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BY NATE ALLEN Northwest Arkansas Times
Perhaps Arkansas' Casey Dick should be awarded as best non-award winning quarterback among national multiple-award winners.
Dick has carried on under interim coach Reggie Herring for two practices now with just one workout for Walter Camp All-American kick returner / running back Felix Jones and none for running back Darren McFadden and center Jonathan Luigs.
Jones was working Saturday after missing last Wednesday's workout while accepting a Walter Camp All-American team honor in Orlando, Fla.
McFadden won the Doak Walker Award last Thursday for the second straight year and also the Walter Camp Player of the Year at ceremonies in Orlando, Fla. McFadden missed Saturday's practice while in New York as one of four Heisman Trophy nominees for the award announced Saturday night.
Because of final exams that began last week at the UA and continue through Wednesday, the Razorbacks have worked in just two practices so far prepping for their Cotton Bowl game against Missouri, Jan. 1 at Dallas.
All-American center Luigs was back in Fayetteville Saturday after being named the Rimington Trophy winner in Orlando as the best center in the country. However, the UA business major had a final exam in retail market strategy while the Razorbacks practiced.
Didn't seem to matter to Dick. Herring, the defensive coordinator become interim head coach with former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt resigning nearly two weeks now and coaching Ole Miss, and offensive coordinator David Lee both praised Dick's workouts for Saturday and last Wednesday as springboards from his clutch performances in helping Arkansas (8-4 ) finish the regular season beating Mississippi State and then nationally No. 1 ranked SEC champion LSU.
"Casey Dick is throwing the ball just about like he did in the LSU game," Herring said. "He's probably throwing the ball as well as he has all year. Coach Lee mentioned today he's starting to really get it. It couldn't happen at a better time for us."
Dick tied a school record four touchdown passes in the 45-31 victory over Mississippi State and it seemed all 10 of his 10 for 18 completions in the 50-48, triple-overtime victory at LSU were huge, particularly converting a fourth-and-10 overtime pass to fullback Peyton Hillis.
"Those two games have put his confidence level somewhere it hasn't been before," Lee said.
Dick said his progress has evolved with time, coaching and ailing senior receivers Marcus Monk and Robert Johnson gradually getting healthier late in the season.
"It's just coming a long way," Dick said. "You have great coaches and great people surrounding you. We are using all our weapons and it shows."
Dick so often has listed "having fun and getting better"as objectives to become a rote phrase glazing the eyes of all who interview him. But the junior three-year letterman truly seems to be having fun and getting better, even amid all the chaotic rumors about who will or won't be the Razorbacks next coach beyond the bowl game.
"We've had rumors since I've been here," Dick said. "So they don't get listened to. Some of the rumors we've heard - half of them aren't even true. So you just learn to forget about it."
Luigs, who finished his exam in time to watch the close of Saturday's practice, said unless it's Herring, the next coach wouldn't influence the bowl game which is this team's focus.
"The new coach wouldn't do anything for us but recruit anyway," Luigs said. "But it would be nice to get it off our chest and get it out in the media and get the focus on the team instead of who the next coach is going to be. That would help."
Having time to make new receivers of seniors Monk (two knee surgeries since Aug. 9 ) and Johnson (midseason ankle injury ) is doing more for Arkansas this bowl game than a new coach would.
The time off since the Nov. 23 LSU game has really helped them, Herring, Dick and Lee said.
"The time off is helping those guys," Dick said. "From the last game to this game I can see a tremendous difference. I see [Monk ] jumping off that leg he had surgery on. He's come a long way. And Robert has that little leg injury he has and he keeps coming out every day and keeps battling and keeps going."
Speaking of battling, lugging around the Rimington Trophy for publicity pictures was a battle for Luigs.
"All I know is it is heavy as hell," Luigs said. "It's like 60 pounds. I was sweating taking pictures with it. Hopefully the next time I take pictures with it I can have a little pedestal to put it on."
Or not.
"If you can't hold it you're not a very good center," Luigs said.
