Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

9/27/2011 at 9:15pm

News and notes from Tuesday’s Arkansas football media availability …

I. Competitive Spirit
Plenty of things jumped out at Arkansas players and coaches when reviewing video of Saturday’s 38-14 loss at Alabama. One thing in particular caught offensive coordinator Garrick McGee’s attention.

“Our primetime players, our top performers, our upperclassmen, the guys that we're counting on to come up huge and teach everyone else how to compete at an extreme level, those guys did not come through for us,” McGee said. “It's not their production that didn't come through. It's their competitive spirit. … I'm not happy at all with the way that our headline guys performed in that game.”

Alabama held the Razorbacks to 226 yards of total offense. Arkansas managed 17 rushing yards on 19 carries. A hold wiped out a potential touchdown. There were issues all around, but the focus in Sunday’s offensive meetings — one led by McGee, another a players’ only session — was attitude.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson said the discussion was “constructive.”

“I think we have to make an adjustment as far as attitude-wise and come out and prepare and work harder in practice in order to get where we need to get,” Wilson said.

II. Going Green
Broderick Green was back in uniform on Saturday against Alabama. He did not play and it’s unclear if or when the running back will return from the ACL tear he suffered in spring practice.

“There's a chance that he could be back at a certain point. He's practicing. He's feeling good out there practicing,” McGee said. “I'm not quite sure when he'll crack the lineup, but he likes playing, he likes to practice and I know he's happy to be back out there on the field with his teammates.”

Green has 807 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons at Arkansas. He transferred from Southern Cal in 2009 and was ruled immediately eligible.

III. Under Pressure
Texas A&M’s schemes are tough to figure. But the Aggies’ goal is pretty clear.

They want to get to the quarterback in every way imaginable. That’s why they’re currently leading the country with 4.67 sacks per game, including 3.5 per game from outside linebacker Sean Porter.

“They have a lot of good blitzing schemes and things like that,” center Travis Swanson said. “They like to send a lot of different people after the quarterback on a lot of downs. They pride themselves on getting after the quarterback, too. That's another challenge, and we are looking forward to getting after it.” 

Speaking Out
“This will be my first time going into that stadium. I am looking forward to that. They say it’s like the Disneyland of football.”
—Linebacker Alonzo Highsmith on playing Texas A&M Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. Arkansas and the Aggies kick off in Arlington, Texas, at 11 a.m.

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, Garrick McGee, Tyler Wilson, Travis Swanson, Broderick Green, Bobby Petrino, Texas A&M Aggies