Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman visited Tampa last week to sign the contract for the Hogs to battle Penn State in the Outback Bowl, but this week he and his staff are focused on filling the holes of lost players for the game with the Nittany Lions.
“I was very honored to be (in Tampa) and represent Arkansas and the university,” Pittman said. “It was a lot of fun. It’s hard to explain, but I can tell you when we walked out – I don’t know, maybe 6:30, 7 at night – I don’t know, but it was hot. That’s caused the kids a little bit more conditioning so far in camp.”
So far receiver Treylon Burks has opted out of the bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft. Kicker Vito Calvaruso, running back Josh Oglesby and defensive lineman Solomon Wright all announced their intentions to transfer and are no longer with the program.
Oglesby and Wright barely saw the field this season, but Burks and Calvaruso were key players for the Hogs all year. The value that Burks presented for the offense this season is a void that likely won't be filled versus the Nittany Lions, but Pittman said he is confident that freshman kicker Cameron Little can step into the kickoff specialist role that Calvaruso was so good at.
“I hated to lose Vito,” Pittman said. “Very valuable to us on those kickoffs. I can remember against Mississippi State with the time, I said, ‘Scott (Fountain), we better pop this up, sky it and things of that nature.’ He said, ‘He’ll kick it out, Coach.’ And I said, ‘Scott, you better be right,’ and he did. I was nervous about it.”
Little was 19-23 on field goals and 43-43 on extra points this season and he was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team. Pittman said his average kickoff is just a two or three yard difference from Calvaruso’s.
The story for Burks is a lot different. He led Arkansas with 66 catches for 1,104 yards and 12 total touchdowns during his First Team All-SEC campaign this season. He was also named a Second Team All-American by Pro Football Focus.
According to Pittman, it will be all hands on deck to help fill the shoes of Burks.
"We've moved De'Vion (Warren) to slot along with Bryce Stephens and of course JaQuayln Crawford,” Pittman said. “We have Warren Thompson who has been playing a lot of ball. He moved up in that spot. Certainly Ketron Jackson is a guy that's going to have to play a lot of ball, and Tyson Morris is going to have to pick up a little for Burks not being there.”
No other Razorback pass catcher came close to the production that Burks had this season. Morris was the No. 2 target on the team, hauling in 21 passes for 305 yards and two scores.
The big-play ability of Warren is always a threat for opposing defenses, but the unknown threat that Stephens presents could prove valuable for the Hogs against Penn State. Pittman said he is the No. 1 young player that could have an impact in the bowl.
“Bryce would be the No. 1 guy in my mind,” Pittman said. “He needs to step up. I think he's capable of it. We were certainly aware of his fourth game, so we didn't play him so he could play in the bowl.”
Crawford, like Stephens, saw limited action this season, but the former four-star recruit has looked impressive through the first two bowl practices.
If anyone showed signs of being the team’s No. 2 receiver this season it was Thompson. After his 76-yard performance versus Ole Miss that included a touchdown, it seemed like he had solidified his role as quarterback KJ Jefferson’s No. 2 guy. But, it was the inconsistency and dropped passes by Thompson that held him back.
Knox’s freshman season with the Hogs left fans excited for his future, but he has not looked the same since. A move to tight end this season gave him a fresh start and he took full advantage of it late in the year. All of his 18 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown came in the team’s final six games.
Jackson generated as much publicity as anyone in fall camp, but he did not produce much on the stat sheet for the Hogs this season. His lone score came on a 29-yard strike versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 23. Jackson ended the season on a high-note with two catches for 53 yards against Missouri.
In all likelihood, the Razorbacks will try to establish the run and utilize the ground game as much as possible versus the Nittany Lions. The four-headed monster in the Arkansas backfield might have to carry the rock more than usual on New Year’s Day.
“Any time that we got total or zero, no safeties in the back end, everybody in the building knew we were going to go to (Burks), including the guy that was guarding him,” Pittman said. “So, yeah I think some of that is maybe gonna change what we do. I anticipate a heavy box from Penn State…I would think they’d try to outnumber us in the box and try to stuff our run game.”
The Hogs will continue bowl practice throughout the week and Pittman said the team plans to run scrimmages with the younger players on Thursday and/or Friday.
