FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas hopes to turn its season around starting Saturday in The Swamp against the Gators.
Florida (5-3, 3-2) is undefeated in The Swamp this season and the Hogs have never won there. The Hogs will enter the game with a new offensive coordinator Kenny Guiton. He moved from coaching wide receivers to quarterbacks following the 7-3 loss to Mississippi State when Sam Pittman fired Dan Enos. Quarterback KJ Jefferson talked Tuesday about the change.
"We kind of worked with him on the things we were doing with Coach Enos as far as quarterback drills and everything, so he’s learning as well different drills and different things we do," Jefferson said. "It’s been fun so far. Like I said, he’s played the position before so he kind of knows some quarterback things that he brought and we’ve added to our toolbox and had a great outlook on different things from the quarterback perspective and what we’re seeing.
"An easy way to be able to dissect what the defense is trying to disguise or what the defense is trying to get into. He’s been a great asset to the quarterback room. We’ve been coachable. We’ve took his coaching. Like I said, we’re all around, we’re learning from Coach Guiton. Not as a receivers coach, but as our quarterback coach and as a offensive coordinator, and he’s learning from us as well. It’s just all around a great team effort."
Guiton played quarterback at Ohio State from 2009-2013. Jefferson was asked if he has watched any film of Guiton playing quarterback for the Buckeyes?
"Yeah, I watched some of them a while back," Jefferson said. "We always go back-and-forth about who’s the best runner? Who had the best run? Things like that. We all have fun with it. Have jokes with it. Just having a guy like Coach Guiton, just a positive person. A great person to be around. A great coach and a great man. Just having a guy like that being able to coach you and have fun with, and also he played the position, so it’s just fun to be able to take some time up and just jump around."
Andrew Armstrong leads the Hogs with 43 receptions for 520 yards and four touchdowns. He said one could tell Guiton played quarterback even when coaching the wide receivers.
"Definitely," Armstrong said. "You know, when we were in meetings, the way he describes certain zones and certain defenses, you just know that he knows defenses inside-out. He points out a stud, or what side the nickel is going to play on. Things like that. He just knows exactly what he’s talking about. You can tell he played quarterback at a high level."
Since the Hogs have never won at The Swamp what would it mean to this group to get it done?
"It would go down in history," Jefferson said. "I mean, it would be fun. I feel like that would bring some excitement and pride back into the building. And for the state as well. My teammates and myself, we need that spark and that pride. Just being able to go into a hostile environment like Florida and be able to come away victorious would be a big deal."
Jefferson also talked about the bye week after eight weeks of playing games.
"It’s always good to have an open week to get guys back healthy and get a start on your opponent and get some things to work in, as far as plays, practice different plays and see if you … the plays that are going to benefit us on Saturday," Jefferson said. "So it’s always a great advantage to be able to have a bye week and then roll into the next week and have an opponent to play. So we’re looking forward to it."
Pittman said the Hogs have eliminated 35% of the playbook. Jefferson certainly gives his approval to that.
"It’s just been a positive," Jefferson said. "I mean, guys don’t have to think as much. Guys can be confident in the games that we are calling . Calling plays that we are good at or we had success on and try to get guys to play faster and play more confidently rather than thinking a lot, playing slower, and scared to make a mistake, so the plan has been good so far. We cut down, trimmed down on some of the playbook so some of the guys can play faster and just move forward and be able to play confident."
Arkansas also will cut back on the number of dropbacks they were doing under Enos.
"The game plan we have, we want to make sure that I’m comfortable with the game plan that we have," Jefferson said. "Just building up, the main thing is make sure that everybody else is comfortable with what we got practicing on. What we’re building on. What we are watching film on. It’s a all-around team effort. It’s a unit thing. Whatever game plan we might be and the look that they give us, we’re going to take full advantage of it. I dont want to say too much."
Derek Kief, who played at Alabama, has taken over the wide receivers with Guiton moving to quarterbacks. Armstrong likes the moves.
"I'm really happy for both of them," Armstrong said. "Coach Kief coming up and being the wide receiver's coach and Coach Guiton becoming the OC. That's a life-changing thing for both of them. I'm really happy for them, and I know they're grateful for the opportunity as well. It's still the same. We still go through our receiver drills. Just making sure that... Nothing was lost as much, you know."
Arkansas and Florida will kickoff at 11 a.m. on Saturday and televised on ESPN2.Â
