Razorbacks kick off SEC against Florida A&M.
LITTLE ROCK Arkansas’ beleaguered defense of 2016 debuted in 2017 by pitching a shutout for 51:27 before the Florida A&M Rattlers scored their seven in a 49-7 Razorbacks’ season-opening victory witnessed by 36,055 Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium.
The underdog Rattlers of the lower (FCS) division and coached by former Arkansas assistant coach Alex Wood fall to 1-1 after trouncing a Texas Southern team on their own level last Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.
Wood’s Rattlers encountered difficulties from the get-go, including being charged a timeout each quarter for illegal uniforms with their white numbers not easily visible on their white road jerseys.
Coach Bret Bielema’s
Razorbacks of the SEC start 1-0 and next face the far more formidable TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12 on Sept. 9 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Paul Rhoads, promoted from defensive backfield coach to defensive coordinator in 2017, saw his defense debut by stuffing the Rattlers until a 26-yard run off a fake punt launched a 15-play, 76-yard scoring drive capped by quarterback Vince Jefferies’ 7-yard TD pass to Brandon Norwood with 8:23 left in the game.
Aided by their defense, including an 18-yard scoop and score touchdown by cornerback Henre Toliver off a FAMU fumble caused by junior college transfer reserve linebacker Gabe Richardson, the Razorbacks built a 42-0 lead before FAMU scored.
Arkansas starting quarterback Austin Allen completed 14-of-19 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown, a 16-yard strike to Deon Stewart, against one interception.
Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Cole Kelley accounted for Arkansas’ last touchdown, a 7-yard pass to tight end Cheyenne O’Grady, after FAMU scored.
The Razorbacks, after an offensive start hauntingly familiar with what often vexed them during their 7-6 season last year, eventually rolled with a rushing attack that featured a touchdown each from running backs Chase Hayden (14 carries for 120 yards in his freshman debut), sophomore Devwah Whaley (60 yards on 12 carries) and two touchdowns by David Williams, the graduate transfer from the University of South Carolina, among his 7 carries for 23 yards.
Arkansas senior receiver Jared Cornelius and sophomore receiver/ running back T.J Hammonds, both iffy entering the game because of preseason injuries, both played, but starting cornerback Ryan Pulley watched the second half in a sling after injuring his pectoral muscle. Bielema and offensive line coach Kurt Anderson sprang one surprise, starting true freshman Ty Clary at right guard and moving starting right guard Johnny Gibson to right tackle in place of junior Brian Wallace, the incumbent starter for last season’s last 10 games.
Wallace did play on the PAT team with Cole Hedlund kicking 7-for-7.
Arkansas flunked its first short-yardage test on its first possession.
Whaley, running 12 yards on Arkansas’ first play from scrimmage, got stuffed by a penetrating Rattler on third-and-1, forcing Arkansas to punt from its 40.
On Arkansas’ next possession, the Hogs failed to protect Allen on thirdand-10. Allen got hit as he threw an interception to FAMU cornerback Jules Dornevil at the FAMU 29.
Thanks to Allen avoiding a sack and extending a play to complete an 11-yard third-and-3 pass to tight end Austin Cantrell at the FAMU 33, Arkansas scored on its next possession.
Hayden dashed for 9 and 13 yards before Whaley scored from the 5 with 1:15 left in the first quarter.
Whaley picked up an FAMU blitz protecting Allen for his 16-yard touchdown pass to Stewart with 7:54 left in the half.
Williams capped Arkansas’ final first-half scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run, finishing a 9-play, 63-yard drive with 1:21 left before intermission.
Arkansas’ defense not only skunked the Rattlers from the first-half points column, but limited the Rattlers to two first-half first downs and just 49 total yards, 32 rushing on 16 tries, and 17 yards passing as quarterback Jefferies replaced ailing starter Ryan Stanley on the first series.
Arkansas’ defense outscored the Rattlers three plays into the second half. After linebacker Dwayne Eugene sacked Jefferies back to the FAMU 15, Richardson debuted with a fumble jarring hit of Hans Supre upon the receiver catching Jefferies' pass at the FAMU 18.
Toliver scooped and scored for an 18-yard touchdown.