UA fullbacks to be primarily blockers in Petrino’s system
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Arkansas' fullbacks aren't about to be caught in a lie. Sure they've caught a few passes in the flats and toted the ball on a few plays during scrimmages this preseason, but don't expect Mitchell Bailey or John Durmon to be lighting up the scoreboard on Saturdays, they admitted.
They know their role on the Razorbacks'football team - block, block, block some more and run the occassional distraction route.
"You've got to be a little unselfish to do it," Durmon said. "We block, lead block and mostly we just run distraction routes to get the receivers open. There are a few plays designed where we get the ball, but that's not our job. Our job is to get the receivers open and get some good lead blocks and perimeter blocks."
Durmon did catch one pass during the Razorbacks'first scrimmage earlier this preseason. And it wasn't too pleasant, he said.
"I got hammered pretty good 4 yards up the field," Durmon said. "It was a good lick. It may have been Jerico [Nelson ]. Jerico's got a little pop on him."
Durmon, however, quickly digressed to his real job description shortly after his mental trip in the past.
"We've been really working on protection a lot," he added. "We've really improved on that."
The fullback position, as described by offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, is interchangeable on the field with the Razorback tight ends. In fact, senior Lance Thompson was thought to be the go-to guy at fullback before a groin injury sidelined him three games into fall camp. He's now listed fourth team at tight end and is not expected to play against Western Illinois on Saturday, Petrino said.
"We use our fullback a lot in blocking, but the good thing is we've got some real good tight ends and we can use them in the same role," Petrino said.
But that doesn't necessarily mean the fullbacks are constantly blocking, lead blocking and cutting down safeties.
"It's just really dependent on the play," Durmon said. "We're taught to run full tilt and, if you're open, the ball is going to come to you. If not, you've got someobody else open. That's why this offense is so good because everyone seems so unselfish."
For the most part, though, it's back to blocking for the fullbacks, who Petrino still labeled as a "big factor "in the Razorbacks' offense Tuesday.
The true freshman, Bailey, was named by the coaches as the team's first-team fullback Monday. The walk-on has never played in a college football game or even attended a game at Razorback Stadium, save for the Razorbacks' Red-White game last April, he said.
"Everybody has been pretty supportive and I've been pleased with them," Bailey said. "They're very respectful and I look up to them for that."
The belief is felt likewise by sophomore tight end D. J. Williams, who will also get his nose dirty in blocking schemes and the occasional shift to the role of an H-Back.
"I think they're doing great," Williams said. "Anybody that has played fullback knows how tough that position can be. I think they've approached it with a great mindset and they're going in to the season not scared. They're going in bringing the blow instead of taking it."
Bailey, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, played linebacker and running back in high school at Broken Bow (Okla. ). He's never played fullback, he said. But when Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis left the Ozarks for the NFL in April, Bailey saw an opportunity - even if his home state flagship program, the University of Oklahoma, came calling for a walk-on opportunity.
"I was looking more at running the ball and that aspect of my game," Bailey said. "That's what made my decision. I wanted a scholarship, so I figured I could earn one quicker here than I could at Oklahoma."
Durmon, listed as second team behind Bailey, said the true freshman can run pretty good out of the backfield.
"That's probably what separates us," Durmon said. "He's got some pop and he's pretty explosive."
Bailey and Durmon have enjoyed their time in Fayetteville, they said, even if Bailey's hometown was incorrectly listed as "Broken Arrow, Okla.," recently on a team roster.
"I'm from the other small town," joked Bailey, a selfproclaimed Oklahoma State fan. "I've only been to a few [college ] games and I've never been to one here. I'm looking forward to that Pig Sooie call."
And Durmon is looking forward to the job he does most and best - blocking.
"I love being out here with these guys," Durmon said. "It's a lot of fun and Coach Petrino likes hard work. This hard work is really going to pay off, because every phase of the season - offseason, summer workouts to now - it's the same tempo. You're working as hard as you can, and it's going to pay off."
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