Hogs' defense improves but special teams still not special

FAYETTEVILLE - The psyche and cohesiveness of Arkansas' beleaguered football Razorbacks improved immensely despite their 34-3 losing outcome last Saturday night against ninth-ranked Auburn.

Unfortunately their special teams did not. Special teams malfunctions inflicted an especially dire impact on these now 1-3 Razorbacks losing by 31 to the 30-point favored Tigers.

Auburn, now 3-1, 1-1 in the SEC West, evening their league ledger, actually was outgained, 290-225 by Arkansas in total offense.

Arkansas possessed the ball 32:29 to Auburn's 27:31.

But those special teamed lapses contributing to Arkansas' embarrassing 44-17 loss the previous Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to 7-point underdog North Texas, haunted the Hogs again.

Auburn's Noah Igbinoghene returned a kickoff for 96-yard touchdown immediately after Connor Limpert's 29-yard third-quarter field goal registered Arkansas' three points.

Auburn blocked one punt and partially blocked another.

Auburn's Ryan Davis caught two punts and returned them 48 and 36 yards. K.J. Davis returned one for 11.

The special teams breakdowns, plus Auburn returning an Arkansas fumble to the Razorbacks' 2, constantly put Arkansas' defense in the same abominable short-field field position it faced against North Texas.

Overall, John Chavis coordinated defense responded pretty well to the ignominious holes that Arkansas special teams breakdowns and Arkansas offensive turnovers (six interceptions) dug for it against North Texas.

It responded even better against Auburn.

"Defensively, to have to go on a short field several times over," Arkansas first-year Coach Chad Morris said postgame, "to be put in a ‘first responder’ so to speak and having their backs against the wall and still kept coming out. They kept fighting and making plays."

More plays in their own red zone than they should have ever been required to make.

"The little things, the special teams, the two weeks in a row now with the battle of field position," Morris said. "We'll go back and look at (special teams) personnel and see how that worked. We'll look at scheme, see if there were any tips or tendencies. Going back to work is the first thing we're going to do."

Curing special teams may sound easier than curing offensive or defensive ills but usually isn't. Especially for teams in Arkansas' plight.

Special teams rely on numbers. In many cases reserves especially proficient at their special special teams assignments allowing breathers for already overworked starters needed to be fresh in the fourth quarter. That takes depth.

Arkansas doesn't appear to have it.

Morris will keep trying, sorting and auditioning.

It may take recruiting to cure punting next year. So far the one scholarship punter and two walk-ons tried haven't cut it.

Place-kicker Limpert made the one field goal but missed on another Saturday.

The defense, with senior linebacker Dre Greenlaw returning still sore from a Sept. 1 ankle injury but making eight tackles including three for lost yardage, played on.

"It's really frustrating, man," Greenlaw said when asked postgame. "But the game of football is offense, defense and special teams. If you see stuff like that happen on special teams, it's going to affect the football game. It's hard to come back from stuff like that."

But they kept trying.

"I was very impressed with the way they fought," Morris said.

And proud that after going back and forth with quarterbacks, he believes he's got the right one, junior Ty Storey, as his starter. Storey obviously wasn't spectacular or the Hogs would have scored more than three points.

But he was determined, tough, and kept the Hogs not only fighting but in the fight despite crippling penalties against an Auburn front seven that Morris calls, "As good as I've seen."

"I thought Ty was just gritty," Morris said. "He was gritty and left everything out their on the field against one of the best defensive fronts that's probably in college football. Those guys kept bringing pressure and he kept standing in there. He'd get knocked down and get right back up. He played his butt off. Ty was definitely in control and command. It's something we can build on moving forward with Ty."

They can build on most everything offensively and defensively because they yearn to, Morris believes.

"They keep coming back and give it everything they've got," Morris said "Everything. We keep asking them to give and they keep giving and giving and giving. If they'll continue with this trend, if they continue to keep pushing and getting better, we're closer than we can imagine."

They would be especially closer if they could improve on special teams.

(Nate Allen covers the Razorbacks for the News. Times.)