Latest news with #Arnold
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- General
- TimesLIVE
‘Walking Wild' by José Neves
A young male elephant left the spring, seemingly oblivious to our presence, and approached us. He was close enough to us when he raised his trunk to sniff the air. After a pause, he continued approaching anyway. The insolence of youth, I thought. We scrambled behind the fallen tree trunk as Arnold and Warren took up defensive positions. Arnold aimed his rifle and shouted at the elephant. It stopped, shook its head in annoyance and retreated. I was getting over that adrenaline rush when a small elephant, little more than a calf, headed for us. Thankfully, it turned and went back before sensing the human intruders. The sun was setting and we needed water before nightfall. The spring was the only source of water in the area, and we were stuck in the middle of a parade of elephants. No doubt, other animals needed to drink as well. I like watching the cats in the Kruger but right then, I felt no need. A gap opened on the path to the spring, so we moved swiftly to the flat ground in the stand of tamboti trees to set up camp. I rested my backpack against a tamboti tree after checking I was not going to set up my tent on a thoroughfare to the spring. Tamboti trees (Spirostachys africana) are semi-deciduous to evergreen, with a straight trunk and a narrow straggly canopy. Notwithstanding the proximity to water, the trees looked unharmed despite the fondness of porcupines for the dark, rectangular bark. They sometimes ring-bark the tree, killing it off. Other than kudu that browse on the leaves of saplings, only porcupines and black rhinos feed on the trees. A poisonous latex is exuded by the bark, which indigenous people use for arrowhead poison, and if the bark is burnt, it has a harsh odour that irritates human eyes and skin. Numerous campers in the South African bush have suffered the after-effects of using tamboti wood to braai. Using the wood to cook meat causes severe stomach cramps with diarrhoea and vomiting. It is better to use the beautiful, fragrant wood for luxury furniture. I was still deciding where to set up my tent when the elephants left the spring. Everyone grabbed water bottles and bladders, and we hurried to the spring. I put a hand into the muddy water and wondered how much elephant urine had contributed to the warmth. I winced at the thought of cooking and drinking that water as I filled one of my two bladders. I knew the smell would stay in it for days, and I wanted to keep one of the bladders untainted. As expected, it was not long before another herd descended the path to the spring. We didn't have all the water we needed, but were forced to hurry away to the other side of the muddy rivulet. We sat on the bank in silence and took photographs as the elephants drank and the calves rolled and submerged themselves in the spring. A couple of elephants milled about the tamboti trees where our backpacks were. Thankfully, nobody had citrus because if detected, the elephants would have ripped the backpack to pieces in search of the tasty fruit. We sat on the bank and save for the occasional whisper, waited quietly. I was enthralled by the unfettered proximity to Africa's largest mammal. Herds of elephant arrived as others left. At times, there were more than 20 elephants of all sizes around the spring. Despite the impending darkness, I was not bothered until a departing herd of elephants headed in our direction. Following Arnold's curt instruction, everyone retreated. I was the last to go and only after I was deservedly scolded for taking a picture, still seated with my feet in the frame, to capture the proximity of the elephants. Their size masks the speed at which they move. I had left myself in danger and any elephant that may have attacked me. We could get back to the campsite only by taking a detour. The same thing happened again at the fallen tree we had sheltered behind when we arrived. This time a bull elephant trundled in our direction. We scrambled behind the fallen tree trunk as the guides readied their weapons. Arnold shouted at the elephant and once more, the huge creature retreated. I was emotionally and physically drained from standing our ground against elephants. It was a matter of time before our luck ran out and I felt I couldn't take any more. We finished setting up the tents as daylight faded. I laid out the small groundsheet I had added to my packing list for this Leg. There was another interval with no elephants at the spring, so we hurried with two collapsible buckets to collect more of the muddy, agitated water. Back at camp, Arnold used a Sawyer mini water filter to do the arduous filtration work for most of us. Lourens used a different, larger type of filter for himself, Ray and Jennifer. I added purification drops. The water filters removed the sediment and particles but did little for the colour and nothing for the taste. The putrid smell of sulphur was intense. Looking on the bright side, I reasoned the sulphur obscured the taste of the elephant's waste matter. I transferred my remaining clean water into the untainted water bladder built into my backpack, and filled the other bladder with filtered water. I cooked instant noodles in the spring water; no salt or spices were necessary. It would have made matters worse to wash using the sulphuric spring water, so nobody showered. It blew during the night with gusts threatening to lift the tents. Despite the wind, I heard the trumpeting of elephants at the spring, and I prayed that for the rest of the night the footsteps of giants led only into the unquiet darkness of Africa.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Oklahoma quarterback speaks about his time at OU during SEC media days
