Razorbacks to take on Horned Frogs
FAYETTEVILLE - Off last week’s Arkansas’ 49-7 season-opening suffocation of Florida A&M, and TCU’s 63-0 season-opening shutout last Saturday over Jackson State, the defensive staffs of both teams should have rested well this week.
They haven’t. Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and his defensive staff and TCU Coach Gary Patterson and his staff enter today’s 2:30 p.m. CBS televised Big 12 vs. SEC nonconference clash at Reynolds Stadium bleary-eyed from watching tape and likely with nightmares when they did sleep.
Returning Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen of Fayetteville and TCU quarterback Kenny Hill as seniors suffice by themselves to create week-long insomnia for the defensive staffs trying to stop them.
Hill last season against Arkansas at TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth amassed 93 yards with two touchdowns running on 18 carries and 377 yards and a touchdown against an interception on 36 of 56 passing and still didn’t win.
In his second career start, Allen, 17 of 29 passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, ran a 5-yard double-overtime touchdown to top TCU, 41-38.
The Horned Frogs respect Allen.
The Hogs, beaten by Hill in 2014 when he was Texas A&M’s sophomore starting quarterback, redshirting as a 2015 transfer before reemerging in 2016, now are on Year Three losing sleep over Hill.
John Scott, Arkansas’ firstyear defensive line coach, was in the NFL on the New York Jets staff last season but implied he may have lost two years sleep sending a not all that experienced defensive front in Arkansas’ new 3-4 defense up against Hill protected by a huge, veteran offensive line starting four seniors at its five positions.
“It will be a challenge because those guys (on TCU’s line) have played a long time together,” Scott said. “And you’ve got to find a way to try to contain Hill. He can run the football and he can throw on the dime, too. So it will be one of these weeks where you don’t get a lot of sleep if you are a defensive line coach.”
Arkansas starts senior 3-year letterman Bijhon Jackson of El Dorado at nose guard but Jackson had never started a Razorbacks game until last week nor had starting third-
year sophomore defensive end T.J. Smith.
The youngest starter, true sophomore defensive end McTelvin “Sosa” Agim of Hope, is Arkansas’ most experienced as a starting D-lineman starting Arkansas’ last five games of 2016.
His starters and seven reserves used against Florida A&M all played well, Scott said, but this opponent is far better and more sophisticated said Scott, who spent time competing against TCU in the Big 12 when he coached Texas Tech’s defensive line.
“I remember when I was at Tech the challenges they present to your perimeter defense,” Scott said. “They show a lot of flash that can distract your eyes from what’s really happening. So we’ve got to do a great job of being locked into our keys and playing fundamental football.”
While previously the head coach at Iowa State, Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads battled Patterson and TCU.
Rhoads said he’s relying on Arkansas’ ball-control offense to help his defense out.
That will be difficult, Rhoads and Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said, because while not overly big, the Horned Frogs defensively are as quick and fast as they come and motor offensively with receivers and scatbacks.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever sen a football team put the sheer number of guys on the football field that can just flat out fly like I saw with them Saturday night,” Rhoads said.
The Razorbacks know that TCU will send receivers flying at Kamren Curl, their true freshman from Muskogee, Okla. starting at cornerback with junior starter Ryan Pulley (shoulder injury) out for the season.
And Bielema says TCU scatback/ return man KaVontae Turpin is as good as it gets returning punts and kickoffs.
Of course Patterson and his staff see Allen in their nightmares augmented by Arkansas freshman running back Chase Hayden netting 120 yards on 14 carries against FAMU while Arkansas’ defense last week came a fake punt away from pitching a shutout.
After frosting lower division cupcakes last week in Little Rock and Fort Worth, both staffs know it’s all entree on their plates today in Fayetteville.