Analysis: Mid-season report card for Arkansas football

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks have reached the halfway level of their season at a crossroads.

Can the College of Arkansas battle again from the adversity beguiling its secondary and short-yardage run sport and end the second half sturdy? Or will the damage points and blunted momentum stunt the ultimate six video games?

The Razorbacks will begin discovering that out Saturday at Brigham Younger, a fellow prime 25 staff early this season that has additionally suffered current setbacks, within the first assembly between the applications.

One may argue the Razorbacks actually ought to be 4-2 as an alternative of 3-3 as a result of they brought about a lot of their very own bother in a 23-21 loss to Texas A&M. The identical held true towards Missouri State in Week 3, however the Razorbacks rallied with large performs by Bryce Stephens and Raheim Sanders to cap off a 38-27 win.

Arkansas obtained off to a 3-0 begin with a strong operating sport behind a veteran offensive line, with quarterback KJ Jefferson, Sanders and the remainder of the runners doing harm to No. 23 Cincinnati, South Carolina and Missouri State.

But there have been already indicators the secondary was headed for a tough patch with the losses of Jalen Catalon and Myles Slusher within the opener and cornerback LaDarrius Bishop in Week 2.

Since then, a handful of different defensive backs have missed time with an assortment of accidents, inflicting personnel shuffling and completely different duties for sure gamers.

Not having Jefferson accessible towards Mississippi State final week following a head damage towards Alabama was a setback, however it did afford Malik Hornsby the possibility to show his explosiveness within the run and cross sport and doubtlessly arrange productive days for him down the street.

Coach Sam Pittman likened the present state of staff, driving a three-game shedding streak, to final 12 months, when the Razorbacks opened 4-0 and reached No. 8 within the nation earlier than a shutout loss at No. 2 Georgia touched off a three-game skid.

The teachings discovered on what it took to rally and end with wins in 5 of the Razorbacks’ final six video games may inform the present roster the remainder of the best way. Having an open date subsequent week will come as an enormous blessing to the banged-up Razorbacks.

Now on to the mid-term grades:

Quarterbacks

KJ Jefferson’s passing effectivity and completion proportion are monitoring almost identically to final season versus a equally troublesome schedule. He’s nineteenth within the nation with a 165.11 passer effectivity ranking, forty first with 66.1% completions, and his 9.1 yards per try and 9-to-1 landing to interception ratio are advantageous.

Jefferson is averaging 3.9 yards per carry, factoring in sacks, and that stat can be harm by the variety of quarterback sneaks he’s run in 5 video games.

The place Jefferson’s efficiency is missing from final 12 months is ball safety and his accuracy on intermediate passes. Fumbles versus Missouri State and Texas A&M loomed giant.

Malik Hornsby proved final week he can transfer the offense. His accuracy and choice making below stress are areas he might want to enhance.

GRADE B

Operating Backs

Raheim Sanders has 695 dashing yards, 4 100-yard video games and ranks ninth within the FBS with 115.8 dashing yards per sport. Sanders is seeing holes and making selections higher this season and breaking tackles with regularity as the most effective lead backs within the nation.

The remainder of the ball carriers have carried out nicely in restricted obligation, with the coaches nonetheless sorting AJ Inexperienced (34 carries, 131 yards, 2 TDs, 3.9 ypc), Rashod Dubinion (25-92, 1, 3.7) and Dominique Johnson (8-43, 0, 5.4), final 12 months’s ace large again.

This group didn’t have a lot operating room on the failed short-yardage runs final week.

Arkansas followers have been spoiled by very low misplaced fumble numbers from this group, so turnovers by Sanders and Dubinion look out of the extraordinary.

GRADE A-minus

Receivers/Tight Ends

Jadon Haselwood has risen to the highest for this group whereas taking part in by an AC joint damage. He has 27 catches for 364 yards and a couple of touchdowns with a few highlight-reel grabs. Matt Landers (17-261) obtained off to an ideal begin, however his targets have dropped in current video games.

Ketron Jackson (8-172, 2) seems to be approaching as Warren Thompson (8-122, 2) has battled by an damage, and the pace of Bryce Stephens (2-59, 1) flashed final week.

