FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Whatever the result ends up being in November, it’s almost a virtual lock Arkansas’ offense will be improved. Let’s face it, Bobby Petrino’s probably never had an offense that dysfuntional in his coaching life.
Now the new Hogs’ offensive coordinator comes in with high expectations from a Razorbacks’ fan base that may be a little unrealistic. At least based on available evidence at this point.
No one will have a feel for how much to expect until September. How truly successful the offense can be won’t be known until late October or early November.
It’s easy for an offense to look good against air. If they don’t do that, it’s a four-alarm situation, but that isn’t going to happen at the level the Razorbacks play.
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Sam Pittman says every summer they are optimistic, but he’s cautious in that time like every coach. He knows it’s different in an SEC game.
Hogs’ fans are counting on having an offense ready to compete for a title. At this point, they would probably settle to compete for anything other than a bowl game closer to New Year’s than Christmas.
Hold up a minute. There’s not one shred of evidence beyond fan hope at this point.
While it is true there are some good offensive players, it requires 22 to really be good. That’s been the problem for Pittman and most other coaches in front of him — depth.
For whatever reason (and everybody has an idea why), Arkansas hasn’t been able to get those kinds of athletes in big numbers. Pittman’s best role is developing players, but in this day and age coaches know they could be developing them to contribute toward some other staff competing for a title.
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Petrino has a quarterback in Taylen Green that he wanted before he chose Boise State instead of Missouri State. Maybe the biggest problem is they’ll only have him for one year.
Add to that a group of wide receivers desperately needing a proven go-to No. 1 and a whole host of new running backs topped off with a juggling of the offensive line, and there are more questions than answers now. That’s what all the hope is based on with Petrino.
Petrino’s offense needs playmakers to make it work. A lot has been made about this unit being more explosive now, but there’s no game evidence of being able to accomplish that. Not even Petrino can pull of that magic trick.
Pittman knows all this, which is why he hired him. He said at the SEC Football Kickoff on Thursday he’s like a “security blanket” for him.
“He’s passionate,” Pittman said. “He likes to win, likes to win and score points. So it’s been great. I had Barry before that I could bump some head coaching questions off. As I get older the questions aren’t as many. Or as I get more years of being a head coach.”
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That doesn’t mean they agree on everything. One thing Pittman probably does is make it very clear he’s the one with the ultimate veto power over any decision. In the end, he’s in charge or else he wouldn’t be here.
“I’ll ask them a question and I want their opinion and they know it,” Pittman said. “We’ll agree on it or won’t, but we’re both grown men. If we do, we do. If we don’t, we don’t. We move on down the road. (Petrino) spends more time in my office than anybody, and I apologize to him. I don’t know if he likes it or not. I do make him talk to me a lot.”
Whatever he does, though, probably is signed off on by Pittman. At this point he’s helping turn the offensive line into something respectable. That was clear in spring practice where the players and even the coaches paid attention when he got to their group in individual and group drills.
Everybody could be setting themselves up for disappointment because the expectations are at times getting a little bit over-reaching. Fans might want to have a little patience.
Two people died in two wrecks on Arkansas roads on Friday, according to preliminary reports from law enforcement.
Darius Hurst, 28, of Earle was killed in a single-vehicle accident in rural Crittenden County east of Marion, according to a state police report.
Hurst was headed east on U.S. 64 at 2:16 p.m. when he lost control of the 2002 Chevrolet he was driving and it left the roadway, rolling over, according to the report.
Larry Cox, 34, of Bay was killed when the 2002 Chevrolet he was driving was struck by a train near Brookland, according to a report from the Craighead County sheriff’s office.
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At about 5:43 p.m. Friday, Cox drove around other vehicles stopped at a railroad crossing on County Road 928 east of U.S. 49 and attempted to drive west through it, even though the crossing arms were down with their lights flashing and bells ringing, according to the report.
Officers investigating the two crashes reported that the weather was clear and the roads were dry at the time.
You made it to the weekend and it looks wonderful. Highs will be in the 80s Saturday and Sunday with lows in the 60s and low 70s. There will be a slight chance for showers Sunday. A better chance for rain and storms should arrive Monday through Wednesday as moisture levels increase and a front stalls in the state. Showers and storms will be scattered with most of it falling during the heating of the day. With the rain and clouds around, temperatures will likely stay in the 80s for highs with muggy lows in the 70s. The chance for showers and storms may decrease by the end of next week. -Todd Yakoubian
In addressing Caldwell’s 10-year-old son, Harley, sitting in the audience, Booth said with some obvious emotion in his voice, “Over the next seven years, we’re glad that (your dad) is here, and I ask that you never forget that your dad is doing this for the same reason that I’m doing this, and that the (other commissioners) are doing it here, and that the agency staff does it. That’s to leave things better than we found it, because that’s what this place is all about.”
No proposed hunting regulations clarifications for 2024-25 were approved, as the 30-day period for public comment in regulations clarifications brought before the Commission last month had not ended. Commissioner Rob Finley of Mountain Home said that commissioners will meet here (or by teleconference) at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 25, to approve those regulations changes. [Click for Presentation]
In other action:
Booth submitted a minute order that was approved to retire the weapon from the agency inventory of former Chairman Jones.
The Commission adopted the Arkansas Legislature’s approval last month of a 5 percent raise for Booth.
Booth recognized the work of more than half of the AGFC Enforcement Division who worked extensively during Operation Dry Water July 4-6. Booth said 121 game wardens and officers worked 2,400 hours for public safety during the three-day period, contacting more than 3,600 boats and about 11,000 boaters on Arkansas waterways. Officers arrested 23 boaters for boating while intoxicated, handed out 188 citations and issued 346 warnings. Booth noted that, most importantly, there were no boating fatalities on Arkansas waterways during Operation Dry Water, a national campaign to raise public awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence.
A video of the meeting is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/ArkansasGameandFish.
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CUTLINES:
IN CHARGE J.D. Neeley of Camden (left) leads the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as its new chairman during July’s monthly meeting in Little Rock, as AGFC Director Austin Booth (left) and vice-chairman Anne Marie Doramus (right) look on.
INTERN AT THE LECTERN Jackson Brown, a senior-to-be at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, was one of three summer interns at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission who spoke to commissioners at the July monthly meeting. Each intern, part of a crew of 21 college interns and three Hutton Scholars at the agency this summer, gave a PowerPoint presentation of their work over an eight-week paid internship and how it has changed their understanding of how the agency operates.
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FIRST DAY IN THE CHAIR New AGFC commissioner Chris Caldwell of Little Rock notes his wife and son in attendance Thursday during his first monthly meeting with the Commission. Third-year commissioner Bill Jones is to Caldwell’s right.
