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Fall camp isn't just an opportunity for players to hone their skill sets, it's also the time for coaches to install their playbooks. With two new coordinators on campus in Dan Enos and Travis Williams, that installation can take some extra time.
Head coach Sam Pittman said last Thursday that they were near 75-80% done with install on both sides of the ball.
"We still have probably the early part of next week to finish up through install," Pittman said last Thursday. "I like what we're doing. I think we're throwing and catching the ball well."
One week and six practices later, the Razorback offense seems to be finished with the majority of installation, according to first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos.
"We’re still doing that a little bit, but the majority of the install is all through," Enos said. "We’ve got the foundation in of what we’re going to do from a run game protection and pass game standpoint. We feel really good about it."
The Razorbacks are now moving on to plays outside the playbook. As they've gone through fall camp, Enos has discovered new wrinkles that can be added to diversify and complement other plays.
"We’re now going into kind of like miscellaneous things, if you will," Enos said. "Wrinkles from different things that you want to do. During camp, things always come up as well. If you start doing something well and you go Oh, we might be able to do this off of that.’ You know, have complimentary plays to your best plays."
As a coach, you can't ever let your team get comfortable. With comfort comes complacency, something an offense like Arkansas has to avoid. To do that, Enos has mixed things up every practice with different personnel groupings and formations.
"And now what we’ve been doing with the scripts is challenging them now — alright we’ve got it all in, but now we’re changing it," Enos said. "We’re doing it today out of this personnel grouping, we’re going to today out of this formation, we’re going to do it today out of this motion or whatever that is. We’re trying to continue to apply pressure, but in a different way, if you will."
Going into his redshirt senior season, starting quarterback KJ Jefferson will be learning his third offensive scheme. Coming from a high-tempo offense under former offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the adjustment to an under-center approach with Enos isn't an easy one. So far, he's progressing well.
"He’s doing a really good job I think of understanding our run game and when things are not going to be good," Enos said. "Or, on the flip side of that, understanding that this might be a better play based off the structure over here and he’s doing that at the line of scrimmage."
The Sardis, Mississippi, native is also making strides in pass protection. Being able to identify where blitzes are coming from is vital to a successful passing attack.
"And then also his ability to help us in some of our five and six man protections, getting us on the correct blitzers," Enos said. "He’s grown a lot in those areas and has really come a long way. I feel really, really good about him. He’s a really smart, smart young man. And he’s got great instincts."
The Hogs will hold practice No. 13 on Friday ahead of the team's second scrimmage of fall camp Saturday. Stay tuned to HawgBeat's premium message board, The Trough, for the latest updates from Arkansas fall camp.
