Some good stuff on Dominique Johnson + the Hogs' rushing attack vs. MSU's run defense...
arkansas.rivals.com
FAYETTEVILLE — After several weeks of talking about it, it seems as though the Razorbacks are finally going to put their money where their mouth is.
Head coach Sam Pittman had previously thought he and his staff had worked out how to give Dominique Johnson a larger workload - to no avail - but now he’s “positive we’ve got it figured out.”
“He needs more carries,” Pittman said. “If that’s starting him to get more carries then that’s what we’re going to do. … He’s a guy that’s running over people, making people miss, and he needs to get more carries.”
During the short media viewing period at Monday’s practice, Johnson was in fact running with the first-team offense.
Despite being listed as the third-string running back on the depth chart, the Texas native could be in line for his second career start. His first was a few weeks ago against Auburn, when Pittman said the Razorbacks “had our reasons” to start him. Other than that, Trelon Smith has been the starter.
“The bottom line is whoever you run out there with the first group, those guys are supposed to be your best players at the time they’re running out there,” Pittman said. “(We) certainly think Dominque has earned that right.”
The numbers certainly back up Pittman’s statement. No running back in the SEC is averaging more yards per carry than Johnson and he actually ranks fifth nationally - third among running backs - with a 7.9-yard average.
That has come on a somewhat limited workload, as his 39 carries are tied with AJ Green for the fourth-most on the team, behind Smith, Rocket Sanders and quarterback KJ Jefferson.
“Extremely proud of him,” Jefferson said. “He's worked his tail off since he got here… He executes at a high level and when he gets in, he takes advantage of his opportunity.”
Smith and Sanders haven’t exactly been ineffective for the Razorbacks, though. They’re first and second on the team with 459 and 434 rushing yards, respectively, while averaging more than five yards per carry.
Pittman said Smith would still play and have a role in the offense, even if Johnson takes his starting job, but the goal is for Johnson to get a minimum of 15 carries.
That will be an important storyline to follow Saturday when Arkansas hosts Mississippi State because the Bulldogs are one of three SEC teams holding opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards per game - with the other two being Georgia and Alabama.
In fact, Mississippi State is allowing an average of just 89.6 rushing yards, which is tied with Alabama for fourth nationally. The Razorbacks, meanwhile, have the fourth-best rushing attack in the country at 249 yards per game - trailing only a pair of service academies that run the option (Air Force at 318.4 and Army at 312.3) and Ole Miss (249.9).
“Well, something’s gotta give because we’re proud of what we do rushing the football and they certainly have not allowed people to run it against them,” Pittman said. “They get a lot of people to the ball against rushing situations.”
While its air raid offense under head coach Mike Leach receives most of the attention, the Bulldogs have what Kentucky coach Mark Stoops described as one of the most underrated units in the country on the other side of the ball.
On top of holding opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards per game, Mississippi State is giving up just 3.38 yards per carry (22nd in the FBS) and it has allowed only four total rushing touchdowns - tied for the fifth-fewest in the country.
“We try to move the front around some, we blitz some,” Leach said. “In other words, we try to keep them off balance. I think it helps when we successfully take care of that. The biggest thing is our defensive front has to affect Arkansas, and if it doesn’t, then they’ll be able to move the ball pretty well.”
The different looks and movements Mississippi State presents Saturday will be a challenge, Pittman said earlier this week, and it’s something the players have also recognized on film.
“We have to make different changes on the move - KJ has to think quicker…OL has to make calls mid-play and stuff like that,” wide receiver Tyson Morris said. “So I feel like they do a good job with their multiple looks and with their run-stop defense, but I feel like it’s nothing we can’t handle. It’s nothing we can’t prepare for.”
One reason the Razorbacks have been so effective running the ball this year is because of the play of their offensive line.
Pittman - a longtime offensive line coach before becoming Arkansas’ head coach - said he’s pleased with how the unit has progressed and believes it could make an impact in the run game Saturday, especially with right tackle Dalton Wagner returning from injury.
“I know you can't, (but) you take out the Georgia game, I think to this point they've really handled movement well,” Pittman said. “They've handled different schematics against them well. They were prepared and ready to go.”
