Advertisement
football Edit

Morris: Hogs 'not going to focus on the past'

FAYETTEVILLE – Chad Morris seemingly has a saying for everything and a lot of them have to do with cars.

The first-year Arkansas coach dropped another one Saturday afternoon when asked about how the team has fared mentally coming off a 4-8 record and last-place finish in the SEC West.

“What I always talk about is the windshield and the rearview mirror theory,” Morris said. “What’s happened in the past is the past.

“We don’t want to forget it, but…the reason that rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield is because it’s not nearly as important to know where you came from as it is where you’re going. We’re not going to focus on the past.”

With spring practice, summer workouts and now two days of fall camp in the books, the Razorbacks are closing in on their Sept. 1 season-opener against Eastern Illinois.

At this stage, Morris said he feels like his team has adopted that saying and is walking around with a new confidence level. Because of that, he loves that most outlets have low expectations for them.

“Lie in the weeds, lay camouflaged and strike when you’re ready,” Morris said. “We’re going to be ready. You just tell us when we need to play and where we need to play and we’re going to be there.”

Despite that newfound confidence and although he has seen steady progression, Morris said he’s still anxious to see how the team responds to its first taste of adversity.

The coaches are trying to create artificial adversity during fall camp, but it doesn’t compare to the real thing. That’s why Morris is hoping temperatures rise above the mild to warm level they’ve been at the last couple of days, especially when they strap up with full pads beginning next Wednesday.

“How are they going to respond with a little bit of adversity?” Morris said. “That’s why it needs to be as hot as it possibly can be out here. I wish we’d have a heat wave because we need that.”

Advertisement