By Otis Kirk
FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas will hold an open scrimmage on Saturday and following Tuesday's practice Sam Pittman explained the format.
"I’ll tell you we’re just going to scrimmage," Pittman said. "So, to start out we’re going to kickoff. We’re only going to kickoff once with these groups, that’s 1s, 2, 3s. We’re going to punt twice with these groups, 1s, 2s and 3s. We’re going to try to get nine field goals in at some point. We’ll go out there and we’ll run 9-12 plays with the 1s versus 2s. I’m talking about offense, we’ll start with the 1 offense versus 2s. Then the 2 O versus the 1 D and then 3, 3. The next time we come back will be 9-12 and it’ll be good-on-good. It’ll be 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3.
"And then the rest of the scrimmage is situational, but it’s good-on-good. So third down and distance, different distances. And then we’re going to have a third-play-fourth. And then we’re going to have a high red and low area, low red. And then we’ll have the get the ball back, two minute type drill. And that all will be good-on-good, 1-on-1, 2-on-2. The only 1 versus 2 will be the beginning of the scrimmage. It’ll be a live tackle scrimmage."
At times in the past this was a spring game and there was ways for the defense to score. Will there be a system for the defense to score?
"No," Pittman said. "And to be honest with you it’s not a scoring scrimmage. You know what I mean? I guess they could. But it’s not a game type situation, I guess is what I’m saying.
I think the fans will really like it because we’re rolling out there and getting busy."
The Hogs have conducted 12 practices. They will go again Thursday and Friday prior to Saturday's spring finale. Pittman reflected back on the first 12.
"I’ve really been pleased with my new coaches," Pittman said. "I think to a man we’ve gotten better. We’ve got to get out of the …. Which we have I think. We need to keep everybody on the team. Everybody on the team is going to have some value to us, but everybody on the team has to get better. I think we have liked our new schematics that we’ve done offensively and defensively. I think our new guys coming in have … the players have accepted them well.
"Again, if you went back and said ‘Can we be at this point after the end of our last regular season game?’ I do think winning the bowl had something to do with a little bit of life back in the program. But I think the changes that we’ve made have been positive for us. I’m really pleased with what we’ve gotten done in 12 practices. It’s been a very physical 12 practices but I’m really pleased with what we’ve gotten done."
The admission Saturday is free and open to the public.