Hog Central Podcast: Bobby Petrino’s near perfect offense, Big 12 showdown at Oklahoma State

this is the hog Central Podcast sponsored by oaklan Sports Arkansas's best sports betting app bet with the brand you trust bet with Oak long Sports and now here's your host Steve Sullivan and welcome to the hog Central Podcast I'm Steve Sullivan longtime sportscaster at Channel 7 going on 25 years at KV and I'm joined by David basil a Razer back success story out of Panama Beach Flor Florida signed with Lou Holz out of high school became a Razorback Captain been busy since graduation I've been Overexposed s Little Rock touchdown club uh he started that several Awards a couple national awards the burs award and The Cliff Harris award congrats to you thanks so was great to be with you man it's always nice when you start off on a good note you know not many complaints you know yeah 70 to nothing people are telling me yeah it was uapb but I look at it as like the Olympics you have an opening race usually a second semi-final race then a final this was the first heat and what you want to do in those early Heats is build confidence and I think for a new team boy you left War waral stadium with a great feeling offense and defense yeah suly if you go back a year ago remember we were questioning oh okay got Dan Enos great reputation and KJ back and Rocket I remember the first we couldn't block anybody I thinking wow you I think we only had nine rushing touchdowns all of last year in 12 games and remember and I felt didn't feel good about it and and I remember some people I think coach Pitman even sort of got defensive oh you know we're just you know we're working through this and not this game not this game so I think the team looked more athletic looked like it had more depth not many mistakes offense looked Dynamic so uh check Jon Jackson I know it was a former linebacker you were impressed with him yeah I I've I've been impressed with him suly I went back and watched a lot of his video from uh from Utah He's a stud and uh he he's a big strong kid didn't get much of a test Saturday but I'll tell you you put him back there and then you got the threaded quarterback you got tight end receivers that combination of really talented guys your number ones really make us you know where how are we going to match up here how we going to you know load the Box we G to double team somebody but yeah he was he's very physical gotta hope he doesn't get hurt um but uh he he's going to help us this year saw the wow factor from ton green not only the run but that pass he made spinning out to Ty Washington I wish he would do the routine things a couple of those opening game and a couple of passes he threw one behind a receiver and uh under threw another receiver youo Sly I had I had several people go well you know he he didn't have a great game you know you missed some throws he did he's not he's not Ron Mallet yet he's not you know whoever Lamar Jackson but UD did see I I called A buddy of mine that was up in New York I said just watch for a highlight tonight from Taylor green and we got it on the Run where he ran 80 yards for the I think it was a 36 yard run and you're right Sully he's got the ability to really throw some some great passes we had Bobby patrino on on the buzz on morning Mayhem the next day over at Frank Fletcher's Place everything he said he was very happy so if Bobby patrino is happy with what he saw uh you know I I I am too but we we did we saw now and that's no tape every defense that watches it goes okay you know that that outside linebacker that corner am I going to come up run support am I saying deep what am I doing at linebacker so already you've got some stuff on tape it's going to be something defense has got to get ready for if you're Oklahoma State how do you defend ton green off that tape of the first game and his time at Boise well I I think you know if you our buddy Bruce James would say you've got to be disciplined in your Rush Lanes everything's got to be disciplined whatever your game plan is you know keep him within the Box don't let him hurt you with his his legs and then you know that that's what you have to do if you're disciplined you can stop him a good defense can can contain that kind of guy but he's so athletic even your best player may he may be better than your best player on the corner and I so I think Bobby patrino is going to roll him out get him the opportunities let's let's test those defensive end those those outside linebackers for Oklahoma State and we're going to learn more about the offensive line on Saturday yeah you know after watching Oklahoma State Sully um they reminded me a little bit of us you know they're they're physical but they're not overwhelming they're not at Alabama they're they're not at LSU so uh I think it'll be a bigger test for offensive line but their defense is Oklahoma State's not big they're not a big one suly they they're well coached uh so I I think this is going to be a really evenly matched game it'll be interesting who wants it the most and who's the smartest defense ly it surprised me with linebackers so little starting experience in the group and they all got around 20 snaps I know as a former linebacker you'd want as a starter 40 or 50 uh does that send a message to you that maybe we're going to just play four guys to start the season well it reminds me S if you remember my good friend Ricky Williams who end up being a linebacker of the decade in the 80s and so I was starting ahead of him and I knew Co he was good he was as good as me and coach was going to give him reps so I said that's okay you know listen it's it's part of it we're all getting reps we're all getting rested so I don't think there's going to be that kind of attitude I think as long as they feel like you got four guys that are good enough to play Let's rotate him let's keep him rested Oklahoma State Mike Gundy going into 20th year regardless of what you think of him he's a nut but 20 years is amazing in this era of college football he's been