Bielema talks up Hogs at SEC Media Days

Head Hog Bret Bielema brings a special kind of swagger with him whenever he enters a room, and it was certainly on display at SEC Media Days Wednesday in the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.

The Arkansas Razorbacks’ third-year head coach wore a pair of sparkling NIKE sneakers with a metallic grey business suit and red paisley tie.

“It was an order online,” Bielema told the SEC Network when asked about his footwear, “which is not my forte. NIKE gives us an allotment, and I saw mine and my wife’s quickly dwindling so I knew if I didn’t get my order in I wouldn’t have shoes. I ordered them late at night at the office, and they looked white with a rustic trim. I opened the package up, and they were completely bling. Our guys like them. I knew they would because I pulled out some old AIR Jordan’s for a basketball game earlier this year and they went crazy. But even better our recruits liked them. Our kids loved these when they saw this morning when we were getting on the plane.”

Bielema noticed that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen received some extra attention for wearing a pair of Adidas sneakers with his suit at the event earlier in the week, and he opted to represent by sporting his NIKE bling.

Jul 15, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema speaks to media during SEC media days at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Though Bielema understands the benefits of style, he is building his Arkansas program on substance, and his players began to learn that lesson in his first spring practice during a 20-minute middle drill session.

The physicality of Bielema’s practices shocked the Hogs at first.

“I don’t think they had even had a middle drill in the previous three years,” Bielema said. “Travis Swanson, who is now the starting center for the Detroit Lions, was worried about how long it would go. Twenty minuets is a long time, but we wanted to install that mindset in a player that this is the way it’s going to be. It can’t happen over night. It’s not an easy DNA process. You kind of have to pound it into them at little bit.  But then they begin to embrace it, and before long it’s who they are.”

It has taken time. The Razorbacks went 3-9 in Bielema’s inaugural season, but bounced back with a respectable 7-6 record last year. It has all Hog fans eager to see how much Arkansas can improve this fall.

Despite hiring Dan Enos to replace Jim Chaney as the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator, Bielema said the Hogs’ system would be consistent.

“We are going to keep doing the same things,” Bielema said. “I do think Dan Enos is going to bring a lot to our offense that people are going to see, but really our defensive philosophy, our offensive philosophy and special teams philosophy is going to stay the same.”

Bielema believes the Razorbacks will be improved because the players have matured within the program.

“Our players are doing things that we have asked them to do in the past before we even say it now,” Bielema said. “As a parent or a coach, when that happens, you know you are getting somewhere.”

That physical play that Bielema introduced early in his tenure is paying dividends.

“When your on defense or offense, and you know you are going against one of the better lines in the country either way, it’s going to have a cumulative effect over spring, fall camp and the summer,” Bielema said. “If you run the ball against us effectively and have success, you’ve really done something. At my previous institution [Wisconsin], our defensive line and linebacker were excited when we got into league play because it was easier than in practice. That’s when you knew you had something going.”

Arkansas’ defense improved under the coordination of Robb Smith last season from being one of the SEC’s worst groups in 2014 to being ranked among the nation’s top 10 in 2015. The Hogs did lose three-standout performers in end Trey Flowers, tackle Darius Philon and linebacker Martrell Spaight, but Bielema is confident in his and Smith’s defensive system.

“We’re like the Bad News Bears,” Bielema said. “We’re all kinds of kids with all kinds of backgrounds from all kinds of neighborhoods who nobody knows, but we play really well together. I think at the end of the year, we’ll have a few All-SEC first teamers and a few that go on to the NFL. I’m the biggest fan of our defense, but we didn’t bring any of them [to SEC Media Days], and it wasn’t a slap to the face. We just had three offensive players that deserved it. I don’t bring underclassmen to events like this. I think you begin to create your own problems when you do that. We bring seniors who have earned it and they will be rewarded.”

The three seniors Bielema brought to Birmingham to represent his squad were running back Jonathan Williams, receiver Keon Hatcher and quarterback Brandon Allen.

As a two-year starter, Allen has been labeled as a game manager rather than a playmaker. Bielema said Arkansas’ circumstance worked against Allen and his reputation.

Jul 15, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema speaks to media during SEC media days at the Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

“We were 3-9 and 7-6, and people talk about winners, and that’s not winning in this league,” Bielema said. “I think that’s part of it. In the beginning, he got thrown in against [Alabama] and got beat 52-0 as a freshman and again in his sophomore year 52-0, but last year we play them within 1. That’s partly because of his growth, but we had a lot of other players doing good things.”

“The No. 1 reason Brandon is going to have success this year is the five guys in front of him. I learned early on that you build from the inside out. Well our center, quarterback and both tailbacks are back. Our tackles that play right next to the two guards are really, really good players. We have two tight ends that are extremely gifted and we have wide receivers now that not only run, but can catch the ball as well. So we have a lot of good things going in the right direction.”

Following spring practice, Bielema challenged Allen to go beyond his current level of play.

“I wanted him to know how special he is,” Bielema said. “He’s a coach’s son who earned it, but was kind of gifted into the role. I think he’s opened his eyes.”

Bielema said St. Louis Rams quarterback coach Chris Weinke called Allen a gifted player after quarterback participated in his camp two years ago, and added that Archie Manning texted Bielema Tuesday night to compliment Allen’s performance at the legendary quarterback’s camp.

Allen completed 56 percent of his passes as a junior for 2,285 yards and 20 touchdowns against 5 interceptions, which are solid numbers.

“Until you have a 10 or 11-win season, no one really knows who you are nationally,” Bielema said.

The head Hog expects Allen to have an even better season not only because of his improvement, but the improvement of the players around him.

“[Receiver] Keon Hatcher had his best performances in our last four or five games,” Bielema said. “He is going to be critical to that. Hunter Henry, who may be the best tight end in college football as a junior, is going to be a part of that in our play-action game. We have also added some wide receivers the last couple of years. We have a young man named Dominique Reed, who just hit campus [from Coffeyville, Kan. C.C.], that has been timed in the 4.2s. Hopefully he can catch it as well. It’s one thing to run fast, but you have to catch it, too. Those are the things that should help our passing-game efficiency.”