Kickoff against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
HawgBeat - Hogs set to shake up distribution of carries vs. MSU's stout run defense
It sounds like a change is coming to Arkansas' starting lineup.
arkansas.rivals.com
FAYETTEVILLE — After several weeks of talking about it, it seems as though the Razorbacks are finally going to put their money where their mouth is.
Head coach Sam Pittman had previously thought he and his staff had worked out how to give Dominique Johnson a larger workload - to no avail - but now he’s “positive we’ve got it figured out.”
“He needs more carries,” Pittman said. “If that’s starting him to get more carries then that’s what we’re going to do. … He’s a guy that’s running over people, making people miss, and he needs to get more carries.”
During the short media viewing period at Monday’s practice, Johnson was in fact running with the first-team offense.
Despite being listed as the third-string running back on the depth chart, the Texas native could be in line for his second career start. His first was a few weeks ago against Auburn, when Pittman said the Razorbacks “had our reasons” to start him. Other than that, Trelon Smith has been the starter.
“The bottom line is whoever you run out there with the first group, those guys are supposed to be your best players at the time they’re running out there,” Pittman said. “(We) certainly think Dominque has earned that right.”
The numbers certainly back up Pittman’s statement. No running back in the SEC is averaging more yards per carry than Johnson and he actually ranks fifth nationally - third among running backs - with a 7.9-yard average.
That has come on a somewhat limited workload, as his 39 carries are tied with AJ Green for the fourth-most on the team, behind Smith, Rocket Sanders and quarterback KJ Jefferson.
“Extremely proud of him,” Jefferson said. “He's worked his tail off since he got here… He executes at a high level and when he gets in, he takes advantage of his opportunity.”
Smith and Sanders haven’t exactly been ineffective for the Razorbacks, though. They’re first and second on the team with 459 and 434 rushing yards, respectively, while averaging more than five yards per carry.
Pittman said Smith would still play and have a role in the offense, even if Johnson takes his starting job, but the goal is for Johnson to get a minimum of 15 carries.
That will be an important storyline to follow Saturday when Arkansas hosts Mississippi State because the Bulldogs are one of three SEC teams holding opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards per game - with the other two being Georgia and Alabama.
In fact, Mississippi State is allowing an average of just 89.6 rushing yards, which is tied with Alabama for fourth nationally. The Razorbacks, meanwhile, have the fourth-best rushing attack in the country at 249 yards per game - trailing only a pair of service academies that run the option (Air Force at 318.4 and Army at 312.3) and Ole Miss (249.9).
“Well, something’s gotta give because we’re proud of what we do rushing the football and they certainly have not allowed people to run it against them,” Pittman said. “They get a lot of people to the ball against rushing situations.”
While its air raid offense under head coach Mike Leach receives most of the attention, the Bulldogs have what Kentucky coach Mark Stoops described as one of the most underrated units in the country on the other side of the ball.
On top of holding opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards per game, Mississippi State is giving up just 3.38 yards per carry (22nd in the FBS) and it has allowed only four total rushing touchdowns - tied for the fifth-fewest in the country.
“We try to move the front around some, we blitz some,” Leach said. “In other words, we try to keep them off balance. I think it helps when we successfully take care of that. The biggest thing is our defensive front has to affect Arkansas, and if it doesn’t, then they’ll be able to move the ball pretty well.”
The different looks and movements Mississippi State presents Saturday will be a challenge, Pittman said earlier this week, and it’s something the players have also recognized on film.
“We have to make different changes on the move - KJ has to think quicker…OL has to make calls mid-play and stuff like that,” wide receiver Tyson Morris said. “So I feel like they do a good job with their multiple looks and with their run-stop defense, but I feel like it’s nothing we can’t handle. It’s nothing we can’t prepare for.”
One reason the Razorbacks have been so effective running the ball this year is because of the play of their offensive line.
Pittman - a longtime offensive line coach before becoming Arkansas’ head coach - said he’s pleased with how the unit has progressed and believes it could make an impact in the run game Saturday, especially with right tackle Dalton Wagner returning from injury.
“I know you can't, (but) you take out the Georgia game, I think to this point they've really handled movement well,” Pittman said. “They've handled different schematics against them well. They were prepared and ready to go.”
Kickoff against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
