Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman joined the weekly SEC Teleconference on Wednesday to briefly preview Saturday's matchup between the Razorbacks and No. 19 Ole Miss at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Below are links to more preview content for the Razorbacks' game against the Rebels, plus everything Pittman said on the coaches teleconference...
More of HawgBeat's Arkansas football content
- Arkansas vs. Ole Miss: Star comparison, PFF grades, season stats
- VIDEO: Arkansas players press conference - Ole Miss week
- What Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said about Arkansas
- VIDEO: Sam Pittman press conference - Ole Miss preview
- Arkansas injury updates ahead of Ole Miss game
(Opening statement)
Pittman: "We're fairly healthy. We know we're going to play a really good Ole Miss... really good Ole Miss team. Well-coached. Coach Kiffin, great football coach. His staff, lot of talent there, and we're looking forward to having them at home here 11 o'clock on ESPN.
(How have you guys been preparing for the Ole Miss tempo and what is your take on their tempo?)
Pittman: "Well, they they can tempo or not, and they they can do it as good as anybody in the country. And so, we certainly have worked on it this week. Got a taste of it against Tennessee, as well, so that helped us prepare for this week as far as tempo goes. And and we know we'll see it. They're excellent at it, and so we're well aware of that and working very hard on it."
(DB Hudson Clark didn't want to talk about having 3 interceptions against Ole Miss in 2020. Your thoughts on that?)
Pittman: "He's just humble guy and knows that what he did four years ago now, really it's a great memory, but it doesn't have any factor in the game, and I'm sure that's what he's thinking of this particular game. But it'll be go down as a great memory for him. But obviously won't have any effect on the game is probably why he didn't want to elaborate on it."
(Former Hog Pooh Paul seems like he's having a really good year at Ole Miss. What has stood out about him watching him on film this week?)
Pittman: "Well, we've always known he can run. And he's running side-to-side, tackling very well. Looks like one of their leaders on defense and doing exactly what I what I thought he would do when he went into the portal wherever he went. Be a really fine player for whomever he went to. And he was a great player for us and doing the same thing at Ole Miss."
(Is Shamar Easter getting close to contributing?)
Pittman: "Probably not this season. He is going to get some looks on special teams a little bit this week. We like where he is going and how he is developing, but probably will take another year in the weight room and spring ball and we feel like he’ll be a fine player for us."
(What changes going from Mississippi State being last in SEC in sacks to Ole Miss being first in sacks?)
Pittman: "They’re very, very good all over the place. They’re very, very good at two-deep at defensive end. They’re long, big. Obviously we have a plan for them. The problem is when you play a team like this is there’s not a guy. A lot of times you’ll say ‘Well, we’ve got to eliminate this guy.’ We can chip, we can keep the tight end, we can run the tight end through him, we can slide the line to him, we can just keep our back in and double him.
"But when both sides and the interior are as talented as Ole Miss, then you just have to play better and you have to stay out of third-and-long situations. Hopefully we can do that, but they’re really, really talented and long. It makes it difficult. They can run. Their d-tackles can run. It’ll be a huge matchup for our offensive line against their very, very talented d-line."
(Updates on RBs Ja’Quinden Jackson and Rodney Hill?)
"I think Rodney will be available. We’ll probably put him as questionable, probable today. JJ will probably be doubtful on that list today."
(How valuable is it that RB Braylen Russell doesn’t lose yardage when he runs?)
Pittman: "He’s got a big body. Physical. He runs low to the ground. Obviously he’s hard to stop for negative yards because he’s got such big legs as well. The offensive line it seems like, when he’s in there, they’ve been performing at their best as well.
"I think it says a lot about how he ran in high school. That’s how he ran in high school. Big runs come from running hard when you get the football, not ‘I’m going to get a big run.’ It’s breaking a tackle, it’s hitting a whole on time, the timing and all those things. He’s been prepared for a long time and he’s continued to do that here for us."
(Matthew Shipley was 3-for-3 on field goals last week, what's changed with him?)
Pittman: "Well I think part of it last week was the field goal range was significantly shorter. It was good because we needed to build confidence in Shipley. He’s had an outstanding week. He went 4 for 4 yesterday at practice. I think just the confidence.
"You know kickers get in streaks sometimes and he unfortunately got in a bad one there a little bit in spring ball, early in spring practice and has turned that around. A lot of that is consistency with the snapper and holder as well, keeping the same guys in there. I just think that consistency along with his confidence and he’s kicking the ball really well now."
(Thoughts on your linebacker room, specifically Brad Spence and Xavian Sorey Jr.?)
Pittman: "Yeah, I like them. I like them a lot. They get along well. Switzer made a huge play down on the goal line. Obviously Stephen Dix is playing well too. So those four guys, and to be honest with you, we’re planning on playing Brad Shaw more. So we feel like we have a lot of younger linebackers that are preparing to get ready, but those five guys we have a lot of confidence in. They’re all physical. They all can run.
"You specifically talked about Spence and Sorey. Those guys are playing at a high level right now and tackling well."
(What has LB Bradley Shaw done to move up?)
Pittman: "Well we’ve always felt like he was a really good player. But with being a freshman and especially with the guys that were ahead of him and are ahead of him, we felt like we were gonna go with the veterans. If we would have played him at the beginning of the year, I think he would be in solid rotation right now.
"But obviously that entire room besides Spence was new. And so we went with the veterans earlier. But he’s always been able to play well and now we feel like he knows the defense better and he’s able to play even a little bit faster. But he’s always been a really good player and a really good tackler."
