FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said Wednesday's first practice light shoulder pads and helmets marked a starting point for the defense.
"We thudded up and got a great opportunity to ... start to establish our physicality as a defense," Smith said. "It was a great opportunity for us to work on leverage, work on physicality, setting an edge, press and hit, just basic fundamentals of defense you get to play when you get the pads on, so it was a great start for us today."
Smith said working on pad level was critical before full-pad work starts Friday.
Coaches on both sides of the ball are pushing hard to fulfill one of Coach Bret Bielema's key objectives for the first week, which is to find playmakers. Installation is taking place, but it's not being rushed.
"We're working within our base right now," Smith said. "That's going to allow us to evaluate our guys, from our seniors to our ... true freshmen. We want to find guys this week who are going to help us win football games in the SEC. The only way to do that is to allow them to play fast, allow them to play physical and not kind of be paralyzed with a lot of install at this point in time."
Taking it
Secondary coach Clay Jennings said freshman cornerback Henre Toliver notched an interception in a late team period Wednesday.
Jennings said the Razorbacks had a couple of interceptions during skeleton periods.
"Alan Turner made a play today," he said. "Kevin Richardson made a play today in one-on-one. Josh Liddell made a great break in the last team period.
"The good thing is, some of these young guys who are coming in, they're showing some flashes."
First five
Tevin Mitchel, who is still doing limited work in a green (injury) jersey, is taking the bulk of the reps at field cornerback, while corners Jared Collins and Carroll Washington and safeties Rohan Gaines and Alan Turner join him to comprise the first unit in the secondary, Clay Jennings said.
Washington is running at first-team nickel back and plays boundary corner, with D.J. Dean behind him.
Will Hines, a six-game starter last year and a 15-game starter through two seasons, has to compete harder, Jennings said.
"Competition, it brings out the best in everybody you know," Jennings said. "Either you're going to jump off the porch and go eat or you're going to stay on the porch and watch the cars go by."
Big Bijhon
Defensive coaches are raving about the potential they see in freshman defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson of El Dorado, who has lost weight since reporting at 340 pounds this summer.
"He's certainly going to flash with his pads on," defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "He's a guy that's going to help us eat up some A gaps inside. He can dictate daylight in the center of our defense, and that's crucial. It all starts there."
Defensive line coach Rory Segrest said Jackson has been very coachable.
"The thing that's really stood out is just the quickness and the suddenness he's got," Segrest said. "For a big guy, he's got great movement."
By Josh
True freshman safety Josh Liddell of Pine Bluff Dollarway is advancing well enough that he has a chance of making the two-deep prior to the Aug. 30 season opener at Auburn.
"Josh flashed today," defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "He had a big play out there in the secondary for us. I've been very impressed with his ability to learn and pick up the defense, and it's important to him."
Senior safety Alan Turner has been impressed.
"Josh Liddell is looking real good," Turner said. "He still has some things to work on, but he's come a long ways. You can just tell just from a few days that each and every day he's taking great strides forward."
Young blood
Arkansas' newcomers will have more devoted practice time in the coming days, as is typically the case during fall camp.
"When we get into two-a-days, the way I've set it up, in the evening we'll have a big emphasis on the kicking game in the lights over in the stadium," Coach Bret Bielema said. "Then after we're done with that ... we'll jump into a six-period practice that will be really just for freshmen only and young kids that we want to get a good look at, so there will be a lot more coming."
Sports on 08/07/2014