consistent you're right there's only a couple coaches that have that 20-year Mark and he's funny you know his Paris conferences are funny and he's built a winning culture he continues to win he continues to do it his way he's a he's a a very good offensive coach and um it won't be a hostile environment because it'll be 11:00 there in still water but uh they've won a lot of games in that Stadium they got a throwback tail back olly Gordon 28 carries most teams go with two backs Oklahoma State it's olle Gordon and that guy can do it all he can catch he can run he blocks he was the do Walker Award winner last year if you got to pop him early you do if you watched uh San Diego San Diego State South Dakota State rather you saw that's where before they started struggling especially as the game went on they would come up hit him and he' just B bounce off uh and he's a he's a really strong physical you look at him he looks like a Dickerson in his side he is he is built well uh he got good moves for big man so you know again as a guy who played against some really good running backs back in my day I love the challenge of being able to face a guy like that he's going to be a challenge but you know really San Diego South Dakota State really had done a good job against him until the second half and then he starts wearing on you and of course they throw the ball out of the back field to him but he's a stud he he's really he's going to be a good Pro he's physically gifted and he'll be a challenge for us the quarterback Bowman wasn't stressed kind of like ton green I think the matchup I'm looking forward to is that this will be the first test for this Razer back defensive line if they can with four guys get some pressure on a good def offensive line a veteran offensive line veteran offensive line all five are I think they have the top amount of returning starts 21 starts I think in the country which is number one doesn't mean they're the best if you look at the list there's two or three other teams Florida state was number three they didn't look too good the other so uh and it's not they're a big good-looking physical offensive line but again it's not an Alabama offensive line I don't think it's it reminds me of us a little bit so I think we can compete I think it's interesting when you have a quarterback like Alan Bowman Sully this is his seventh year seventh year of college football I mean he's like an N he's like an NFL player and so uh and he had a good game he threw the ball well and so I thought he was I thought the receivers played well too yeah so this will be this will be interesting with our new linebackers with a returning defensive line he's seen everything that's right but it'll be curious to see what Travis Williams does does he come does he come after him does he make him feel uncomfortable does he play a little you know play a little relaxed at first it'll be interesting to see I think an overrated stat to a point is returning starters uh for instance Oklahoma state has a lot of guys returning on the defensive side of the ball they were ranked 122nd in defense a year ago do you really want those guys back I mean listen and we don't know about their defense CU South Dakota State moved the ball on them they had almost 400 total yards S I hate to say this but we were saying the same thing about our offense last year we had a lot of returning starters on the offensive line not a lot but several that had been there and they did not have great years so you're right I think that stat can sometimes be overrated like I said this is going to be a game with you've got a lot of experience you're going into a hostile environment they're ready to play of course you know s we used to play Oklahoma State all the time yeah back in the 70s and I never got a chance to play them and so uh so I think this going to be a lot of fun I like the 11 o'clock start that's early you know as you say you you you don't have the fans Juiced up and so uh we didn't see all I think we took away from uapb is like okay I think we have depth yeah we look more athletic we look more confident we look sharper offense looks more Dynamic and defense didn't make many mistakes so you know I think you walked away you could have hung a hundred on them if you wanted to uh but they didn't but I thought you walked away from here I feel better this year game two did last year game two no game this early is a must game but when you look at what went on last year at the end of last year yeah Arkansas cannot afford a bad loss and still water on Saturday and I don't think it would be if they lost lo I think it's going to be a good game but well I tell you what so if you flip that that that statement if you win that game yeah then all a sudden you you beat UAB at home you should and all a sudden you're starting to feel you go to Auburn who's who's good who's better this year but it would be a tremendous win if you get that you talk about a confidence builder in this team and all of a sudden people look around finally go well maybe the Hogs are back with patrino and gang I you know I think it will have that kind of effect I thought Mike Gundy made a good point today he said when we faced South Dakota State he said it wasn't like facing in Arkansas they had maybe three guys that that could play physically on that defense that now you're going to look across both teams are going to look across the line of scrimmage and see teams that look like them this is going to be a new experience this season for both teams yeah I think for again for the players that have experienced uh you know in the SEC they're G look look at Oklahoma St go they they don't look right the teams we've been playing against they they actually look more they look a little bit like us that's why I think you know I think it's going to be a really close game and uh it'll be interesting to see you know who makes mistakes you didn't see many mistakes when you're better than your opponent like we were last week you don't see as many you're so much better physically