Format for spring game, plans in case of bad weather

FAYETTEVILLE — The spring game is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m., but threatening weather could change everything.

Sam Pittman did explain on Tuesday the format he has for the game if it is played as scheduled.

“I think we won’t show obviously everything that we’ve practiced this spring,” Pittman said. “But I think… If you can remember back to last year, when we had a red and a white team and we played basically our starters (and) 2s the first half and then the second half we got everybody on the team in there. So we’re going to have a game, full of special teams and all that. I know the one year that I just had a scrimmage and I felt like last year was exciting. We scored a lot of points and then the 2 offense didn’t score a lot of points on the 1 defense. We’ve gone 14 — well, at this point we’ve gone 12 practices of good-on-good and we will continue to do that today and then Thursday. But the spring game I’d like to separate the team just like we did before and play 1 vs 2 and see who can develop in that format.”

Heavy rain is in the forecast for Saturday and Pittman relayed his plan if the game can’t be held.

“If it’s raining, we’re going to try… As long as fans are going to come in here, we’re going to try to play the game,” Pittman said. “To me, that’s what the spring game is all about. Letting folks that can’t come to practice, or the public, see the team. So, if we can do that, we certainly will. Now, if it’s a downpour or lightning, or something like that, what we would do is we would have a lengthy autograph session. Meet the team. What I won’t do, which I did, maybe three years ago when it was bad weather, we went in the indoor and practiced. We invited the parents in there. I’m not going to do that.

“We’re going to try to do all we can to have the game and we will unless weather is just so bad that we can’t… the people that we’re having the game for aren’t here. If that’s the case, then we won’t do it. We’ll certainly have that autograph session and meet the team and all that. We will not go in the indoor and practice if we can’t practice out here in the stadium.”

Since that is the 15th and final scheduled spring practice would Pittman choose to make up the practice at another time?

“Probably not,” Pittman said. “In the old days a lot of times, guys would save a practice after the spring game. To be honest with you, it never was any good, and this was before the portal. I think my thoughts is I’d like to keep my staff in, so we could. We’re not going to, but that’s a good question. We’ve done so much physical stuff this spring and tackled several different days that I think we’ve gotten out of spring what we… we know our team. I’m going to keep our staff in for the week afterwards. Basically, our staff is going to be in until the portal closes and then they’ll have four weeks to go out and recruit after that.

“It’s different, you know, coaches will have 11 days out, some will have 13. I think the most is Eric (Mateos) and Deke (Adams), and they have 16. So we’ll be able to cover that, counting Saturday scrimmages and things like that. We’ll be able to cover that, but to me it was really important that we stay and close up with our team and visit with our team and get through the portal. The other thing is, you’re having guys come in and you’re sending somebody out and you don’t know who’s in the portal and this position comes back and you’ve got to fly him back. Very costly as well. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Because of the portal, we won’t have that, even if this game somehow with lightning or whatever is not played.”

Pittman also talked about the differences in coaches preferences for spring games. Some like Deion Sanders wants to scrimmage other team while others aren’t holding a game of any kind.

“Isn’t it amazing how some coaches want more,” Pittman said. “They want spring opportunities like the NFL to practice against somebody. And then other coaches don’t even want to have the spring game, and they want to go out there in underwear and shorts and no helmet. Isn’t it amazing? So, for me we are very physical in the spring, so for me I probably wouldn’t be for that. But I can understand why coaches are and all that. But the other thing too, with the portal and all that, if they don’t close it to one, I don’t know that you’d want to scrimmage another team. You’d have to watch other coaches going, ‘Who you trying to get off my team?’

“If I was a 1-AA team and you were scrimmaging Arkansas, I’d be miserable because if somebody made a play against the University of Arkansas, one of their coaches is going to make a play on that kid. You’ve got to think about a lot of things. Nobody is televising spring games anymore because of that fact. I think there’s a lot to think about, but for me, not against coach Sanders or anything else, for me, I wouldn’t be for that.”