How Hogs Could Really Open Eyes on First Play of Game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' Malik Hornsby is still fast, but may not be fastest player on field anymore.

We'll have to hear if he and incoming freshman Isaiah Sategna, who ran a 10.8 in the 100-meters at Fayetteville High School, is faster.

That speed is what Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman wants to get on the field somehow.

You never know with coaches, but Pittman was putting Hornsby back into the picture at quarterback behind KJ Jefferson at his press conference Wednesday afternoon.

"Malik is night and day better quarterback that what he was last year," he said. "He has to earn the right to get on the field, but we need him on the field."

It's not particularly out of the realm of possibility he plays both more than once or twice.

"We are obviously going to give him the opportunity to win the job, but at the same time give him the opportunity to win the wide receivers spot, too," Pittman said, leaving a hold wide enough to turn a truck around inside. "We’ve got a plan for it."

That plan is trying to figure out how to take advantage of that speed.

Apparently Sategna has picked things up pretty quickly during the summer after not enrolling early to run track for the Bulldogs.

"He learns fast," Pittman said. "He has great ball skills, and he can separate on a route. Those are things you saw in high school. And he's fast."

Apparently as fast learning, too.

"He really picked up the offense fast," Pittman saidl

It would be interesting for the Hogs to just line Hornsby beside Sategna on the first play against Cincinnati and have a straight-ahead dash down the field to just see who's faster and how far KJ can throw it.

We couldn't get that lucky, though. Frank Broyles did it back in 1968 on the first play of the season and Bill Montgomery overthrew Max Peacock down the sideline against Oklahoma State but it set up Bill Burnett and Bruce Maxwell in the running game.

If they show it and it works, so much the better.

But it does give teams something to prepare for all the way through a bowl game.