NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Arkansas somehow managed to lose two straight games on game-winning drives with less than 90 seconds remaining that resulted in a fumble. I would say the odds of that happening are close to those of the lottery, but I would rather not torture anyone further than what they had to endure over the past two weeks. I won’t write about the devastation of Arkansas Football until there are changes where it matters, so let’s talk about something that has never happened before.
Notre Dame faces off against Arkansas in their first meeting in the history of each program. Notre Dame has had its hiccups early, falling to 1-2, but it turns out that each of their losses is against a top ten team, and high hopes remain for the college football playoffs.
Arkansas had a good chance of being 4-0 entering this game, and on the road to a 9-3 record, it may have come to a screeching halt, losing to Memphis. Arkansas will now need to pull an extra win out of the difficult buckets, including Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, and Notre Dame this weekend.
It may not be all doom and gloom against Notre Dame, as some weaknesses were not necessarily predicted at the beginning of the season. Notre Dame’s defense has not looked like what is expected, giving up no less than 27 points in each of its first three games. Notre Dame also allowed 30 points against Purdue, an offense that is far less superior than Arkansas’s offense. This is certainly a low percentage win, but let’s take a look at how Arkansas could magically pull off this upset:
Forcing CJ Carr to throw the ball
I know what you’re thinking. Why would Arkansas want Notre Dame to throw the ball when their defense is so atrocious? Well, the easy answer to that is Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
The two-headed monster rushing the ball for Notre Dame is a duo that works symbiotically in power rushing and elusive running, making defenses exhausted and unable to stop them in the second half. They have combined for a total of 491 yards and eight touchdowns, with each running back averaging over 5.5 yards per carry.
CJ Carr is in his first year of starting, and he has not gotten comfortable being the focal point of the offense. In the first two games, he threw with a completion percentage under 60% and had two interceptions. During the Texas A&M game, he threw three turnover-worthy plays, with only one big-time throw.
In the two losses to Notre Dame, CJ Carr passed more than 30 attempts, while in their win against Purdue, he threw the ball only 12 times. Notre Dame understands that CJ Carr needs some more time to develop into a collegiate passer, so they will look to minimize risk by having him throw less and rely on the run game.
Arkansas will need to put eight players in the box and rely on man coverage, while keeping a smart safety playing a cover-1 defense. If someone like Caleb Wooden can sit back and help on the deep fields while being able to stop the run with eight, it may force Notre Dame to make CJ Carr throw the ball over 25 attempts, hoping to get a turnover or two in the process.
Get to the Quarterback
CJ Carr has been sacked only three times this year and has a pressure-to-sack ratio of 13%. Arkansas needs to be aggressive in its approach if it really wants to pull off an upset against Notre Dame.
Quincy Rhodes Jr. has been a menace in pass rush in his first year starting for the Razorbacks. In four games, he has already managed to get 18 pressures with four sacks and one QB hit. His pressure rate is 22% and he is winning in true pass sets as well.
Notre Dame’s weaknesses in their offensive line come from their left tackle and center. Left Tackle, Anthonie Knapp, has been their weakest link at the tackle position, allowing four pressures and a sack already in their first three games. Knapp, only at 300 pounds, can be moved around with power rush moves and can be beaten on the inside, something that Quincy Rhodes likes to do.
Arkansas has also managed to get sacks through its linebackers and defensive backs, with six sacks coming from non-defensive line players. That is both a positive and a negative at the same time, but you can dial up disguised blitzes to make an inexperienced quarterback shaky when playing in an away stadium.
Avoid costly turnovers
This one is clear as day. If Arkansas has its destiny in its own hands, avoid turnovers in the 4th quarter. If Arkansas pulled the wins at Ole Miss and Memphis, Taylen Green would be talked about as the best quarterback in the country.
If Arkansas has a chance to put away this game, let Taylen Green close the game out himself. If Pittman needs to run the ball, get a jumbo package out there and have Taylen Green run it conservatively. If Pittman needs to throw the ball, make sure the wide receivers operate conservatively and go down on first contact. Taylen Green and the offensive line are playing so well that it’s easy to believe they can pick up those extra one to three yards on the next play.
The game being in Arkansas could be closer than what everyone expects. It’s undeniable that the offense is clicking and is really fun to watch. Shutting down Notre Dame’s run game is necessary, and if that happens, it could get interesting. Vegas has the line set at -4 right now, which contributes to the quarterback play, Notre Dame’s defense, and the fact that it is in Fayetteville, not Indiana. As always, Woo Pig Sooie.
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