Irwin, on Hillis

[Biggus Piggus]

I heard Hillis interviewed on Chuck Barrett's show.  They did a long piece on him.  It's obvious that Hillis wants tailback carries more than anything else.  "I'm a team player" and all that, but he's got other feelings too.  Backfield is crowded, for the moment. 

[Fletch]

I say give him a shot and see how he produces. Emmitt Smith did not have "breakaway speed" either. He sure knew how to find the end zone though. I don't mind having two good backs share carries like Auburn last couple of years and us with Cobbs and Talley but I can't stand the running back by committe with everyone getting a few carries.

[Jim Harris]

I heard Hillis interviewed on Chuck Barrett's show. They did a long piece on him. It's obvious that Hillis wants tailback carries more than anything else. "I'm a team player" and all that, but he's got other feelings too. Backfield is crowded, for the moment.

I'm not convinced he (and/or his family) is a complete "team" player willing to sacrifice stats and carries for the team.

[toshortrock]

u have to give him a shot,,,u need him in the game

[Biggus Piggus]

Emmitt had breakaway quickness.  Hillis will never be that style of runner.  He can have a useful role, but we've got to have roles + allocate PT based on who's best for the role.

[junkyardhog]

I heard Hillis interviewed on Chuck Barrett's show. They did a long piece on him. It's obvious that Hillis wants tailback carries more than anything else. "I'm a team player" and all that, but he's got other feelings too. Backfield is crowded, for the moment.

I'm not convinced he (and/or his family) is a complete "team" player willing to sacrifice stats and carries for the team.

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[HornetHog]

Very soft hands...runs and hits like a fast tank.....WTH...its a no brainer......lets go Dale, get in the game!

[TechHawg]

I don't think Hillis will have to worry about touching the football.  He's going to be used in so many ways, and all of them will be utilized in getting him the football.  He will get a lot of carries, but I won't be a bit surprised to see him get a lot of receptions too.  I'd like to see a screen pass to Hillis.  Can you imagine a screen pass where he gets all 230+ pounds going full steam into the secondary?  Corners can't tackle him very well.  We'll see him at tailback, but we'll also see him at fullback and tight end.

[Biggus Piggus]

That's what they are trying to do, placate him with PT and touches while all he wants is to line up at tailback and run with the football.  My girls want Ho-Hos four times a day too.  They give me those big moon pie eyes, they get them.  Wonder if Hillis ever tried that on Nutt.

[Theolesnort]

I have no doubt that Hillis could be a very effective tailback of the old Okla Steve Owens mold but we have two many other weapons and we need to expand and diversify the offense, not go back in time. What Nutt seems to be doing with him may be a stroke of genius ( I may have to eat those words but what the heck) What might suprise us all is that with all the talk of getting a qb who just gets everyone else involved and stays in the background may be a ruse. If RJ gets his feet and settles in it well might be him that dictates how this offense develops and where it goes. Whatever happens it should be interesting to say the least.

[Biggus Piggus]

There's all this talk in a print story today about the tight ends.  We're talking about throwing more to the tight ends, I guess so we can recruit one.  We have Monk, Washington, Logan, Poole, McFadden, Jones, Smith and Hillis, and we need the tight ends touching the ball more often?  How many offensive snaps are we going to have?  At tight end they have Templeton, Winston and Hicks they want to play, and they're talking about Hillis seeing snaps there so he can be more of a receiving threat.  Narrowing the selection is going to be an interesting process this year.  Games will look like this.

RUSHES
Howard 5
Hillis 5
Poole 5
McFadden 5
Jones 5
Smith 5
Johnson 5

RECEPTIONS
Monk 5
Washington 2
Logan 2
Baker 2
Coleman 2
Hicks 2
Winston 2
Hillis 2
Poole 2
Templeton 2

[Theolesnort]

I don't think it is so much that we actually throw to the tight end in a regular fashion but that we throw enough that the other guys know we can, and give them more to defend and think about.

[Theolesnort]

And if Felix Jones is a natural and is as good as some think it would be foolish not to move him to the front of the line and give him the majority of the touches. You need to go with your best. If it is Mcfaddon then go with him and so on.

[idochog]

Anyone want to know why we have unproductive offensive series?  Its because HDN trying to play everyone a certain amount of plays rather than putting the best players on the field.

Who is running the ship here HDN or the players?

[junkyardhog]

Anyone want to know why we have unproductive offensive series? Its because HDN trying to play everyone a certain amount of plays rather than putting the best players on the field.

Who is running the ship here HDN or the players?

Yep always HDN. <sarcasm> same old song and dance.

[jabohog]

I wonder if Hillis has an axe to grind. He said something in the papers about catching it from opposing teams because he was a white boy in the backfield. Most of the comments I have read by him, it seems he is real big on proving a point and he usually succeeds. I hope he comes around to being a versatile player. I think with him and Poole (if Poole can stay healthy) in there at the same time allot of options will be open for the QB.

[mikeirwin]

Whether or not Hillis wants to be a 30 carries per game tailback appears to be a moot point. There is no evidence that he's unhappy right now. In the two workouts we saw he was all over the place touching the ball a lot more than any of the tailbacks.
Some of you are mad at me for bringing this up in the first place. Like a rumor is something horrible on a message board. I got news for those people. Hogville is not the 6 pm news. If you are horrified by rumors you're in the wrong place.
Players get mad about a lot of things. We all do. I don't like closed practices. But the earth doesn't stop spinning because somebody doesn't like something.
Hillis is on track to have a great year. He will be thanking the coaches for this decision. No way is this kid headed to the NFL as a tailback. But a creative use of his many skills now might open some eyes come draft day in '08.

