FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman threw his backing solidly behind sophomore quarterback KJ Jefferson a couple of times during his Monday news conference.
Jefferson went 12-of-21 passing for 126 yards and 1 touchdown in Saturday's 38-17 season-opening win against Rice. Jefferson passed for 21 yards in the first half, but his teammates dropped at least three passes.
He also had a few throws that sailed well over their intended targets but was a difference-maker with his running, accounting for the first two Arkansas touchdowns and amassing 89 rushing yards on nine carries.
"I think KJ probably took a lot of heat this week," Pittman said. "Everybody's got their opinion, but the one that really matters is mine. He's our quarterback, and he's going to be a heck of a quarterback for us.
"You can't erase what's happened. We can't erase that we didn't have a good first half, but you also probably need to talk about that the kid played well in the second half, too. He corrected it."
Jefferson wound up with the nation's top running grade among all FBS quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pittman was asked whether the coaches had the intention of playing backup quarterback Malik Hornsby.
"Your intentions are always your intentions before the game starts, and then when the game starts like it did for us, especially offensively, you're trying to fix your starter and you're trying to fix your starters.
"I wouldn't have one bit of a problem playing Malik, to answer your question. I think he would give us something different, a little bit, because of his speed, but he can also throw the ball. We just got caught up in a bad first half. We were just trying to fix it the entire first half and obviously after halftime."
Pittman said he wasn't "too concerned" about the balls sailing high on Jefferson.
"If he has problems, it's high," Pittman added. "But you know, I was watching some tape on some high school kids that are 4- and 5-stars and they miss plays, they miss it, too. I've seen Dan Marino miss a pass, you know what I mean?"
Pittman said the disappointing part to him were a couple of passes Jefferson could have thrown away and didn't, including his only interception when he was rolling right and tried to fire one into Ketron Jackson Jr. on the sideline. Rice cornerback Sean Fresch tracked the play and jumped in front of Jackson for the pick just before going out of bounds.
"That right there was stress," Pittman said. "That came from not having early success, and [Jefferson] trying to make a miracle happen out here. When we can just throw it away. I think he would throw it away nine times out of 10. I think he was pressing at that point."
Roster update
Treylon Burks is expected to be at practice all week, Coach Sam Pittman said Monday, after the receiver missed a large chunk of work during preseason camp and looked rusty in the season opener.
"I've been in coaching for a long, long time, and like probably anything in life, if you don't do it on a regular basis, it's hard to go and perform at your peak," Pittman said. "That's what happened with Burks. We were hoping with a little of Wednesday and all of Thursday, that he would come out and play really well.
"He didn't, and he'll say that. It's not his fault. He was hurt. He's practicing today, and he's practicing all week. He came out of the game very healthy."
Defensive tackle John Ridgeway should be able to make his Razorback debut Saturday, Pittman added.
The 6-5, 320-pound graduate transfer from Illinois State missed the 38-17 win over Rice while recovering from an appendectomy the previous weekend.
Ridgeway was in his No. 99 jersey at Monday's practice, while Burks wore a green no-contact jersey.
Burks and safety Jalen Catalon were the only Razorbacks wearing green Monday.
Safety Myles Slusher, who was out last week with an undisclosed injury, was wearing a red No. 2 on Monday.
Senior safety Joe Foucha got to briefly address the team after Monday's flex with a few encouraging lines before the team broke it down with jumping jacks and hustled into group drills.
Sellout
The Razorbacks have announced Saturday's game against former Southwest Conference rival Texas as a sellout, the first for the program since 2017.
No. 23 TCU's 28-7 win over the Hogs on Sept. 9, 2017, was a sellout with an announced attendance of 73,668. Later that season, attendance for Auburn's 52-20 win on Oct. 21 was listed as 71,961. Attendance dropped into the low and mid 60,000 range for Arkansas' home games against Coastal Carolina, Mississippi State and Missouri to finish that season, and it had not recovered since.
Go low
Sam Pittman was asked whether there is something the Razorbacks can do in film study or practice drills to avoid targeting calls that resulted in the ejection of linebackers Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool against Rice.
"Man, if I knew we wouldn't be having them," Pittman said. "We're going to change our target down a little lower, our tackling target."
Pittman said he's talked with defensive coordinator Barry Odom and linebackers coach Michael Scherer about what can be done about the targeting calls.
"The bottom line is right now if you get a physical tackle, they're going to review it," Pittman said. "You've just got to make sure that head gear is out of there. And it's not just that. You can't hit the head at all, whether it be shoulder pad or anything.
"I understand the rule. I think there's a lot of good thought behind that rule. It's just the punishment seems to be very harsh to me."
Top 'Horn
Texas running back Bijan Robinson was named the Big 12 offensive player of the week and the Walter Camp Foundation national offensive player of the week for his performance in a 38-18 win over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Robinson rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries and had 4 receptions for 73 yards and scored twice.
He has scored multiple touchdowns in three consecutive games.
"Robinson is hard to tackle," Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said. "He has elusiveness as far as in space, but he also runs over you. He's got a lot of speed. I just really like him."
Confident Parker
Junior linebacker Andrew Parker played with the first-team defense for 42 plays against Rice.
Parker was called up to play his longest stretch as a Razorback when he replaced Grant Morgan in the first half and Bumper Pool in the second half after both linebackers were ejected for targeting.
Pool played 61 snaps, Hayden Henry 37 and Morgan 6.
Last season, Parker played 143 snaps at linebacker and 122 on special teams. In 2019, he was in for 96 total plays, including 72 on defense.
"I think he's playing more confident," Coach Sam Pittman said. "He's reading guards, reading his triangle through, playing physical.
"If you saw him play last year, to me it was like he was almost questioning everything. Almost like a freshman where, 'I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to do and I'm a half-step behind.' He didn't play that way the other day."
Parker had four tackles.
"He's really a good story," Pittman said. "I think he was frustrated last year because of his playing minutes, and he just stayed in there and got better and better. Certainly, he's a two right now, but we needed him as a one. He came in and did a fine job. He was ready.
"You have to give him credit for being mature, working hard and making some nice open field tackles. I was proud of him."
Morris' momentum
Receiver Tyson Morris is back for his sixth season, including his fifth with Arkansas, after undergoing shoulder surgery. He started against Rice and had three catches for 42 yards with a 9-yard touchdown.
"When he decided to be a super senior and come back, he wasn't a starter," Coach Sam Pittman said. "Had shoulder surgery, and then ... I think he made the decision that, 'I'm going to do everything I can. I'm bought in.' I'm not saying he wasn't last year, but he is now. He's put on weight, he's put on strength, and he earned that spot.
"I'm just really proud of the guy. He's made himself into a good ballplayer."