Calling the Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Through three spring practices, one could get the impression sophomore quarterback Tyler Wilson was pressing.

He just wasn't fluid as he seemed to be in practice last fall taking snaps as Ryan Mallett's back-up. Things that he would shake off before seemed to bother him more now that he was working with the first team, while Mallett recuperates from a broken toe.

But Saturday when the ball was set down for the first scrimmage of the spring, Wilson shurgged off the mediocre practices of the previous workouts and showed the progress he has made in the last year working as Mallett's understudy.

The red-shirt sophomore from Greenwood completed 9 of 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.

"I felt a lot more comfortable today," Wilson said following the scrimmage. "Things are coming together for me and the offense as a whole. We still have a long way to go, but there was improvement and that's what we are looking for the most."

Arkansas offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee said Saturday was Wilson's best day yet.

"He was much more comfortable," McGee said. "We had a long talk yesterday about expectations were. He came back [Saturday] morning much more settled in. He looked more like Tyler Wilson. Just be under control and continue to grow and not try to be the starting quarterback right now. Just continue to grow and continue to learn and not try to be perfect and make the perfect throw and perfect check. Because then you have pressure on yourself you don’t need. Just relax and be Tyler Wilson."

Wilson wasn't the only quarterback who settled in. Redshirt Brandon Mitchell also looked sharp, completing 8 of 13 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

But much of the passing success cam early when Razorbacks defensive coordinator Willy Robinson kept his defense in their base set to allow the offensive coaches to get a clear look at their player's understanding of the offense.

"I thought Brandon did a good job, although none of them were very good when Willy sent pressure," McGee said. "They didn’t handle it very well, didn’t react very well and definitely didn’t anticipate it. Brandon is doing a good job. You can tell he got a lot of work in the offseason."

Nick Petrino completed 8-of-9 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns working with the third team. Jacoby Walker, a mid-term freshman enrollee, completed 3-of-5 passes for 38 yards.

"Nick did a good job, also," McGee said. "Nick is a totally different player than he was. He’s really focused what’s going on. He’s a really good athlete with a real good throwing motion. I thought Jacoby handled himself well for a kid who is supposed to be in high school right now. He doesn’t have all the technique. But he is under control and understands football."

The Razorbacks do not practice today but will be back to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this week. Arkansas' spring Red-White is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 24 at Razorback Stadium.