Former Oklahoma starting quarterback was back at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, this time as the starter under center for the Auburn Tigers. The player who was once thought to be the next great Sooners QB played just two seasons in Norman, managed only 10 starts, and went 5-5. Arnold hit the transfer portal after the regular season ended, eventually landing with Auburn. The former consensus five-star plus prospect in the 2023 recruiting class out of Denton Guyer High School in Texas will be trying to regain the form that made him the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the Elite 11 winner, and one of the most sought-after high school quarterbacks in his class. Naturally, questions on Tuesday were going to come up about his time at Oklahoma, and Arnold answered them with grace and poise. His pairing with former offensive coordinator Seth Littrell didn't work out as a myriad of injuries at wide receiver and along the offensive line derailed his development in 2024. However, specific performances in losses against Tennessee and Missouri in 2024, among others, stand out as games where Arnold really hurt Oklahoma's chances of walking away with a victory. Arnold is trying to use that disappointing 2024 season, one in which he went from projected savior to benched to shaky starter to outgoing transfer, all in a span of three months, as a learning experience in his new home. "It was tough, but it was a pivotal point in my life where you flip a switch and something wakes up inside you that makes you push and work a little harder," Arnold said to ESPN's David Hale. "It was a combination of a bunch of things. Everything that could go wrong went wrong last year. It's just part of the journey and something that had to happen to get me on this track now .. I'm not going to blame anything on my play last year, but I feel like now I'm in a situation where I can go out and thrive." Arnold's performance was a big issue for Oklahoma last year. But, those are far from the only issues the Sooner offense had to deal with. A porous offensive line that was dealing with injuries couldn't protect the QB and couldn't open up holes in the running game. Wholesale injuries at wide receiver meant the passing game was stuck in the mud as well, and to top it all off, the Littrell promotion to play-caller didn't work out, one that head coach Brent Venables admitted to during the season. By the time Arnold was re-inserted as the starter, Littrell had been fired, and Joe Jon Finley had assumed play-calling duties in the interim. Oklahoma's offensive turmoil and Arnold's performance had the former five-star quarterback looking for a new destination in the transfer portal. He believes he's a perfect fit in Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze's RPO-heavy scheme, and his head coach agrees. "I thought he was the best player coming out [of high school], but so did everybody else," Freeze told Hale. "So you have to ask, what happened ... But, you combine all that (Arnold's high-level physical traits) with what I knew from high school and that he fits my ball-in-the-belly system and his mechanics and flipping his hips and getting the ball out fast, Jackson's really good at that." On the flip side, it would have been easy for Arnold to come out on Tuesday and bash the program that is at least somewhat responsible for getting his career off track. However, Arnold didn't do that, demonstrating yet again the maturity and accountability that Venables and his staff admired about him coming out of high school. It's the same maturity he showed when, instead of pouting or shutting things down after being benched last season, Arnold kept working and eventually became OU's starter again later in the year. He burned through another year of eligibility to try and help the Sooners stack up some wins, and was the starter for the upset victory over Alabama. Most players wouldn't have done that, and most wouldn't have refused the opportunity to go in on their former team with the cameras rolling. However Arnold's career went in Norman, he deserves credit for handling things the right way off the field. Hopefully, both parties will benefit from the breakup. Oklahoma's new offensive duo of John Mateer and Ben Arbuckle figures to be a heavy improvement over the Arnold-Littrell pairing we all were excited about this time last year. Additionally, Arnold should benefit from having better weapons and playing in a clearer scheme with the Tigers. After all, plenty of QBs have had success after leaving Oklahoma for other schools. Trevor Knight (Texas A&M), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), Caleb Williams (Southern California), and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) all had their best individual statistical seasons after transferring away from Norman. Arnold is hoping to join those ranks at Auburn and get his once-promising career back on track. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Hugh Freeze expects Auburn to ‘get over edge' against UGA, Alabama
If Hugh Freeze is reading his reshaped roster correctly, his third season at Auburn will become the Year of the Tigers. Freeze said Tuesday at SEC Media Days that the reshaped roster and experience on his side -- not to mention playing rivals Alabama and Georgia at home -- is enough to turn the tables in Auburn's favor in games like those against the behemoths of the Southeastern Conference. Alabama was two scores better than the Tigers in 2024 (28-14) in the annual Iron Bowl, while Georgia beat the Tigers by 18. Why does Freeze think this year will be different? "Number one, playing at Jordan-Hare is a definite advantage in those games for sure," Freeze said. "And our roster is one that can compete with those teams. We've been in the games even the first two years, but we haven't found a way to win. "And that's one of the secrets, I think, to our success this year is having guys that we think we've brought in that have the combination of all of it, not just skill set, but this guy's a winner and has been proven to win and now will help us get over the edge in all these close games like those two will be." One of the guys Freeze views as a difference-maker is Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold. He's in line to be the QB1 for Auburn in the opener against Baylor and should be fully up to speed by the time the Tigers face his old team on Sept. 20. Arnold was not viewed as the top prize in the transfer portal by every team and won few over with statistics. But Freeze said circumstances painted that picture, and it wasn't reality. He was sacked more times than any quarterback in this SEC and sixth-most across all of college football last season. "I loved Jackson out of high school. I think everybody did. He was a Gatorade Player of the Year, top quarterback in the country coming out. Boy, he fit everything that I believe in doing offensively, (offensive coordinator Derrick) Nix does too. We've been together a long time, and he just fits that," Freeze said. "So I knew how I felt about him then, but of course you're doing this speed dating here and things weren't great statistically or whatever performance-wise. Then you have to do a deep dive into why was that, and can I get past whatever that was. When you evaluate it, you said it, he had several different play callers, injured offensive line and receivers, and yet when you pull all of his throws, I still saw that there it is, that's what I saw. There it is again. He still has that about him." Freeze lauded the toughness Arnold brings at the position. He said the Tigers are offering him a needed restart to prove who he is as