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Like usual, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema had some interesting things to say about his next opponent, Alabama, on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN):
“We obviously took advantage of a bye week – did a lot of development with our younger players, our two-deep, guys who haven’t played a lot of football through the first five games. Got some time on the recruiting trail. Allowed our guys to get a little bit healthy, try to remove the sting of the (Texas) A&M loss in the fourth quarter and learn from it, embrace it and make it as best you. And put in additional prep on Alabama, a very good football team that obviously lost a heartbreaker on the road. The common question is what do you think about Alabama and their response (to the loss)? I can’t control that. All I can do is control what Arkansas does. They’re a program that has won, historically, very, very well. I know they’re a good football team that’ll come in with their best effort. Excited here. First sellout since I’ve been here, I believe. We’ve got a stripe out going on, so we should have a very interactive crowd and one that I think our kids will be excited to play in front of. So we’re excited.”
On quarterback Brandon Allen making his third start against Alabama:
“I wasn’t here for the first, I was a part of the second. I know going into that game nobody prepared harder or more efficiently and was ready to take that challenge. But obviously as the game parlayed out in front of us, he wasn’t ready for it. I think the Brandon Allen you’re going to see this year is much more experienced, he’s physically grown, he’s mentally grown. I think he has a better understanding of what we’re asking him to do in all phases of the game, including leadership. I think QB play is based a lot on what you do but it’s really a lot about what’s going on around you and I think our supporting cast to him is that much better. I like where he’s at and I’m excited to see where he goes on Saturday.”
On what Allen can draw from the first two games against Alabama:
“In our program we always talk about the adversity you face defines you more probably than the success that you garnish. So I think that there is no doubt in my mind that what he has experienced in the past has only made him stronger and will have an impact on Saturday’s game, without a doubt.”
On getting off to a good start against the Crimson Tide:
“Without a doubt … I think that’s a big part especially of our practice yesterday. We had two phases that we added to our practice. We talked about the start and the finish. I knew that they were going to hear a lot about the finish, so as a head coach you’ve got to think big picture and without a doubt we need to be able to take advantage of whatever environment we walk into. I will say it’s a home crowd, it’s a sellout, it’s a stripe out, so there’s a lot of positive energy we want to try to be able to capitalize on the best we can.”
On the kicking situation and if John Henson will still attempt short field goals and Adam McFain long ones: “It doesn’t look like … I didn’t say that. I know what I’m going to do. There’s a possibility of that happening. I think the great thing about going to the game is you get to see it live.”
On Alabama quarterback Blake Sims: “The thing that jumps out at you, I think, is that you just watch him, you watch the players around him, and everything that he brings you can tell that the players like him. I think when you’ve got a QB that your players can rally around that’s a tremendous thing – and being a senior who’s worked his way and earned the opportunity that he’s gotten, you can tell that big-time. I think they’ve done some very, very good things. They’ve moved him around, they’ve done certain things in the red zone that apparently fit into what he does best because they’ve been very successful. I think it’s exciting to watch a kid that paid his dues and has gotten his opportunity to be the starting quarterback at Alabama and I think he’s going to do everything he can to show his best on Saturday.”
On if Alabama’s turnover issues changes anything in preparation: You know, that’s a staple in our program. We start every practice from the first day of spring ball last year to where we are today with a ball disruption drill. It’s paid off very well for us so far. We’ve been able to get our hands on a lot of footballs – and I’m not just talking about running where we strip the ball and get a fumble or something like, but ball deflected in the passing game, balls disrupted at the line of scrimmage. So not really an added emphasis, but obviously something that our kids can see on film.”
On if this is big biggest offensive line he’s had yet: “I can’t answer that specifically, I’m sure that there’s probably a Google search that might be able to tell you that. One of the things I do firmly believe in is everything starts in the foundation on offense and defense and that’s kind of like building a house – it all starts up front and they are our foundation. Our offensive line not only is big, I pride ourselves more on our ability. Anybody can be big. That’s not a hard thing to do. Somebody could sit and eat a cheeseburger and get bigger by the day. But it’s how you play the game and I think our guys have played the game with much more efficiency. There’s times where we do some things very, very well and at times we’ve shown some dysfunctional offensive line play. We’re going to try to do our best to clean that up. But our depth overall and our ability to execute what we’re asking them to do has grown, without a doubt, since a year ago.”
On if there’s improvement in finishing during practices: “Well, the results going to come out on Saturday. There’s nothing you can do to emulate after playing a full three quarters in an SEC game against an opponent such as Alabama. But all you can do is do a lot of preparation, points of emphasis. I know this: the kids have been engaged. They’ve been, I think, a lot better understanding what we’re asking them to do certain things from the time we come over to start our meetings to where it’s obviously a mental focus in the classroom to the time we walk off the field at the end of practice. Trying to simulate being able to focus for three and a half-plus hours on trying to play the game to the best of your ability, that’s only going to come out on Saturdays. But I like the attention to detail they’ve had.”
On what he envisions in the fourth quarter offensively: “I’d like to see the finishing touches on averaging 200 in both the running and passing. I think I’d like to see a team that finishes efficiently off drives, whether it be a red-zone situation or a two-minute situation or a coming out of a turnover that our defense puts us in a great position on the field. I want to see us be able to have success in critical areas. One of those critical areas is when you have the lead in the fourth quarter being able to close things out, being able to put a stamp on that game that other people can take recognition of. We’re getting there. We’re not there yet. I think recruiting and player development are a big part of what I believe in. We’ve seen rewards of that but it’s nowhere close to where we’re going to be.”
On the two biggest challenges of facing Alabama: “Well, the first challenge is A-L-A-B-A-M-A. Alabama is who they are. They’re very, very well-documented on their success and who they are. They’re extremely well-coached. Nick has proven to be one of the premier coaches in our profession, not just currently but over the test of time. They have a roster that is full of outstanding football players that do what they ask them to do and are very physically gifted. So that’s the one case in point, is just Alabama is what it is. The second thing is, you know, we’re a team that has not won an SEC game since I’ve been here. It’s very well documented. To make that turnaround takes a lot of hard work and a lot of effort. But it takes something to finally tip you over that edge, to finally get you past the point of knowing that this is obviously going to happen, not only this time but many times in the future. It’s a combination of both what Alabama does, but more importantly what I can control is what Arkansas does. That’s the part that makes it a daily grind and a lot of fun.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
