Bobby Petrino likes direction of offense despite many new faces

FAYETTEVILLE — Bobby Petrino is set to begin his second season as offensive coordinator and likes where it seems headed despite so many new faces this season.

Petrino and the Razorbacks have completed nine spring practices with the 10th on the schedule for later today. Prior to practice, Petrino offered up his thoughts on the offense at this time.

“I’m excited about the possibility of us being really good on offense,” Petrino said. “I feel like we’re better and deeper in the offensive line. I like our running back crew. It’s gonna be fun to see when we get to these scrimmages, the yards after contact and how many tackles we break. I think we’re explosive there. Mike Washington gave us a little bit different of his speed so that helps you be not to have to call so many plays. I like our tight end group. I think it’s a good combination of size and strength and a really good route runner, catcher. We need to get (Jaden) Platt back fully healthy, which he was the last two practices because he can do both. He can be the big run blocker and also running catch. He’s a real talented guy.

“Receivers we’re a little bit different than we were a year ago when you look out there and see the size of guys. But I do think that we have some explosive players there. We’re trying to find out who’s going to be that one go-to guy when you need a first down and that you can count on to get open and catch the ball when you’re sometimes not open. I think that’s one of the things that we haven’t done as well as I would like is to catch the ball when you’re contested, and still be able to catch the ball. (Ismael) Cisse’s been the one that has done that better than anybody else so far.”

One key to this year’s offense is finding a backup quarterback who can operate the offense if Taylen Green is injured. Petrino likes his options there despite Malachi Singleton transferring to Purdue.

“Yeah, no question about it,” Petrino said. “I think the biggest thing that you have to do on a backup quarterback is really know what they can do. Then you limit what you practice and you just try to get really good at what it is that you’re good at. I thought that was the one thing that I knew last year is what Malachi’s strengths were and what he was really good at what he could excel at and make plays doing. When he came in the game that’s all we did. 

“So right now we’re giving them this whole offense while we’re trying to figure out, ‘OK, this is what KJ (Jackson) is really good at. This is what Madden (Iamaleava) can do.’ You know Madden’s a special talent now. He can really get the ball out of his hands. He sees stuff and has a great, quick release. I know there’s times he drops back and he doesn’t know what the play is. But somebody pops open and he can stick it and put it right on their hands. The last guy that I coached that did that a lot as a true freshman was Lamar Jackson. You know where you don’t see anything but all of a sudden they throw a post for a touchdown and everyone’s going, ‘Damn, how did he see that?’ That wasn’t even in his progression. Now we do need to get him to know the plays. There’s no question about that. But that ability is something that is hard to coach. And his vision is just something that’s really good.”

Petrino admits he likes the offense, but is still amazed at the turnover in the roster and new faces this spring.

“Yeah, I can absolutely never remember a year,” Petrino said. “No (laughs) not at all. This is crazy stuff now. This is a new era. It used to be like in January you’d get maybe two, three, sometimes five or six new players in. I think we had 49 or something like that this year, 49 new guys. It’s different but it’s what we’re having now.

“The challenge is going to be to take that next step forward as an offense, as a group, being able to build on it and mature and get better because there’s been a lot of new teaching, a lot of… And actually, we’ve reduced what we put in this spring. Still going to go back to what my father taught me a long time ago: You gotta get good at something, then you can move on and get better at something else. But we’re definitely going to get good at something and then take the next step forward. I think what helps and makes me feel more comfortable is it’s not at the quarterback position. Taylen knows the offense. He’s much more comfortable in it. Last year sometimes it was every day was a new day — new coverages, new blitzes, new this. Now he understands defenses a whole lot better and that’ll allow him to operate our offense way better.”

The Razorbacks will hold a closed scrimmage on Thursday. The spring game will be Saturday, April 19, at 1 p.m.