Tight finish Trey Knox (12-154, 2) obtained out to an ideal begin, however an ankle damage appeared to sluggish him for a few weeks.

Blocking has been OK to good, and there have been just a few notable dropped passes.

Downfield passing may loom giant the second half of the season.

GRADE C-plus

Offensive Line

The Razorbacks have a sturdy beginning 5 that has performed by numerous nicks and bruises with the beginning quintet of Luke Jones, Brady Latham, Ricky Stromberg, Beaux Limmer and Dalton Wagner accounting for 99% of the sport snaps.

The group had an ideal begin, just like the staff, however back-side leakage and a missed task or two have been bugaboos in current video games. The unit didn’t have its greatest blocking day at Mississippi State, even whereas racking up 242 dashing yards, 483 whole yards.

GRADE B-minus

Defensive Line

The sack-fest of the opening three weeks has slowed. Run protection had been sturdy till Alabama ripped off these three positive aspects of 70-plus yards within the fourth quarter. Then Mississippi State barged ahead for 173 dashing yards final week, a excessive for a Mike Leach staff with the Bulldogs.

Zach Williams (3 sacks, 4 hurries) is having fun with a stable senior 12 months, whereas the addition of Jordan Domineck (20 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Landon Jackson (17 tackles, 2.5 sacks) has been large. Jashaud Stewart, a starter early within the season, is getting back from damage. The tackles, primarily Eric Gregory, Isaiah Nichols, Terry Hampton and Cam Ball, are largely doing their jobs.

GRADE C-plus

Linebackers

One other season, one other 12 months of heavy reps by the highest duo of Bumper Pool (60 tackles) and Drew Sanders (59, 6.5 sacks), with periodic assist from hard-hitting Chris Paul (20). Sanders’ pass-rushing abilities helped the protection feast within the early going, then the Razorbacks struggled to get to Will Rogers final week.

Pool’s sore hip will respect the open date subsequent week. Cleaner tackling and a few takeaways from this group are musts transferring ahead.

GRADE B-minus

Secondary

Nobody may have foreseen the debilitating variety of accidents this unit must face up to by six video games. As well as, pursuit angles, tackling and cross protection from the safeties and nickel backs have been sub-par just about all through the primary half of the season.

Defensive captain Simeon Blair is powerful with management and making calls, however he’s missed tackles and has been challenged in protection.

Cornerback Dwight McGlothern’s three interceptions have been a spotlight. His protection ranking by Professional Soccer Focus was sterling by 5 video games, however Mississippi State attacked him higher than others. Hudson Clark and Malik Chavis have been OK in protection, shaky in tackling, and each had pictures at interceptions final week and didn’t come down with them. Clark is barely out of place as a light-weight security, however defensive coordinator Barry Odom needed to have him there final week.

GRADE D

Particular Groups

There’s a lot to guage right here, as all the time, with some pluses, like Bryce Stephens’ game-changing 82-yard punt return landing vs. Missouri State, and kickoff man Jake Bates’ sturdy touchback fee (26 of 33, 78.8%) and his completely accomplished onside kick and restoration towards Alabama.

Cam Little has made 5 of seven field-goal makes an attempt and all 22 of his further -point tries, however his 42-yard miss versus Texas A&M may have been a game-winner.

Punter Max Fletcher has an enormous leg and can doubtless have some nice years, however his size and accuracy was operating inconsistent and the teaching employees properly selected to return Reid Bauer to that spot final week.

The protection models have allowed just a few punt and kickoff returns which have impacted area place.

GRADE C-minus

Teaching

Sam Pittman and his employees have accomplished a superb job of maintaining a optimistic mentality by the putting quantity of adversity. Issues would really feel slightly completely different if the Hogs have been 4-2 with only a two-game shedding streak as an alternative of 3-3.

Nonetheless, that isn’t the case. Discovering methods to patch up and make do with the badly-damaged secondary is the highest concern. Then staying on the sphere with short-yardage conversions and enhancing pink zone success are the evident points on the opposite aspect of the ball.

Discovering a solution to win towards Brigham Younger in Provo, Utah, could be a great way to start out regaining confidence and rebuilding the Razorbacks’ psyche after a tricky stretch.

GRADE B-minus