HawgBeat – Arkansas’ pass rush is cancelling out secondary troubles so far

It’s no secret that the Razorback secondary has struggled in the course of the first three weeks of the season. Arkansas has allowed 353 move yards per recreation to opponents, which ranks useless final out of all FBS groups.

Accidents have plagued the Hogs within the secondary as starters Jalen Catalon and Myles Slusher have been out because the second half of the Cincinnati recreation in Week 1. Catalon is completed for the season (shoulder), however Slusher is eyeing a return this weekend in opposition to Texas A&M, per head coach Sam Pittman.

Regardless of the accidents and struggles on the again finish, the move rush is prospering. Arkansas leads the nation with 17 crew sacks, and the No. 2 crew (USC) has 14. Linebacker Drew Sanders has 5 sacks to his title, good for No. 1 within the SEC and No. 2 within the nation.

Pittman stated everybody with the crew is aware of the secondary is a matter, however additionally they know they will make up for it with an elite move rush.

“We’ve acquired to repair that downside,” Pittman stated Monday. “And the way we do that’s going to be a mix of who’s on the sector and the opponent. Whether or not we really feel like we will cowl them man to man or not. And if we will’t cowl them in zone protection then we undoubtedly need to put strain on the quarterback, as a result of that’s one thing that we’re good at.”

Proper behind Sanders — who transferred in from Alabama — is Georgia Tech switch defensive finish Jordan Domineck, who’s No. 4 within the nation and No. 2 within the SEC with 4 sacks.

Pittman stated each Sanders and Domineck are taking part in higher up to now than even he anticipated.

“I believe each of them are,” Pittman stated. “Drew got here with all the accolades and all that type of stuff, however sure. I believe they’re each taking part in higher than even I might have imagined. I believe they’ll proceed to enhance. I believe they haven’t actually hit the place they’re going to.”

Sanders is one sack away from tying Tre Williams’ team-high six sacks final season. The file for many sacks in a single season is a tie between Steven Conley (1995) and Henry Ford (1993) at 14. Sanders is on tempo to have 20 sacks this season.

The crew file for many sacks in a season was set in 1998, when the Hogs had 40 throughout Houston Nutt’s first 12 months as the top coach. In the event that they Hogs keep on the tempo they’re on, they are going to have 68 sacks by the top of the common season.

On the very least, Arkansas is nicely on its technique to shatter final 12 months’s 24 crew sacks.

Final week, the Razorbacks acquired to Missouri State quarterback Jason Shelley eight occasions. That was probably the most crew sacks in a recreation because the Auburn recreation in 2012.

If the Hogs are ready to do this in opposition to Texas A&M this Saturday, they are going to surpass final 12 months’s mark of 24.

The Razorbacks and Aggies will sq. off at 6 p.m. CT inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the sport might be broadcast on ESPN.