Hogs prepare to face a strong running back in UTEP's Jones

— By Nate Allen

For The Camden News

FAYETTEVILLE - Starting the season opener Saturday against the Texas-El Paso Miners, newly installed Arkansas middle linebacker Josh Williams starts against a 1,300-yards rushing running back.

Williams' confidence certainly seems up to the challenge against Aaron Jones, a Doak Walker Award candidate for UTEP as is two time 1,000-yards plus junior running back Alex Collins for Arkansas.

"No. 29, they compare him to our running backs but we will shut him down," Williams, the junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. who transferred from Dodge City (Kan.) Junior College to Arkansas as

a sophomore last year, said after Wednesday's practice.

Asked to compare the running game of the Miners, a 33-point underdog from Conference USA to Arkansas of the SEC, Williams said. "It's the SEC. That's all I have to say. It's the SEC."

Moved from strongside Sam linebacker last week to the Mike linebacker in the middle, Williams knows he must man up to back up his words in the heart of Arkansas' defense.

" The middle you have to be a man," Williams said. "You have to make all the checks and all the calls. Other than that I like it."

Actually, he said he likes the responsibilities of making the checks and calls which he learned last year backing up junior two-year letterman Brooks Ellis.

Ellis moved this season from Mike to the weakside Will linebacker, the position from which 2014 Arkansas senior Martrell Spaight, now in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, led the SEC in tackles last season.

" Last year I learned a lot from Brooks Ellis because I was behind him in the middle," Williams said. "I channeled everything he did and it's made me a better player."

Ellis as a freshman in 2013 played all three linebacker spots early before moved to starting in the middle.

Williams now has played all three spots and moved back to the middle.

"When they moved me outside it was nothing new," Williams said. "That's what I always played in high school. I didn't play middle linebacker until my freshman year at juco."

Is he most comfortable at one particularly?

"Doesn't matter," Williams replied. "I am just trying to get on the field."

Williams swapped places with sophomore Khalia Hackett, now the first-team Sam 'backer after alternating in the middle with redshirt freshman Josh Harris.

Harris also will play in the middle against UTEP, defensive coordinator Robb Smith has said.

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and Smith on Monday both were asked about defending Jones on the run.

“I think he is a strong powerful guy," Smith said. "He is very elusive as well, I think he has pretty good top end speed, I think he is a good running back. Make no mistake about it. I think he is the focal point of their offense. In order for us to be successful, we have to be able to stop the run and know where he is at all times and be prepared to do so.”

Bielema remarked, "I was kind of trying to find a comparison for anybody that we see in our league. … He's tough. He gets the yards he's supposed to get. I think he does a really nice job of running behind his pads."

Defensive line coach Rory Segrest on Wednesday complimented Jones that "the biggest thing is his speed."

"He's the kind of guy who can get to the edge," Segrest said. "We've got to keep him hemmed up."

Junior starting cornerback D.J. Dean said Smith "dialed up a great plan" involving the cornerbacks in run support but knows they can never be so run conscious to overlook UTEP throwing a pass.

"They run the ball a lot and then they get one deep every now and then," Dean said Wednesday. "We are going to be ready for them."

A lot of play-action?

"Not much play-action but they are going to try and sneak one in there," Dean said.

Aside from Jones, receiver-kick returner Autrey Golden, he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last year, is UTEP's biggest of big-play guys offensively.

"He's a great receiver for those guys,"Dean said. "We have got a game plan for him and we are ready to go out there and compete against him."

Arkansas senior tight end, Alex Voelzke, the last active Razorbacks tight end to be a teammate with the late Garret Uekman, a Razorbacks tight end in 2011 when he died unexpectedly of complications from an undetected enlarged heart, was recognized this week with an endowed scholarship by the Garrett Uekman Foundation.

Practicing in preseason since the first week of August, the Razorbacks have one closed light practice left today before finally playing against somebody besides themselves since defeating Texas last December in the Advocare Texas Bowl.

"We are tired of hitting each other," Dean said. "We are ready to hit somebody."

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