um but we won't be perfect this time that'll be how do we handle you know adversity when things don't go as well this game I'm interested to see ton green under stress uh you know how how he operates does he take off does he throw into coverage does he throw it out of bounds yeah I think uh if you're if you're G Bobby patrino I I think you put in his ear Hey listen you're a stud you run if you you know because what it does all a sudden it you know it tires the defensive line gets him discouraged like oh man we have him wrapped up there he goes he his feet are the Difference Maker I mean that's the he's different than KJ Jefferson he's he's he's he's going to go He Can Go the Distance he can pick up 20 A Lot F he's closer to Matt Jones that's that's right that's that's that's a good comparison so yeah I I think he's going to tell him and of course I think he wants him to make the right throws but I also think he say if you've got a if you've got Avenue go for it the right decisions in the read option he can be dynamic on on that play because he is such a threat to pull it yeah if he makes the right decisions on that read option Saturday we could have some big runs from the tailback or him and I tell you quarterbacks who were good at that again I I don't know you know I haven't watched him play enough but I've been around quarterbacks you get good at that and man it's it's tough I mean you're you're tough to stop when you make good reads on those kind of ation plays and again that's what makes it difficult then you know you just saw a little sprinkle tight end you know and all a sudden you know that tight end Bobby bero one of the things he likes to throw to the tight ends and he likes to throw to the backs side of the back field and we just saw a little sprinkle of that in the game I think you'll see more of that against Oklahoma State one thing I noticed around the league with the SEC is outside of a couple of teams South Carolina Florida A&M Yeah Boy the quarterback play is good and you got to have a good quarterback I mean Tennessee wow I know he he may be the most impressive kid I saw he made it look easy and then you know uh OMS you you know everybody thought well Arkansas is going to be the number one offensive in America at the first game no sorry old missc 76 uh Tennessee scored 69 it's just the offense these days man it just I'm so glad I don't play now because I would not I like I like stopping the run I did not like the pass and I think it shows you you got to have a good quarterback these days if you want to have a good season you got to have a guy you believe in and you trust I I think so too slly the one area we didn't get to see uh very much of Saturday with special teams in terms of of Phil Golds punting and those things so that's the only so we go this first game with you know nothing course we lost our which Snapper which which was he the was he the Deep Snapper or I think he was doing both we no I think that's what yeah he was doing both last year yeah said P said you only do one that's why he left I didn't miss them on we didn't snap much yeah I know that's what I'm saying so that will be something new we snapped on extra points I know said so that that we did see that but we didn't see field goal we didn't see many we didn't see any puns hey it may have been called back but how good does Isaiah satania feel about returning punts right now when he took one to the house the opening game again you know I played with Bobby Joe edans you remember him and and of course you look at all the other great returners we've had Joe Adams and others it's just a Difference Maker man it's just one mistake and you're going to pick it you're going to lose 230 yards there in the punt game and for your opponent so I'm I'm excited he's a confident kid and I think he'll he'll return a lot of yards this year oaklan Sports is so simple to use anyone can do it probably even an ex football player and you can tell take it anywhere pocket size sort of like you Raj small perhaps but powerful like this offer sign up now for oaklon sports and get up to $1,000 in bonus bets that's I a doover in case you make a questionable decision too bad they can't do that for haircuts I'm calling your mom now with new and easy funding options bet with a brand you trust bet with oaklan sports w we can take people where most people cannot take them the J coming together that place was jump the triple option presented by Wendy's wherever you get your podcasts in games like this uh we saw Saturday for uh UCA David Walker they're their stud defensive end a strip fumble at the end of the game you need guys Landon Jackson cam ball these your studs on the line they got to play this week well this is how if you as an old guy who used to love to stop the run it's about those big guys up front taking up blocks and or or penetrating so they set the tempo so you saw USC last night surprisingly for most of the game sort of stuff LSU they had some success LSU did at some point but it's that defensive line that sets the tempo for stopping the run you know and so yeah this is their first test I hope they play well I think they will but you got really two veteran lines there going against each other you said this early before the season this is the game that sets the tone yeah this is this is the one you get this you get this and man also in the confidence boom through the roof if you don't yeah yeah you know you know it's a top 15 team but if you can get this one against the top 15 team yeah you got you know you get some momentum going uh how much of his Playbook do you think Bobby patrino showed in that opener oh you know I think anybody can go back and look at his 25 30y year 35 year career and see a little bit of everything I think what we saw I think everybody knew he's so great at Crossing routes and trying to find soft spots and zones and man and mismatches I don't think he I mean I'm sure we didn't see all of it Sully but I think for most defensive coordinators are like that you know it's I can