Arkansas' Jayden Johnson and Josh Braun preview Oklahoma State game

hey how you guys doing um thanks for being on I guess for both you maybe Josh you you could start first um you it's a big opportunity you're playing a big 12 team on the road they're ranked 16th on ABC just kind of how excited are you guys for this opportunity maybe you know be a statement game and and really put last year in the in the rearview mirror definitely I mean we have the opportunity to go make a statement on the national stage uh we're 11:00 a kickoff on ABC I mean the country is going to be watching and we can see uh really what we're made of this Saturday um me personally I think it's a chance for us to go out and showcase our uh talents and just show what uh the season is going to be like and I'm just ready to go out and play a new environment I guess uh either of you guys want to answer this um you know L Luke H is going to I guess Dyan for that matter is brother they're both going back to their home state to play and pretty close to home and obviously Luke missed a good part of last season just how excited do you do you do you guys think he is for this opportunity and uh what are you expecting from him you know after his first big game really since &m I guess he got knocked out of that really early yeah I would say having the opportunity to go and play in your home state I was able to do that last year it's definitely special uh you get your whole family your extended family to come watch you play and um it's something that I cherish and I know he will cherish this Saturday I mean like you said he had a a great season last year before it was cut short unfortunately but he's worked hard this offseason to ensure that he's gonna have another great season this year and so I'm sure he's excited and ready to make a statement on Saturday and just play his hard out oh for me uh I just feel like uh he come out he come out every day with a chip on his shoulder and um I feel like today he's going to make a uh I mean not today but well Saturday he's going to make a statement Jane I'm guessing you've gone against Luke a fair amount in practice just I I know he lost some weight and added back some muscle just what what you see from him in Camp and how do you think he's maybe different and better than he was last year um he definitely had got stronger and faster um just way way more physical than he was his first year and I feel like that's going to help him Excel okay thanks guys I I'll turn it back to the the big go Tre go ahead yeah Jaden with a guy like olly Gordon uh you know they've try to you know run the ball run the ball and then they'll hit you over the top how difficult is that being a safety uh to not get caught cheating up inside and just being prepared for for them throwing deep like they do uh you know just being disciplined and playing through uh playing uh within the defense uh just having my eyes on my key so it shouldn't be too much of a problem your thoughts on Gordon as a running back um you know good back uh physical big uh we just got to come ready and put a body on them and Josh your thoughts on the front seven for Oklahoma State and um they got a linebacker that's really active and just your opinion on all those guys yeah they're definitely an experienced core I mean you got number 30 and number four that are veteran players and they're going to make plays and I mean that's their job and our job is to limit the amount of plays they can make hopefully to zero and it's going to be a battle it's going to be a clash every play on Saturday and so we're preparing right now uh getting in the Playbook watching film to ensure that we know our responsibilities we know our assignments and they're doing the same thing and so it's just going to come down to Saturday who can perform they've got a guy on their defensive line calling clay you may have heard some of the guys talk about him he was at Arkansas back in 2019 same class as Eric Gregory your thoughts on him up front on the defensive tackle spot you probably be going against him some yeah no I'm excited I mean uh I'm sure EG can on this later but uh yeah I mean it's it's I'm sure he has this game cirle on his calendar since uh he got to Oklahoma State and so he's going to be ready we have to make sure that we're ready for him thanks fellas Jackson uh jayen What uh what was like lining up next to TJ this weekend uh or last Thursday kind of his first real meaningful you know start and game action what did you see from him uh everything that he he's shown in practice uh he showed it on the field uh last Thursday um you know it's just excitement every time he's on the field I can trust him uh the defense can trust him we know that he's going to do his job and when the players comes to him he's going to make that play how have you seen him most uh improve you know since the start of spring and the fall and where we are now um just his his speed and his power is he got way faster um way stronger and just his mindset towards the game has changed a lot Josh you know you were one of the I think I guess you're the only offensive lineman that that started Thursday that also started you know last year just how how much different of a Vibe was it maybe this year compared to last year at War Memorial Stadium and uh you know how good did it feel to kind of put on that show with the with the rest of the line yeah I mean uh Vibes were high we're playing at night I feel like playing at night this year totally changed my perception of War Memorial I could see how they played big games there uh however many years ago and I actually I'm probably in the minority here but I wish uh I wouldn't mind playing a big game there in the future I mean it was it was fun to be there at night uh with the in regards to the new offensive line and the new offensive line coach I mean uh they went out there and handled business uh we as a unit uh definitely progressed from last year um I think we all remember uh how people were feeling after that game what what questions arose and um I think we had success but ultimately that was last week and uh we're we're not playing we're we're not going to play that game again and so we're focused totally on Oklahoma State in this Saturday and to make another statement of who we are as an offensive line in our identity yeah any any added motivation like for you guys up front that this you know it's the first big test for everyone but I know with all the discussions about you know you guys in the struggles last year that this you know means Maybe a little bit more for the offensive line this week no I would say um I mean you approach every game the same if you get two involved in the in the stakes of one game uh you're going to alter your routine and ultimately you're not going to perform as well because you altered your routine and so you you approach every game as it as if it was the biggest game of your career and so we did that last week and we're GNA do it again this week and we're going to do it next week thanks guys Daniel how did the off look in the two minutes for the first time and how was the communication maybe on that drive specifically