FAYETTEVILLE -- Sam Pittman will run through the "A" as the University of Arkansas head coach for the first time on Saturday, and he's a little nervous about that pre-game ritual prior to facing Rice.
Pittman didn't get to run through the "A" formed by the Razorback Marching Band during his debut last year because coronavirus protocols didn't allow the band on the field.
Now the band, and full capacity allowances, are back.
"If I can get through that 'A' ahead of everybody, it'll be a win right there," Pittman said, smiling, earlier this week. "It'll be an early win."
Pittman joked about realizing how far it is to run from the tunnel and through the "A" to the sideline during the team's mock game last week.
"I thought it was quite a little ways from where I start to where I finish," he said. "But it's going to be unbelievable. It just is. I mean, you imagine you're the head coach at Arkansas, you're leading your team out through the 'A'? That's a thrill, man.
"So I'm really looking forward to it. I need to speed up over what I did though, and I'm challenging myself to do that."
A reporter mentioned to Pittman that players won't run by him because he's the head coach.
"They can pass me. Just don't run over me," he said. "That would be the goal.
"I'm going to probably get as close as I can over there to the band and not get hit by one of them trombones coming out at me, and run as fast as I can."
Pittman also joked about that big moment on his radio show on Wednesday, adding he had lost a little weight to hopefully help him pick up the pace.
Speak up
Linebacker Grant Morgan is a vocal leader for the Razorbacks as a second-year captain, but he's working on letting teammates like safety Joe Foucha and quarterback KJ Jefferson have their say after workouts.
"Joe and him are always talking to me, like, 'Man, we want to talk at the end of the practice. We don't even talk,'" Morgan said. "So it's like, I finally give them shots, and look at them. They're both voted team captains."
Morgan, Foucha, Jefferson, offensive tackle Myron Cunningham and safety Jalen Catalon are the team captains.
Coach Sam Pittman said he would normally stick with four captains, two on each side of the ball, but there was a tie in voting last week. He did not mention which two players tied.
Full dress
The Razorbacks will have a lengthy roster for the opener against Rice. They'll have a dress limit of 70 in SEC games but that is not the case in non-conference action.
"We want our kids, every one of them, to earn that opportunity to run through that 'A,'" Coach Sam Pittman said. "We're going to dress out everybody who went through camp versus Rice. I want them to earn that right.
"I want them to feel proud and great about themselves when they run though that 'A', the scout team guys as well. Because at that point you've gone from 'I hope' to 'I know.' They need to be the reason we're not saying, 'I hope we win,' but 'I know we're going to.'"
Zach attack
Defensive lineman Zach Williams of Joe T. Robinson High School came to campus weighing about 204 pounds. He was up to 245 pounds last year while starting four games at end, and he's added another 15 to reach 260 as a junior this fall.
His weight-gain regimen would make some nutritionists cover their ears.
"The main thing I did to gain weight was eat when I'm not hungry," Williams said. "That was big for me, because I eat big meals but I don't eat snacks. But that's what you have to do and also eat a big meal before you go to bed, so that's what I've been doing."
Williams said he'd probably gain a few more pounds heading into 2022 as well.
'D' by numbers
The Razorbacks will open the season expecting to improve on their defensive numbers from last year.
Arkansas finished 3-7 against an SEC-only schedule and could have won two or three more games despite non-flashy defensive statistics.
The Razorbacks finished 106th in total defense (451.7 ypg), tied for 97th in scoring (34.9), 92nd in run defense (192.1) and 102nd in pass defense (259.6). None of those numbers put the Hogs in the top half of the SEC. However, their pass defense efficiency of 131.98 was tied for 52nd in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC behind Alabama thanks largely to 13 interceptions and a decent 6.8 yards per pass attempt.
Arkansas also gave up 18 passing touchdowns, tied for fourth in the SEC behind tri-leaders Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, which allowed 15 apiece.
The Razorbacks' completion percentage allowed of 66.3% was tied for 113th in the nation.
Saturday forecast
Hydration will be critical for players, coaches and fans on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The forecast for the 1 p.m. kickoff between Rice and Arkansas is 93 degrees with partly cloudy skies. The chances of rain are minimal, as they have been all week. Both teams have practiced in intense heat most of the last two weeks.
Because the game is being broadcast on SEC Network-Plus, the Razorbacks had some input into the kickoff time. An athletic department spokesperson said the 1 p.m. time would allow the Razorbacks more recovery time and the coaching staff more prep time for the following week's prime time game against Texas.
Confidence boost
Rice returns the majority of its players from last season, when the Owls went 2-3, including a 20-0 win at No. 15 Marshall.
"A win like that is just an incredible confidence booster for the team and definitely myself personally," Rice sophomore receiver Jake Bailey said. "I think once we get a taste of a win like that, a big win, it kind of gets addictive.
"We want to get that feeling again, and that's what we're all working for. It's what we've worked so hard for in the offseason, just to get that taste again."
Really his name
Rice has a freshman linebacker named DJ Arkansas, who is from Denton, Texas.
A check of the Arkansas media guide revealed the Razorbacks never had a football letterman named "Rice," nor "Arkansas."