go back and look at a thousand films and they're all going to have these same kind of elements you know what I'm looking forward to what's that the first third and one or fourth and one because I know the call is coming from yeah that's that's true there won't be much of a discussion I think it's GNA be Sam's gonna say Bobby what are you gonna do yeah and I I did you did you sit Sully in the way I know there were some people that didn't like the fact that we were running up the score but I heard Sam after the game say you know we had get these kids some confidence you know we're playing a big game next week our backup uh players and all that I I just sense the way they played even though it was uapb there's some confidence and so I sort of feel the fact that Bobby patrino came out the first play remember Tyler Wilson said oh he's gonna run the ball no first play throws it down the middle it was a good pass but I think that's the mentality of Bobby it's like I'm back let's go think about a year ago he lost all his quarterbacks at A&M yeah you know and you know how good did Malachi Singleton feel and KJ Jackson they ran the same offense you know and and hey uapb got a check they got a big check and Arkansas did not take the penalty to start the game for the uniforms the first half you know and uh it's 70 nothing any different than 50 to nothing no but s back on Malachi Singleton I'm not so sure he didn't look more impressive in the passing part of the game just as far as quick quick quick quick decision boom boom boom he was impressive so it's a good thing to know that something happens to tlor Green you got a kid there that looked like he was very confident and and it his AR arm strength looked good and he was on the money and accurate I think you're to the point with those two quarterbacks if taon gets shook during a game Bobby isn't going to hesitate yeah yeah again I had heard good things that were happening with him on Camp and I'd seen him play a little bit he's a he's a good-looking athlete yeah but boy I'm telling you he walked in there Zip Zip Zip Zip like nice nice uh one other the things do you look going forward from that opener or do you want to see that you're not real sure about right now um you know the the secondary you know I I still want to see a the secondary do we have the ability I think we'll be tested got a lot of names maybe you don't recognize in the in in the secondary and see how we can do I I'm really hoping if we don't get pressure up front suly I think it's going to be another kind of those average years Landon Jackson and all these guys cam ball that been there 20 years it seems they they need to be disruptive I want to see some disruptive plays by the defense I don't want to see a secondary that's in the right place making some plays and so of course you looked last night LSU struggled you know it's not easy stopp in these offenses it's not easy to do and even last night you saw a very good LSU team but I want to see our secondary I want to see the progress that Travis Williams has made you who popped on the defensive line it may have been just uapb but Nico Deval yeah he did he had a good game and if this is the season he steps up what does he add to that defense he's an athletic guy he plays with a lot of energy yeah again Sully you know great defenses have defensive lines that that make plays and we just haven't had them making plays you know I think Lon Jackson had a little spurt last year but we we need all a sudden it's a sack it's a it's a hurry a it's it's a it's a tackle for loss that's what this defensive line needs to do you know what I like about green and Jackson what's that they play with little Swagger yeah I mean when Jackson scy pointed at the cheerleaders I mean I don't want tonic I want so yeah there's no question I want I I want guys that think they're good listen I just got through we had Brett Favre at the touchdown club and I got Ray Lewis coming in Sully those guys played the game with a lot of enthusiasm and it was running their mouth a little bit but that's sort of what made them be special run your mouth a little bit back it up and have some fun it's like Bobby patrino I heard him on an interview talk about how they took a beating when they were freshman the Jay wries and you know the guys from Warren and Joe Adams but by the time they were Juniors they had the idea that no one's stopping them yeah nobody Hardly did yeah yeah and this is going to be fun 11:00 a.m. kick you're a Believer that's good for the visiting team always felt that way don't mean you're going to win but just I would much rather play when and I I listen don't you hate when Arkansas has 11 o' kicks stay get you're sort of flat again doesn't always correlate to the change in the score but I know this much I always when I I hate going to Razer back games at at 11 o'clock just because it eliminates tailgating eliminates getting there early getting fired up and the crowd is I mean listen I'm sure the crowd will get there early they'll be ready for Arkansas but not like it would be if it's at night I know one of the most proud things of your razer back career you would named captain yes what do you think I haven't got your thoughts on this what do you think this year with they're naming uh four captains per game uh you know that that's the way we did it when I played oh I didn't know that yeah not many people I didn't like it I thought you I think you should name the captains before but what they did with us we would have individual game captains and at the very end of the year uh we'd have a big meeting and coach would say name it now it was with Hatfield I can't even remember for hostes but I was named captain along with Annie epir GRE Greg Lasker and Nick Miller after the season was over now did did I have to be named a captain to be a leader no I was a leader throughout the year but it'd be nice I think it'd be cool to have that se to show that you've in the uh two days or spring or whatever that you showed that but hey it is what it is