[Biggus Piggus]

Hillis is on track to have a great year. He will be thanking the coaches for this decision. No way is this kid headed to the NFL as a tailback. But a creative use of his many skills now might open some eyes come draft day in '08.

Over on the recruiting board, drakehog made some great points about other players who appeared to be selfish.  Kids don't always get what they want, and sometimes they are a lot better off for it.  Kids who quit because they don't get what they want, they disgust me.  It is an annual event to have kids come in expecting to be stars just like in high school, and then they have to fit in, sometimes at new positions.  Kim Dameron was an all-state QB and had to walk on.  He played DB as a freshman.  Lettered.  Later played WR.  Earned everything he got.

[idochog]

Whether or not Hillis wants to be a 30 carries per game tailback appears to be a moot point. There is no evidence that he's unhappy right now. In the two workouts we saw he was all over the place touching the ball a lot more than any of the tailbacks.
Some of you are mad at me for bringing this up in the first place. Like a rumor is something horrible on a message board. I got news for those people. Hogville is not the 6 pm news. If you are horrified by rumors you're in the wrong place.
Players get mad about a lot of things. We all do. I don't like closed practices. But the earth doesn't stop spinning because somebody doesn't like something.
Hillis is on track to have a great year. He will be thanking the coaches for this decision. No way is this kid headed to the NFL as a tailback. But a creative use of his many skills now might open some eyes come draft day in '08.

I certainly hope HDN and Danny Nutt are smart enough to recognize he doesnt have the skills for an everydown TB McFadden or Jones have

[sage_dragoon]

There's all this talk in a print story today about the tight ends. We're talking about throwing more to the tight ends, I guess so we can recruit one. We have Monk, Washington, Logan, Poole, McFadden, Jones, Smith and Hillis, and we need the tight ends touching the ball more often? How many offensive snaps are we going to have? At tight end they have Templeton, Winston and Hicks they want to play, and they're talking about Hillis seeing snaps there so he can be more of a receiving threat. Narrowing the selection is going to be an interesting process this year. Games will look like this.

RUSHES
Howard 5
Hillis 5
Poole 5
McFadden 5
Jones 5
Smith 5
Johnson 5

RECEPTIONS
Monk 5
Washington 2
Logan 2
Baker 2
Coleman 2
Hicks 2
Winston 2
Hillis 2
Poole 2
Templeton 2

If we are completing 20+ passes a game, I'm for it.

[Razorback Jedi]

What a great problem to have (given that our staff can maximize the multitude of RB talent elsewhere).

[Theolesnort]

What a great problem to have (given that our staff can maximize the multitude of RB talent elsewhere).

There is some wisdom there. Especially when you think back to the Ole Miss game a couple of years ago and a running back was a hard thing to find.

[bigred7987]

that rushing distribution would never work...Every game u have a guy who is runnin better...i.e Fred Talley vs. Auburn couple of years ago  I wouldnt have pulled him out if he broke an ankle he was running so good... No way you pull them out.  U will have guys who have success vs. teams and guys who seem like they are running against a brick wall.  You stick with whose running well on a particular day not distribute carries evenly

[Biggus Piggus]

that rushing distribution would never work...Every game u have a guy who is runnin better...i.e Fred Talley vs. Auburn couple of years ago I wouldnt have pulled him out if he broke an ankle he was running so good... No way you pull them out. U will have guys who have success vs. teams and guys who seem like they are running against a brick wall. You stick with whose running well on a particular day not distribute carries evenly

Duh.  It was an exaggeration.

[Kevin n Hog Heaven]

I know Hillis was a true FB at Conway right? Did he play other positions there? And didnt he set records as a true fullback?

[Thehammer]

Yes he should play some at tb.   To use him there exclusively, would be a waste of great fullback talent.  Peyton simply doesn't have that "homerun" speed at tailback.   

[snoutface]

Inside the 20, he'll get all the carries at TB he needs- sacrifice yards for touchdowns.  Between the 20s he'll catch passes in the flat from the TB/FB position and near the middlerfrom HB/TE.  May even see some trick stuff from the HB position.  1st or 2nd team All-SEC, with honorable mention All-American, a strong possibility- can't deny all those "Peyton Hillis-Touchdown!!!" calls.

[Biggus Piggus]

The fake to Hillis, throw to Hillis option in the red zone is great.

[PerryHog]

Hillis is not an every down sec tailback. No way, no how. On the other hand, if we find a qb who can be solid throwing the ball, his chances improve tremendously.
Hillis is the consummate tweener. Not many have been such a combination of tailback, reciever, and fullback, all in the same package. I can't think of any, other than Roger Craig, maybe. Closest I can get.
The question is, do we have a montana to make it work?
How 'bout an offensive coordinator?

[rricha]

where is Kim these days.  I remember when all of the cornerbacks got hurt in 1979 and kim had to start at corner.  He started the season at wide out so here he was playing cornerback with the number 89. He played 3 years as a DB and moved back to receiver our senior year.

[Biggus Piggus]

We'll see Kim soon.  He is defensive coordinator for Charlie Weatherbie at Louisiana-Monroe.  Their running backs coach is Ron Dickerson Jr.  Remember when he got plowed by Chris Mitchell at the 1?

[Oklahawg]

Hillis will have to acquire a taste for blocking to sniff first-day attention in the '08 NFL draft. His hands make him special but the NFL is even more in need of multiple skills than UA is. I like this kid and reeling off a bunch of wins this year will make any funkiness about touches at TB disappear.

Jones has always been listed behind McFadden. Fair enough. I suspect he's more game ready, though. I feel confident both with be very productive Hogs for 4 years.