Razorbacks report

CB Curl impresses in defeat

Kamren Curl
Kamren Curl

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said freshman cornerback Kamren Curl played very well in his first start last week.

"It's not surprising to any of us who watch him on the practice field every day," Rhoads said. "I would say he was sort of quiet out there. You noticed him when he got beat deep and that the kid dropped the ball. I don't know how much you noticed him the rest of the game. With a good corner, sometimes that's the case."

TCU quarterback Kenny Hill attacked Curl deep a few times but was unable to connect with his receivers. Freshman Jalen Reagor turned Curl around on a post route, but could not hang on to a slightly overthrown ball in the end zone that that could resulted into a 32-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

"On the post, he got me turned and got behind me," Curl said. "Other than that, I thought I did pretty good.

"I felt I held my own. It was really a quiet game for me, so as a corner that's very good."

Rhoads said Curl's work in coverage was solid in the 28-7 loss.

"He played his loose coverage better," Rhoads said. "He played his press coverage very well. He did not have a lot of opportunities as far as tackling, but is very capable and ready for that."

Curl was credited with one solo tackle for the game.

The 6-1, 193-pounder from Muskogee, Okla., said he got over his anxiety quickly.

"Right before, I had a bunch of nerves, but I had to go in and I'm in that situation for a reason," he said. "The nerves went away right before the game."

Ones against ones

The Razorbacks' first-team offense and defense practiced against each other Wednesday and did some drill work Thursday.

"The last two days have been pretty physical," linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. "Full-padded.

"Just trying to get good against good and speed against speed instead of going with the scouts all the time."

Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady said it's good for the starters to go against each other to simulate game speed.

"It's real looks," he said. "Sometimes the scout team doesn't go hard or 100 percent, so when we're going ones versus ones it gives us that game-like feel. That helps us tremendously."

Said quarterback Austin Allen, "We got after it Wednesday and today. It's the offense getting better, with more cohesion, just everyone playing hard every single snap.

"I think we really did that the past two days. I think the passing game yesterday and today was clicking. We'll get more routes on Saturday and keep continuing to get better."

Bummed out

Quarterback Austin Allen called the loss to TCU a "disappointment" and "embarrassing" and that the team is trying to put it behind them.

"No one feels worse than us on the field," he said. "They can say all they want. We put in all that work throughout the year and to have things kind of happen like that on Saturday it's really disappointing, because we know how hard we worked, how much preparation we put in. For it to unravel like that in the fourth quarter is disappointing. It's something that we'll learn from and get better."

Backing Bret

Senior nose guard Bijhon Jackson tweeted support for Coach Bret Bielema on Saturday after the Razorbacks' 28-7 loss to TCU.

"Bret Bielema is MY coach," Jackson tweeted. "At the end of the day, players have to get it done."

Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who has a Twitter account but joked he doesn't know anything about social media, said he appreciated what Jackson said.

"Love the attitude like that and I love the attitude of our kids," Rhoads said Wednesday. "Bijhon's not singled out in that regard. Our kids have been phenomenal since January and after a loss that hasn't changed, that hasn't altered.

"I knew the meeting Sunday would be sensational because they'd come ready to be coached and ready to learn in the process."

'Be positive'

Bret Bielema delivered a message about supporting the team at the end of his Wednesday news conference when he was asked how the players are reacting to "negativity on social media" after the TCU loss.

"Every fan or anybody that's getting on our players, everybody that says anything about me or another coach, understand we came here with all the same ideas as well. We want to be successful," Bielema said.

"We want to give success on Saturdays just as much as anybody, even tenfold. But today's world is mean and that's just what it is."

Bielema said players would be better off with supportive fans.

"I just look out for some people's well-being too," he said. "... if you sit there and scream bloody murder about how bad we suck, you're going to carry that into your personal life. And I feel bad for them.

"If they sat there and said, 'Let's go Hogs,' they might feel a little better, might have better blood pressure, better color. When you get your face red from screaming it's not a good thing. Try to be positive. It might work for everybody."

More prep run

The Razorbacks will play a third consecutive game to open the season in which they will have had extra preparation time.

After playing the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 31 after an extended camp due to new NCAA practice guidelines, Arkansas had two extra days to prepare for its game against TCU.

The Razorbacks have an open date this weekend in advance of next Saturday's game against Texas A&M while the Aggies are hosting Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.

Hair loss

Quarterback Austin Allen got a haircut Sunday, prior to his speaking appearance with the Fayetteville High Bulldogs at his alma mater on Monday.

"I needed something new in my life and that's what I did," Allen said. "I just woke up on Sunday and it was all over the place, so I needed it off."

Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady said Allen looked like backup quarterback Ty Storey from behind, and he almost called Allen by the wrong name this week.

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"I thought he was a completely different person because I was so used to the locks just waving around in the wind," O'Grady said. "I didn't really recognize him. I like it, though. He looks good. Good-looking guy. "

Sports on 09/15/2017

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