it's not going to stop Lon Jackson from playing hard if he doesn't have a c on his on his jersey hey go back into I'm going to go back to the linebackers yeah you you played Four Guys about 20 snaps yeah uh is that a good thing would you like to see two guys get the majority of snaps no I I'm okay with that again if if the like like I gave the example if the level of play is really close I I like the now if you've got one that's your dominant one maybe get him you know 6040 maybe give it 6040 stamps but I do like having fresh guys if the other guys are right there with them and maybe for example I I love blitzing I love to Blitz and so maybe you know hey you leave basil in there you know or Nicks in there when he's ready to go and use him for particular types but I don't have a problem with it yet so long as they're they're equal and and we we've we've seen it before because they did it when I played but we we had seen it in Arkansas in a while have four good linebackers and one thing we saw last week was Vanilla defense we won't we won't see that this week yeah that's what I'm that's what I'm anxious to see how aggressive is Travis Williams against a seventh year quarterback and a All-American running back let me tell you if your defense if you're Travis Williams you go man you got the dop Walker winner over there shut him down don't let him get hey don't let him get to three three figures yeah keep him below a 100 keep him below 100 no you don't break a play don't break a long run you keep him contained you got to get him to the point where he doesn't want carry number 25 yeah but but what that means Sully that means you may be crowd the line of scrimmage and what is that you're susceptible in the backside so our secondary has to step up and play well uh one stat that I loved about this defense a year ago uh they had their issues in games but they didn't allow any big big plays I think they were one of the few in the country until the end of the year didn't allow a run over 50 yards and only one pass over 50 yards yeah that was one of the improvements of the team on defense most of the Year till they got to the end and it just fell apart but so yeah I think Travis Williams coaches that again when you're playing against a running back uh like Ali yeah Ali Gordon Ali Gordon rather uh yes you you don't want him it's the moralizing for him to break a run so you just keep him bottled up keep you know what South Dakota state did that for most of the game until the second half and and you also you know what is you need silly you need gang tackling you need you need two or three guys around the ball and that's that's a hustle element that's the hustle part of the game a big picture it's SEC against Big 12 and rather if it's basketball or football we think we're the better conference that's right you know know the better conf they would love to beat us you know that they would love the in SEC one in one and three in the four big games this weekend for the SEC and this will be big for the conference to get you know Arkansas to step up a team that went 4 and8 a year ago a way to say we're back yeah but you know at least we're we're back for now that we can go on the road and beat a top 20 team when we look back at this game what are the stats that you think are winning stats for Arkansas what do they have to do I I think uh keep Gordon you know in uh I think big plays and keeping Gordon below a 100 I think if you keep Gordon below 100 uh and you and you play good defense in the backside I think we win the game Sully I think if we don't give it big plays I think we're offensively potent enough to score points point I just think can we contain them not give up big plays in the passing game and keep Gordon to under 100 yards what' you glean from Bobby patrino and your visit with him after the game um I think he was really I mean we went down every element every player on the roster and he was very compliment complimentary of each one they all did what what he expected so I I think I mean he could have easily said hey we got to get better here and he didn't say we've arrived but he was very complimentary every player group that he had there uh 14 14 different receivers caught the ball wow uh I think there were I think there were nine different running uh running backs three of those quarterbacks so six different running backs so I think he liked the fact that hey that's what we're everybody he said everybody got a little confidence everybody got a little that taste they taste that blood in the water let's let's give me some more let's go get it I saw the dep chart today and running back it's you know it's still Rodney Hill in that second spot yeah that brillan in the third and uhon still running four looked good too man he's a good-looking kid yeah Bobby Pino loves those big backs yeah he does and uh but but but again Jackson is the guy you know that's another too silly if Jackson has a good game I tell you if Jackson has like aund around 100 plus yards you better watch out because if he's getting 100 yards and then you got tlon green running around then you can throw to the tight end all those things that really keeps you off balance as he's a guy who's dangerous out of the back field catching the ball would you get would you get him an open space at his size yeah and if you're having if you're having trouble in the offensive line that's what you do get him outside the box real quickly so yeah we've noticed early on this podcast will be a lot more fun after wins yes yes we come back next week it will be much more fun if it's a w all right I appreciate you baz any prediction before we leave on a score or what you think is you see a high-scoring game or a as you know as you know Sully you know uh Oakland I'm G to be lean I'm gonna be leaning towards I'm gonna be leaning towards the Razer backs that's what I'm going to do s I'm a homer I'm sorry can't Happ it all right thanks for tuning in to the hog Central Podcast want to appreciate the folks at H sports for sponsoring [Music]