Ask Mike: Fall Camp Breakdown, Coaches Cussing & Alyssa Trumps Holtz In Paris

Q. Our first question is from Hawgredneck who wants to know: We’re into the first week of football practice, how do they look?

A. I think they’re off to a really good start. The thing I like best is the give and take between offense and defense. I’ve seen fall camps where one of the other dominates. Last year for instance where there was no question the defense was winning the battle almost every day. I like Taylen Green’s passing. He still gets off some bad throws but he’s more accurate than he was last spring. Multiple receivers are looking good. Isaiah Sategna, Tyrone Broden, Andrew Armstrong Isaac Te’Slaa, Jordan Anthony, Bryce Stephens, Dazmin James and Monte Harrison, the ex baseball player, have all made impressive catches but there have also been plenty of pass break ups and picks. Kee’yon Stewart, TJ Metcalf, Jaylon Braxton, Akari Johnson, Jaheim Singletary and of course the old man of the group, Hudson Clark are all looking going and the list goes on and on. Travis Woodson said when he went to the portal after last season he was out to get depth and get those guys on campus in time for spring football. He describes the room as filled with speed, guys who can jump and guys with a high football IQ. A PhD in football, the kind that gets a player to the NFL.

Q. HL McCamish says: I’ve watched the various football workout clips on X and Facebook. I like what I see. Is coach letting you guys shoot more so far? Seems like he’s letting us see more than last year.

A. Yes. We went seven periods on day one. Four or five is normal. Also usually there’s at least one of those periods where we can watch at not shoot. We certainly appreciate the ability to provide extra coverage. This is really a carry over from last spring where two of the spring scrimmages were open to the media and the fans. I think Sam Pittman knows he’s got to win the fans back over after that terrible finish to last season. He believes this will be a totally different team in 2024 and he wants the fans to see that it’s not just talk going into the season opener. Kudos to him for realizing that and doing something about it.

Q. KYHog asks: Why do they call it “Fall Camp” and what is the most overlooked part of Fall Camp?

A. The fall part is misleading because it won’t be fall until late September. I’m guessing it’s done to distinguish between summer workouts and actual pre-season workouts in full pads with coaches on the field every day. The term camp goes back to a time when coaches took teams to a remote location, housed and fed them in dorms and worked them out for two weeks. If you’ve ever seen the movie “Remember the Titans” or if you’re really old like me and you remember Bear Bryant’s Junction City Boys you understand the idea behind a pre-season camp.. The players breathe, eat and sleep nothing but football for those 14 days. Supposedly it fosters relationships and teamwork.

It’s not done that way now. Today “camp” simply means the players aren’t going to classes. Usually that’s the first two weeks. That last two weeks they are in regular season mode. Going to class in the morning, practicing in the afternoon, studying at night and going to bed.

What’s the most overlooked part? Everything that’s done the summer before Fall Camp starts. Mainly weight training and conditioning. If you start the season behind on that stuff you’ll stay behind. By all accounts Arkansas is in good shape. Strength and Conditioning coach Ben Sowders says in 16 years on he job he’s never worked with a better group than this one.

Q. The Hawk Hawkins wants to know: Got any idea if Pitt will let these guys do full speed tackling before the first game? It’s a risk but I say you got to take a chance. Touch football don’t work.

A. I would think so since he did it last season but they aren’t going in full pads until Tuesday of week two. Pittman will be asked about it. I agree, it’s risky but it needs to be done.

Q. Lanny asks: Did you see where Petrino kicked a receiver off the field for not finishing a play after the catch? The old Petrino would probably have done more than that but it’s nice to see that he still doesn’t put up with a halfway effort from his players.

A. There’s been an interesting reaction to that video. Some players from Petrino’s days as a head coach here pointed out that it would have been a whole lot worse back then. What I noticed was that he yelled at the kid and, as you said, removed him from the drill, but there was no cussing involved. To me this is more evidence that Petrino has changed. He still demanding but the focus is correction with out all the drama.