The Razorbacks have only a brief Tuesday practice scheduled before launching into lengthier preparations after Wednesday's conclusion to final exams.
http://nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/60070/
Perhaps Arkansas' Casey Dick should be awarded as best non-award winning quarterback among national multiple-award winners.
Dick has carried on under interim coach Reggie Herring for two practices now with just one workout for Walter Camp All-American kick returner / running back Felix Jones and none for running back Darren McFadden and center Jonathan Luigs.
Jones was working Saturday after missing last Wednesday's workout while accepting a Walter Camp All-American team honor in Orlando, Fla.
McFadden won the Doak Walker Award last Thursday for the second straight year and also the Walter Camp Player of the Year at ceremonies in Orlando, Fla. McFadden missed Saturday's practice while in New York as one of four Heisman Trophy nominees for the award announced Saturday night.
Because of final exams that began last week at the UA and continue through Wednesday, the Razorbacks have worked in just two practices so far prepping for their Cotton Bowl game against Missouri, Jan. 1 at Dallas.
All-American center Luigs was back in Fayetteville Saturday after being named the Rimington Trophy winner in Orlando as the best center in the country. However, the UA business major had a final exam in retail market strategy while the Razorbacks practiced.
Didn't seem to matter to Dick. Herring, the defensive coordinator become interim head coach with former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt resigning nearly two weeks now and coaching Ole Miss, and offensive coordinator David Lee both praised Dick's workouts for Saturday and last Wednesday as springboards from his clutch performances in helping Arkansas (8-4 ) finish the regular season beating Mississippi State and then nationally No. 1 ranked SEC champion LSU.
"Casey Dick is throwing the ball just about like he did in the LSU game," Herring said. "He's probably throwing the ball as well as he has all year. Coach Lee mentioned today he's starting to really get it. It couldn't happen at a better time for us."
Dick tied a school record four touchdown passes in the 45-31 victory over Mississippi State and it seemed all 10 of his 10 for 18 completions in the 50-48, triple-overtime victory at LSU were huge, particularly converting a fourth-and-10 overtime pass to fullback Peyton Hillis.
"Those two games have put his confidence level somewhere it hasn't been before," Lee said.
Dick said his progress has evolved with time, coaching and ailing senior receivers Marcus Monk and Robert Johnson gradually getting healthier late in the season.
"It's just coming a long way," Dick said. "You have great coaches and great people surrounding you. We are using all our weapons and it shows."
Dick so often has listed "having fun and getting better"as objectives to become a rote phrase glazing the eyes of all who interview him. But the junior three-year letterman truly seems to be having fun and getting better, even amid all the chaotic rumors about who will or won't be the Razorbacks next coach beyond the bowl game.
"We've had rumors since I've been here," Dick said. "So they don't get listened to. Some of the rumors we've heard - half of them aren't even true. So you just learn to forget about it."
Luigs, who finished his exam in time to watch the close of Saturday's practice, said unless it's Herring, the next coach wouldn't influence the bowl game which is this team's focus.
"The new coach wouldn't do anything for us but recruit anyway," Luigs said. "But it would be nice to get it off our chest and get it out in the media and get the focus on the team instead of who the next coach is going to be. That would help."
Having time to make new receivers of seniors Monk (two knee surgeries since Aug. 9 ) and Johnson (midseason ankle injury ) is doing more for Arkansas this bowl game than a new coach would.
The time off since the Nov. 23 LSU game has really helped them, Herring, Dick and Lee said.
"The time off is helping those guys," Dick said. "From the last game to this game I can see a tremendous difference. I see [Monk ] jumping off that leg he had surgery on. He's come a long way. And Robert has that little leg injury he has and he keeps coming out every day and keeps battling and keeps going."
Speaking of battling, lugging around the Rimington Trophy for publicity pictures was a battle for Luigs.
"All I know is it is heavy as hell," Luigs said. "It's like 60 pounds. I was sweating taking pictures with it. Hopefully the next time I take pictures with it I can have a little pedestal to put it on."
Or not.
"If you can't hold it you're not a very good center," Luigs said.
The Razorbacks have only a brief Tuesday practice scheduled before launching into lengthier preparations after Wednesday's conclusion to final exams.
http://nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/60070/