Arkansas to hold big scrimmage on Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has four spring practices remaining and will use Saturday’s drill to hold a scrimmage.

Travis Williams, who is Arkansas’ defensive coordinator, explained on Thursday what he’s looking for in the scrimmage.

“Getting better,” Williams said. “So I hold dear, and I know you’re like, ‘getting better, what in the world?’ Every day I go in there and I tell them, ‘man, let’s get better’. We play our first game in September, so spring ball is running, blocking, tackling. I want them to run to the ball like their life depended on it, and when they hit people, make sure they go backwards and you can get them on the ground. So, those fundamental things. If they run a power or a counter, let’s fit it up right. If you’re getting over routes, if you’re getting different route schemes, let’s cover it up. Let’s get better at getting better at the small things of getting better as far as a defense. 

“I’m sure it’s the same thing offensively. Yes, we want to compete and we want to do well, but let’s leave spring ball and say, ‘Okay, when you have the cutups, we’ve got 100 reps of playing the power, 100 reps of playing the counter, zone-read, the mesh route.’ Whatever it is. And then you start looking it up and say, ‘Okay, this is the type of defense we’re going to be. This is…’ Because right now we don’t know. Are we going to be four-down, three-down, three-high? We really don’t know, so we’re putting it all together and then once we get those pieces this is what we’re going to be. But want to see them go out there, man, and play like their life depended on it and play like their hair is on fire and tackle well and be healthy, but tackle well.”

Jaheim Singletary is currently running first team at one of the cornerbacks. Williams like the progress he has seen from the former Georgia transfer this spring.

“He’s doing well as well,” Williams said. “He’s having a really good spring for us as well. He’s taken the bull by the horn of just coming up and meeting with Coach (Reggie) Perry. He’s an older guy now, so the time is now for him. He’s really been locked in this spring.”