Hogs Looking for Consistency in Practice

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas continues to look for a consistent energy level during preseason workouts after a two-hour session in full pads on the practice fields just south of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. "We have to do a whole lot better than we did today," Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. "Not a very good day. We could make a lot of excuses with it being one of the first days of school and its hot, but we wont. "I think the word we keep using is consistency. You want the consistency of coming to work everyday, and that is what we havent gotten. We have to get to the point where we come out here everyday. We cant look good one day and not look good the next. These guys have always done and good job of responding and that is what you appreciate." Senior tight end Jared Hicks left practice on Tuesday with a high ankle sprain and Tony Ugoh came down with a virus. "That is kind of how our day went today," Nutt said. "Thank goodness we have tomorrow, so we can come out here and get better." Starting quarterback Robert Johnson returned to full-scale workouts on Tuesday after missing most of the last week of practice with a strained groin. "Robert went full speed today and got all of the work in," Nutt said. "He got loosened up as practice progressed, and if you put a number on it he practiced at something like 75 to 80 percent." The running back position continues to impress the Razorbacks coaching staff with a good mix of veteran leadership and young and exciting talent. "We have some good running backs," Nutt said. "Which one plays will kind of depend on the situation. The thing is we can count on a lot from our backs. Guys like Peyton Hillis, DeArrius Howard, Dedrick Poole and the two freshmen have been practicing extremely hard. "We can go a lot of different directions at that position," Nutt said. "Im glad we have that type of depth." The Hogs will return to the practice field on Wednesday. The opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3, against Missouri State at 6 p.m. inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.