Posts Tagged ‘D.J. Williams’

Razorback football continues to talk national title

Friday, May 21st, 2010

By Harold McIlvain II

FAYETTEVILLE—It’s been a theme and constant topic recently for Razorback football players—talking about a national championship.

After quarterback Ryan Mallett made an apperance on the ESPN show “College Football Live” talking about national title hopes earlier this month, tight end D.J. Williams made an appearance of his own today and spoke about team goals heading into the season that starts Septemeper 4 with Tennesse Tech at home.

“Our mindset is to do the best we can do” Williams said on the show.“A national title is what every team wants in the beginning of the year, and I think that’s a realistic goal for us this year. I do believe we work hard enough to accomplish that goal. It’s just how bad we want it.”

Only nine days ago, Mallett said the only trophy he was worried about was the crystal ball at the end of the season —not the Heisman Trophy.

Expectations and hype—both nationally and locally—has definitely surrounded the upcoming season for the Razorback football program even before securing a 20-17 bowl victory over East Carolina. But the Razorbacks, as Williams said, believe a national title is a achievable goal.

Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino said earlier in the offseason that he had been hearing talk of the Razorbacks being a dark horse national title contender or a team who could reach 10 wins. But he doesn’t mind the hype at all.

“I like the fact there are expectations out there,” Petrino said. “Obviously, our expectations are very high, but I would rather have people think we’re going to be a good football team.”

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Red-White Recap Part 4: Tight Ends

Friday, April 30th, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino was up front and honest about why Arkansas’ production at tight end was down during the 2009 season.

“I didn’t do a good enough job of creating a relationship between [quarterback] Ryan [Mallett] and [tight end] D.J. [Williams,]” Petrino said following the Hogs’ Red-White scrimmage April 24. “We’re going to fix that.”

That had to be music to Williams’ ears whose receptions dropped from 62 in 2008 to 31 in 2009.

Petrino explained that the focus last year for Williams was to improve as a blocker, but that he did not want the 6-2, 250-pound senior-to-be’s production to drop like it did.

“Certainly, it had something to do with the way defenses played D.J. last year, but there were times when our offense would have been much more efficient if Ryan had of followed his progression and thrown to D.J. and our other tight ends.”

Williams not only has excellent hands but he is also a fine runner after the catch. In the Red-White game, he made four catches for 49 yards, with a stand-out 21-yard run.

Williams isn’t the only target at tight end for Mallet and the other Razorback quarterbacks to look at in the fall. Chris Gragg had a solid spring coming off an ankle injury last fall and senior Ben Cleveland showed his toughness by returning to play in the Red-White game less than two weeks after having an emergency appendectomy. Austin Tate is also a promising prospect at the position.

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Hogs’ receivers look good, but could be better

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks return one of the better receiving corps in the nation next fall with Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and tight end D.J. Williams all returning, but there is still room for improvement according to first-year receivers coach Kris Cinkovich.

“It’s good to have such a solid returning group, but you have got to pick on them and improve,” Cinkovich said. “That’s what we are trying to do. Be more focus as route runners and every down players. Do the little things and be great technicians like never false-stepping coming off the line of scrimmage. Just minute things that will make us better receivers.”

Two areas Cinkovich believes the receivers can improve at is yards after the catch and down-field blocking.

“We are getting the hustle part of it down,” Cinkovich said of the Hogs’ down-field blocking effort. “Blocking is 90 percent desire and 10 percent technique. We are going to work on the desire a little bit more and we’ll get it right.

“We have got to throw and catch it at high level and do a better job after the catch on bull yards. We feel like we need to make more yards after the catch. Our play-action over the top game has got to come alive a little bit more.”

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