Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Summer football practice drills began this weekend in both corners of the state. The Razorbacks made their appearances in front of 500 fans at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday while in Jonesboro, Arkansas State University hosted Media Day. There were no surprises in Fayetteville. Darren McFadden showed off the Wildcat package, a play that Athletic Director Frank Broyles had been lobbying to rename "Wildhog." We thought the name had been changed until we saw the familiar "wildcat" description on the university's official Web site. Every team that takes a snap in this country calls their football "the pigskin," so maybe the name has nothing to do with how smart the play looks.

 

By the way, you can view our photos from the practice here.)

 

Another non-shocker was Casey Dick taking the ball as the No. 1 quarterback in practice. Dick's come a long way from competing with Robert Johnson and Mitch Mustain for the position last year. With Johnson listed on the roster as a flanker and Mustain 1,500 miles away at Southern California, Dick will get the ball all to himself. It is amusing to see certain retail stores still selling No. 16 Hogs merchandise, Mustain's old number. Nathan Emert, the current wearer of the No. 16 jersey, should take it as a compliment. So far, the reviews are complimentary of ASU's new uniform and helmet changes. The alterations haven't been too dramatic: a little red piping on the jersey with an updated form of the "stAte" logo appearing more three-dimensional on the helmet. The idea of hosting media day on a Saturday, the first day of practice, hasn't been met with as kind reviews.

 

Most radio shows are broadcast only from Monday through Friday, and it's usually a television station's "B Team" that covers the weekend beat. Nevertheless, head Indians coach Steve Roberts was happy with the way his team went through their drills and made specific mention of how well his older players are interacting with the young pups. The Indians will need their camaraderie when they head into Austin to play Texas on Sept. 1.