading plays, he asked staff members to tape a stripe down the middle of Hackett's helmet, which in film study should show him where he is looking.
"I don't think his eyes were where they need to be all the time," Bielema said. "We had a big discussion about that, and I think that's going to help him."
Brooks Ellis, the weak side "Will" linebacker who started in the middle "Mike" spot last year, could move back to the middle, Bielema said.
"We're not going to do anything with Brooksie, moving him right now," Bielema said. "But I think that's something in the back of our minds you can always do. If you don't like where we're going at Mike, you could always move Brooks back in there and see who can play Will for us."
Freshman Dre Greenlaw is working at second-team weakside linebacker behind Ellis.
Captains ahead
Bret Bielema said the players would vote on team captains tonight. Quarterback Brandon Allen is the lone returning team captain from last season.
Senior running back Jonathan Williams was likely in line to be voted as a team captain prior to his foot injury and might be elected to serve in absentia, much as tailback Knile Davis did in 2011.
New man
Fayetteville High School product Damani Carter has joined Arkansas' 105-man camp roster, taking the spot occupied by injured tailback Jonathan Williams.
Carter, a 6-o0, 232-pound fullback, had planned to enroll at Army this fall. But after paperwork problems cropped up, he decided to accept an offer for preferred walk-on status at Arkansas.
"Coach [Jemal] Singleton is great," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in July. "He knows a lot and I need to learn a lot."
Chart toppers
Bret Bielema said Monday that after personnel meetings with his coaching staff Sunday, Arkansas' depth chart will have undergone at least a light shuffle when members of the media view the opening four periods of practice today.
Senior Bowl list
The Senior Bowl revealed its watch list Monday, and Arkansas was represented by quarterback Brandon Allen, safety Rohan Gaines, receiver Keon Hatcher, offensive guard Sebastian Tretola and tailback Jonathan Williams.
Strong at weakside
Brooks Ellis and his backup, freshman Dre Greenlaw, each had eight tackles in Saturday's scrimmage.
Greenlaw, who played safety at Fayetteville High School, also had two tackles for 1-yard losses. Ellis also played at Fayetteville.
"Dre Greenlaw has been a nice flash for us," Bret Bielema said. "You see him make some nice contact out there and continue to do some impressive things every day."
Bielema said Greenlaw is up to 231 pounds.
"I gave him a hard time because I was following him in the hallway and his britches look like they were going to split," Bielema said. "He was still wearing his Fayetteville High shorts."
Harris shines again
Linebacker Josh Harris, a redshirt freshman walk-on, was among the leading tacklers in scrimmages last spring, and he carried that over with eight tackles Saturday.
"Josh Harris continues to be very impressive in the run game and do a lot of really, really good things," Bret Bielema said.
Crash and recover
Safety Santos Ramirez had Saturday's hardest hit, a big collision with tailback Jonathan Williams that jarred the football free after a 2-yard run on the first play of red zone work from the 20-yard line. Nickel back Kevin Richardson recovered the loose ball.
The coaching staff continued the series, which finished with Cole Hedlund's 33-yard field goal.
Kick stats
Kickers Cole Hedlund, Lane Saling and Adam McFain combined to make just 5 of 8 field-goal attempts during the opening part of Saturday's practice prior to the scrimmage. The group went 4 for 4 in the scrimmage, all from between 31 and 33 yards.
Boot it
First-team punter Toby Baker followed up a tame showing Thursday with a big performance Saturday. Baker hit two punts of more than 50 yards during the opening part of practice, then had a 50-yarder during the scrimmage that went into the end zone for a 30-yard net. Freshman Blake Johnson's punting was not as powerful.
Switch back
Freshman Jamario Bell, who got practice work at strong-side linebacker during the first week of camp, played with his hand on the ground at end with the third unit Saturday. Bell signed as a defensive end and the coaching staff is looking for the best ways to use him as an edge rusher.
Sports on 08/18/2015