and having that count for real for the first time uh would you mind repeating the first part of your question or your question as a whole yeah Ju Just the the two-minute drive right before halftime yeah I mean how did the communication go you uh before the drive we wanted to work on our two-minute uh protocol and so we were communicating uh down in distance how much time was left we need to get to the ball snap it whether the clock was stopped or rolling if we were going to huddle or not um we had to communicate the IDS and then of course as you saw I mean Ton's gonna make plays so if we hold up in protection and give him time he's going to advance the ball whether with it with his arm or with his feet and I mean I think his play speaks for himself thanks go ahead Tom yeah hey Jaden um you you guys won at BYU a couple years ago was a big you know Marquee type game but Arkansas has a history they won at TCU in the first game of a two game series and Texas Tech before that they won the road game I wonder if you could take me inside the mentality that you guys took into the game in Provo and just like knowing that there would be a bunch of eyes on the game and what it took to win that game um you know just like uh Brown was talking we just approach every game as it's uh as it's the first one um as we approach the first one so we're not looking at this game no different than we looked at the first one we just going to come out do our job and prepare the same way we've been preparing but but the mindset you had to go into BYU the way y'all played that day can you remember like what it felt like that you know you hushed the home crowd you know that kind of stuff uh you might have to say that question for EG I didn't make it to that game I was hurt so I couldn't really tell you Jaden I'm sorry that slipped my mind I that um we're approaching this week as a business trip we're going there to handle business and uh that's our approach and that's our mindset all right and then the hel helmet Communications did you hear Ton's response to like how things were going with coach patrino and how smooth that went I didn't I didn't hear ton but I can hear coach patrino during practice so yeah I think uh it's gonna be a benefit to us and um I W overstep my bounds I'm not too uh comfortable with the communication don't really know what all the ins and outs but I'm sure it'll be a benefit to us yeah Jaden how did it work for you I mean were you able to hear all the calls clearly and all that uh yes I was uh it worked great um just how we use it in practice we used it like that in the game and it it just went great are you miked up you that I didn't know that cool so who's the Green Dot after you came out who who got it next uh Stephen dicks okay thanks guys you that's saw you hop on here go ahead yeah for both of you just being seniors this year I know it's a big game this week how are you maybe uh taking it in a little bit more than maybe you did you know at the start of your career just kind of this last go around um you know uh this will be my first time playing them and my last so uh I'm trying to go in as a team we're we're trying to go in and just get it done and start fast and have a big dub and have fun after on the way back yeah I'll say uh earlier in your career you always let's say you have a big game and it doesn't quite go your way the mindset after that is always oh next year we'll get them next year we'll do this next year we'll do that I mean sitting here as a senior there is no next year and so I have one this is my like he said my only time playing Oklahoma State it's my first and last and so I have to handle business this weekend I don't get another shot at it thanks all right Bob wrap this one up hey um lot of newcomers on the team but you guys are are a couple of holdovers returners whatever you they say these days and last year you know you guys had so many close games one and five I think in games de seted by one score this one probably is going to be close first of probably many close games how do you feel like you guys are ready to flip that script and win the close games and then turn turn that record around to your attention to detail um I mean when it come when you're in a one- score game you're talking about two three maybe four plays that if they go different way you win and um I think if you look at last year that's a good example of that in each of those one score games if we had three plays go our way it's a whole different season it's a whole different uh result and so succeeding in those two or three plays that decide the game comes down to your attention to detail and we've worked on that all offseason we've worked at that through camp and in practice this week um I say the same thing and also consistency come with that um we got you got to be consistent um everything we doing in the first half you got to be able to do it in the second half at a high level um I feel like that's something that we've been working on and um I feel like we'll get that done this year when you're talking about a 4H hour game uh it's hard to stay focused mentally and so you have to have the mental toughness to be locked in and engaged all 60 Minutes of game time and I think that's what ultimately separates teams in a close game like that you think you guys are ready to do that or or more ready than last year maybe uh I'm confident in my team um I don't think I know we're ready I say I know as a home team you like those night games as a road team I'd imagine you like those 11:00 a.m games where the other fanss don't have all day to get tanked up and everything um do you feel like that's a big advantage that it's it's an 11: a. game and it's early in the year and last year you know South Alabama went in there knocked him off and and cudy was on that team I think he had a pick six and um and also you guys have had a couple extra days to me that all plays and your all favor I was wondering how yall felt about about those factors um I'll just say we approach every game the same whether it's a morning kick or a night kick uh me personally I love noon games I feel like that's uh college football at its finest I think the big games should be played at noon same for me okay I'm right there with you I love those early games and and and I just had one more for Jaden you know we talked to cudy a little bit in the preseason but he's gone over there and he be you know South Alabama put on those guys pretty good um what is what have you maybe gleaned from him about playing over there in Still Water since he I guess he's the only guy on the team that's done it I think and uh you know does that make you feel good that the cudy one of his teams already gone over there and knocked him off um I say it doesn't make me feel any different uh we don't really talk about it too much um cuz it's it's a new game so we just got to come in there with the mindset to win okay I'm good and Josh I think you're probably ready to run for for meor Little Rock no I don't know about all that great final one oh I was just getting ready for the next group appreciate you guys appreciate you thank you guys youall have a great day