NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Arkansas Football lost a close one to Tennessee last weekend and showed some promise in the 2nd half. Arkansas went down 34-17 in the 4th quarter, when possibly half the area changed the game to Oregon versus Indiana.
Arkansas rallied only to lose 34-31, and the defense looked better at the end than it had against the tough competition it faced earlier. Let’s take a look at how we can build off that performance versus Texas A&M this weekend:
Linebackers need to play more sound
Xavian Sorey Jr and Stephen Dix Jr have eyes on the NFL draft, but they have had an up-and-down year with this shaky defense. They had a very good tackling day against Tennessee, but they still need to identify the run with better gap integrity and improve the pass rush.
When Sorey or Dix are coming down to the line, they are not coming in square to take on an offensive lineman, but putting all their weight into their shoulder, hoping to close a gap. This had continued to be a failure, resulting in Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop having his best game by far with 146 rushing yards and a touchdown.
A simple technique and going through the process can easily fix this. Sorey and Dix are both hard hitters, and Dix is pushing 245lb. Both linebackers should be able to square up with their tight end or guard, latch on, and shed when needed to close the gap and go for the tackle simultaneously.
Texas A&M running back, Le’veon Moss, is a shifty running back at 5’10 210lb. He has 382 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the year. He is a shifty bruiser and 210 pounds with 3.64 yards after contact with 11 missed tackles. Sorey and Dix will need to maintain their gaps on inside runs, force Moss to take only what is given to him, and eliminate explosive runs.
Defensive Line needs to produce sacks and QB hits
The defensive line versus Tennessee produced zero sacks and only two QB hits. I value QB hits as much as sacks because a high percentage of QB hits result in errant throws or bad decision throws, leading to a drive-killing turnover. One of Arkansas’ QB hits came in the 3rd quarter, when an errant throw almost resulted in an interception.
Bobby Petrino promoted Arkansas’ defensive line coach to interim defensive coordinator. Arkansas rushed with four a lot, but also only brought three at times to use eight in coverage. The coverage is below average, but the defensive line has some good players.
Arkansas has produced 14 sacks in the first six games of the season. Quincy Rhodes has been the shining light in production on the defensive line, but has not produced a sack or QB hit in the last two weeks against Notre Dame and Tennessee. Here are other notable stat lines this year for the defensive line:
Phillip Lee: 2 Sacks 2 QB Hits
Justus Boone: 1 Sack 0 QB Hits
Cam Ball: 0 Sacks 2 QB Hits
Danny Saili: 0 Sacks 0 QB Hits
Ian Geffrard: 0 Sacks 0 QB Hits
Marcel Reed is not the most accurate passer in the game, and he can throw the ball in some questionable situations. Reed has a 59.6 completion percentage with 12 touchdowns. He has thrown seven turnover-worthy plays, resulting in four interceptions.
Pressures and QB hits will make Reed throw the ball into coverage, and turnovers will be the only way to get a victory against Texas A&M. Defensive Backs’ best friend is a good pass rush, and Petrino and Wilson should be focusing on how to marry the pass rush with their coverage this weekend.
Zero turnovers this game
Taylen Green is still getting good NFL draft chatter, but his flaw has always been turning the ball over. Getting Taylen to play more sound, mistake-free football is how he can excel in the NFL. Taylen Green has a rocket arm, and he can make some really impressive throws, but this year, he has thrown 12 turnover-worthy plays versus eight big-time throws. In the past three games, Taylen has recorded three interceptions and one fumble.
Taylen Green is not the only one committing fumbles. Braylen Russell and Mike Washington Jr have each been accounted for a fumble rushing the ball, as well as Raylen Sharpe in the passing game.
When Arkansas is allowing 35 points and almost 500 yards per game, it needs every offensive possession it can get. Bobby Petrino and the Arkansas offense are a wagon even though they are 2-4. Let’s take a look at some notable offensive rankings:
Yards per game – 4th (503)
Yards per play – 4th (7.4)
3rd down conversion – 3rd (55%)
Rush yards per game – 14th (223)
While Arkansas allows 35 points per game, it is scoring 33. Do not turn the ball over, and this 2-4 record could look like 4-2.
Texas A&M travels to Arkansas this weekend to face off at 3:30 EST/2:30 CST. 7.5 points favor Texas A&M, and that is a decent spread that shows they may be a little nervous about Arkansas’ ability now. The point total is set at 62.5, and I think we may not see a point total under 60 this entire year. Texas A&M is a tough battle, and they are looking very good, but if Arkansas builds on their second half against Tennessee, they could surprise some folks at home. As always, go Razorbacks.
