Spring football thoughts - offense

[blu]

To all who have seen practice, thanks for the updates.

[nohuddlecoach]

Every year i get on here and give ya'll my thoughts after seeing them practice in the spring a couple times.  I am a high school coach of 25 years and counting.  Here is the latest:

1. offensive line is a huge issue right now in my opinion.  We have a big problem at tackle.  Neither are very good in pass pro.  Skipper is at least physical in run game, Jackson is not.  If he starts for us, we are not very good up front.  I would love to see Rogers at center, Ragnow at guard and Wallace at LT. Not sold on the Oline coach either, in comparison with what we have had.

2. Wr are good.  We will be fine there.

3. TE's are great receivers, not great blockers with the exception of Sprinkle, thus some of the moves that have been made there.  Sprinkle will make you forget Hunter Henry soon.

4. Rb's look serviceable.  Good but no stars.  We can win with these guys if they don't turn the ball over.

5. QB -- Austin Allen is the guy.  No question.  Don't expect  too much from him.  Let him grow, but he will be ok.  The others have work to do.

Right now after seeing these guys, I am scared to death with our Offensive line.  Hopefully they will improve as well.  If we don't improve at tackle, AA won't last long or we will set a world record for boots this year.

Defensively I think the front has been solid.  Secondary is a work in progress.

Sorry so short, but just general thoughts on what I have witnessed.

Was looking back at my spring observations.  Nailed offense, missed on defense but I truly believe that we are so bad on offense it gave everyone a false since of how good we are on defense. One thing that has been answered, why did Pittman leave?  I think that is now obvious.

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

Was looking back at my spring observations.  Nailed offense, missed on defense but I truly believe that we are so bad on offense it gave everyone a false since of how good we are on defense. One thing that has been answered, why did Pittman leave?  I think that is now obvious.

+1 man. Gotta give credit where credit is due. You absolutely called it! I remember seeing this during the offseason and thinking "this guy has lost his mind." Goodness was I wrong

[Biggus Piggus]

Just from the product i see on the field, and what i see being taught.  I haven't sat in on any meetings yet.  And as I said, yet, is a key word.  I am pulling for him, I wasn't sold on Pittman either at first, but his results were very good.  And in college, your about as good a coach as the kids you can get on campus.  As I have always said, I love this staff.  I think they do a really good job.  I think there are some questions here though.  Some guys who maybe haven't panned out to be as good as were hoped when recruited.  I just don't believe we have put our 5 best guys on the field yet there.  But, time will answer this question, and he certainly deserves time to get it right.  Springball usually serves the purpose of experience and seeing what has to be done over the summer to fix the issues.  Fall will answer this question better than spring will.

I agree with you - they never put the five best on the field together this season.

Decisions about who plays have been made by a group - Bielema, Enos and the new Oline coach. I vehemently disagree with them burying Zach Rogers on the depth chart all season. We got far, far into the season before Johnny Gibson was given a chance to play. Who knows how much time they lost having Brian Wallace on the second-team for so long, and waiting so long to move Dan Skipper back to left tackle.

Kurt Anderson knows a lot more about what he is dealing with now, but I'd also like to know how much of the job he's free to do. Whatever - on a team that depends so heavily on the lines, you would like to have Oline and Dline coaches who rate, oh, in the upper half of the SEC at least.

[Biggus Piggus]

Was looking back at my spring observations.  Nailed offense, missed on defense but I truly believe that we are so bad on offense it gave everyone a false since of how good we are on defense. One thing that has been answered, why did Pittman leave?  I think that is now obvious.

Pittman would have landed one or two players capable of plugging into the starting lineup, had he stayed. They would have included Garett Bolles, Pro Football Focus's best run-blocking offensive tackle in the country, playing now at Utah.