Hogs’ Dominique Johnson Could Play Saturday ... Or Not

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman really doesn't say whether running back is ready yet

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Sep 7, 2022 5:14 PM EDT

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas running back Dominique Johnson's status is still up in the air.

The only people who know if he'll play Saturday against South Carolina aren't talking.

Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman did talk about it a little, but didn't really have a conclusion.

"It's still up in the air whether we'll play him or not," Pittman said during his Zoom press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Dominique Johnson-Practice — Arkansas Razorbacks running back Dominique Johnson during his first practice in full pads without the green no-contact jersey Tuesday afternoon on the outdoor grass practice field at the football center in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Johnson has been working in practices this week without that green jersey indicating no contact but the media has only been able to see individual work.

"He looked good," Pittman said. "He certainly has improved over the last week and a half. We'll just have to see how he feels. He looked to me like he's ready to go. Right now it's up to him."

That's a confidence-building thing. It's not unusual for players that had a knee injury like Johnson had in the Outback Bowl against Penn State to not trust their health.

But in his first workouts of fall camp after missing all of spring practice, Johnson has moved fairly well.

Jadon Haselwood-Cincinnati — Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Jadon Haselwood leaps high to make a catch in the 31-24 win over Cincinnati in the season-opener at Razorback Stadium. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports)

Improving in Second Week

Pittman talked earlier in the day about the old saying that teams improve more from the first game to the second than they will all season.

"It's a little bit of pre-snap (reads)," he said. "Reading keys, communication off of that, trying to win the game on what we know mentally, trying to see the game played before the snap of the ball on both sides of the ball."

None of that is new.

It's been the case in football for decades. The bottom line is the experience gained in a game situation is really the main way teams get better.

"Go back and we learn some things on fundamentals," he said. "Throw and catch the ball better, things of that nature. We don't have a problem playing hard or playing physical. We didn't have many loafs at all in the game, but you just want to be a little more crisper."

Bumper Pool-Dwight McGlothern-Cincinnati — Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Bumper Pool and cornerback Dwight McGlothern team up for a tackle in the 31-24 win over Cincinnati in the season-opener at Razorback Stadium. (Ted McClenning / allHOGS Images)

Talk About Improvement in Program

From the days of featuring dancing in the locker room after a close win over a team the Hogs should have blown out, the feeling was different Saturday.

"After the game it didn't feel like we had lost, but it certainly didn't feel like a Top 25 win," Pittman said. "That's where you want your program. At the same time you'd like to celebrate wins, as well."

That's how far the program has advanced in just a couple of years. It's hard to really throw out that number because 2020 was so chaotic it probably should have an asterisk.

Now they resemble a program ready to get to a much higher level.

"We have a mature team that's now won several games," Pittman said. "They understand we have a lot of work to do."

Beating South Carolina is another step in that process.

The game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start on ESPN and fuboTV. Weather calls for a high of 85 on Saturday, but it won't be that high when the game starts. The good news is there's no rain in that forecast.