Q. Eddy Lynn says: There’s a video on the Internet that’s gone viral showing a youth football coach cussing in front of his players. Everybody seems to agree the guy should be fired. You’re old school. Did coaches in your day get fired just for cussing?

A. The biggest issue with that video was the age of the kids involved. That kind of language would get noticed and criticized even on a college team but with junior high and below it’s really unacceptable. Bob Vanoy, my 7th grade coach, would cut loose with a few expletives but never anything as bad as that. As time goes by that way of speaking to players is gradually going away even at the college level.

Q. RazorAlex88 says: Recruiting for the future classes is looking good despite the deafening noise that went/going on surrounding Coach Pittman’s job security. I’m sipping the Koolaid from a shot glass right now, hoping for a better season than 2023!

A. It’s interesting that in the late spring Pittman was getting roasted for losing top in-state players to Oklahoma and Missouri. Some fan were predicting disaster. Now Pittman and is staff are striking back, getting the top player from Oklahoma to commit and another who is in the top 5. Also a running back from Little Rock Parkview has picked Arkansas over Missouri.

I suspect that as these recruits come in and see what is going to right now, it’s easier to convince them that the 2023 team is history. Current players are selling them, not just Arkansas coaches. If the team rebounds this fall I expect to see a big jump in recruiting. The future is promising.

Q. hobhog Wants to know: Do we even know who and when we play in 2025? Seems we used to know our football schedule years in advance.

A. It will probably be December before that schedule is official but it is pretty much set. There are so many changes taking place in college football these days I think AD’s are reluctant to make out schedules two or three years in advance. We do know in 2025 the SEC games Arkansas plays will not change from this season unless an extra game is added from eight to nine. Home games from 2024 will become road games in 2025 and road games will become home games. There are currently no dates set.

Arkansas plays non conference games against Notre Dame, Missouri St., Memphis and Arkansas State.

Q. whippersnapper asks: If there was an expanded playoff to 16 or more teams could we see the “BCS” level of football go back to a 11 game regular season? I personally don’t believe college football players should be asked to play more than 16 games in a season.

A. Before NIL and this talk of making players employees of the university I would have agree with you. But you can’t have it both ways. If players are gonna get paid school then they have to deliver. Before all of these changes the NCAA went out of its way to make sure players didn’t get overwhelmed by their athletic responsibilities. Their time spend practicing was limited to 20 hours a week. That rule is still in play but as player continue to get more and more of a cut from athletic department revenues, those schools have a right to bring in extra revenue to make up for the extra expenses.

Q.WVHogfan says: I’m in my 60’s and I am ready to suit up and play my best after watching Coach Cal’s press conference. What effect, if any, will Coach Cal’s recruiting success, philosophy, and enthusiasm have on the entire athletic programs?

A. I think it will help. When athletes in any sport see that Arkansas can reel in a coach like John Calipari and especially is he’s successful here, I think if will help recruiting and I think it will cause coaches in other sports to consider Arkansas when they might not have before.

Q. Sgiles wants says: The NCAA is tripling the number of scholarships allowed for college baseball. I would think that Van Horn would be overjoyed but I read where he’s saying it may not be all good. What could be bad about this?

A. He said that adding those extra scholarships is good only if a school’s athletic director decides to play for it. We’re talking more than a million extra dollars out of the budget. I assume Arkansas will fund the additional 22 scholarships which will likely require a million or more extra dollars for baseball. Nothing has been said about this but it seems logical that ticket prices will go up.

Q. Finally I want to point out what our Alyssa Orange pulled off this morning. On the Today Show set in Paris, she taught the show hosts how to call the Hogs. It reminded me of the time that Lou Holtz got Johnny Carson to wear a Hog hat on the Tonight Show back in ’79. That was great but Lou blew the moment by saying to Carson that Arkansas is not end end of the Earth but you can see it from there. Alyssa did not say anything dumb like that to spoil the moment. She made Hog fans proud.