a player. Arnold, also at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, said he has no ill will toward the Sooners for their decision to move in another direction. He was replaced as OU starter after only four games last season. He wound up back in the starting lineup by the end of the season and beat then-No. 7 Alabama. That win opened Freeze's eyes because of Arnold's guts and big plays with his legs. One of his next big chances to open some other people's eyes will be his SEC debut with Auburn -- in Norman. "Things happen. Things happen for a reason," Arnold said. "Sometimes things work out the way it's supposed to be. You know, we're on God's timing, you know, not our timing. And, for me, I felt the best decision for me was to move on and move on somewhere else to get a fresh start, like you said, and go out and do what I know I can do with this Auburn squad this year." --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hugh Freeze, QB Jackson Arnold are confident Auburn can be a winner in 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — Hugh Freeze is in unfamiliar territory as he heads into year three as Auburn's coach. The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty coach only had one losing season in his decade as a Division I head coach, but his first two seasons at Auburn have yielded meager results at 6-7 and 5-7. Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat. 'I'm glad I'm at a place that has those expectations,' Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media days. 'I think when you've done this awhile, you really don't give into a lot of the pressure stuff.' Everything starts at quarterback with the highest profile of Auburn's 19 incoming transfers. Freeze signed former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold, hoping he can finally provide stability. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne and his backup Hank Brown both struggled last season particularly with ball security, as the Tigers threw 13 interceptions as a team and finished 119th nationally in turnover margin. Arnold himself struggled through a difficult season with the Sooners, losing his starting job for two games and playing the final five games of the regular season with an interim offensive coordinator. But between Freeze's quarterback-friendly system and a year of SEC experience now under his belt, there is optimism about the fresh start being mutually beneficial. 'Coach Freeze isn't scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love,' Arnold said. 'I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze wants to do with his offense.' He will have two of Auburn's top three receivers from last year in terms of both yards and touchdowns back with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with incoming transfer Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. That combined with a returning nucleus on the offensive line led by center Connor Lew has Freeze expecting a sizable jump offensively. 'This is my favorite offensive line when I look at it on paper,' Freeze said. 'We'd better be able to run the football and protect the quarterback, because I think we're pretty talented up there.' Heading into 2025 Freeze is not only 11-14 overall, but 5-11 in SEC play, 2-6 in one-possession games and perhaps most damaging in the eyes of fans and administrators, 0-4 against rivals Alabama and Georgia. 'Our roster is one that can compete with those teams,' Freeze said, directly addressing the rivalry shortcomings. 'We've been in the games the first two years, but we haven't found a way to win.' Auburn will get both games at home, with Georgia playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11 and Alabama coming in for the regular-season finale Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Hugh Freeze, QB Jackson Arnold are confident Auburn can be a winner in 2025
Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Hugh Freeze is in unfamiliar territory as he heads into year three as Auburn's coach. The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty coach only had one losing season in his decade as a Division I head coach, but his first two seasons at Auburn have yielded meager results at 6-7 and 5-7. Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat. "I'm glad I'm at a place that has those expectations,' Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media days. 'I think when you've done this awhile, you really don't give into a lot of the pressure stuff.' Everything starts at quarterback with the highest profile of Auburn's 19 incoming transfers. Freeze signed former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold, hoping he can finally provide stability. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne and his backup Hank Brown both struggled last season particularly with ball security, as the Tigers threw 13 interceptions as a team and finished 119th nationally in turnover margin. Arnold himself struggled through a difficult season with the Sooners, losing his starting job for two games and playing the final five games of the regular season with an interim offensive coordinator. But between Freeze's quarterback-friendly system and a year of SEC experience now under his belt, there is optimism about the fresh start being mutually beneficial. 'Coach Freeze isn't scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love,' Arnold said. 'I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze wants to do with his offense.' He will have two of Auburn's top three receivers from last year in terms of both yards and touchdowns back with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with incoming transfer Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. That combined with a returning nucleus on the offensive line led by center Connor Lew has Freeze expecting a sizable jump offensively. 'This is my favorite offensive line when I look at it on paper,' Freeze said. 'We'd better be able to run the football and protect the quarterback, because I think we're pretty talented up there.' Heading into 2025 Freeze is not only 11-14 overall, but 5-11 in SEC play, 2-6 in one-possession games and perhaps most damaging in the eyes of fans and administrators, 0-4 against rivals Alabama and Georgia. 'Our roster is one that can compete with those teams,' Freeze said, directly addressing the rivalry shortcomings. 'We've been in the games the first two years, but we haven't found a way to win.' Auburn will get both games at home, with Georgia playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11 and Alabama coming in for the regular-season finale Nov. 29. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and recommended Item 1 of 3
