Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
QB identity secret in Lunney’s home
FAYETTEVILLE — Barry Lunney Jr.’s sons Luke and Levi had the same aim as beat writers who cover the University of Arkansas football program this week.
The Lunney boys asked their father, the interim head coach for the Razorbacks for the final two games this season, who was going to play quarterback for the Saturday road game at No. 1 LSU.
“I think I told them the truth,” Lunney said Wednesday. “No I didn’t. I think I held it from them because that’s a tough position to be in to go to school.
“They tell me on the bus every day they’ve been asked who the quarterback is going to be. So if they don’t know, they don’t have to worry about hiding anything. You know that’s a need-to-know basis that even in the Lunney household doesn’t go all the way across to all family members.”
While Lunney is not announcing the quarterback game plan for the Razorbacks, which he said has been in motion since last week, the open periods at practice have given indications.
True freshman KJ Jefferson, who closed out Arkansas’ 4519 loss to Western Kentucky on Nov. 9, has been seen taking reps with the first offense as the media has departed practices the past two weeks.
If Jefferson starts Saturday, he’ll be the fourth quarterback to open a game this season for the struggling Razorbacks. That is not a good thing. The Razorbacks’ issues at quarterback loom as one of the biggest factors that has contributed to the team’s plight and the dismissal of Coach Chad Morris on Nov. 10.
Certainly there are many issues that have led to Arkansas’ 2-8 record and seven-game losing streak heading into Baton Rouge, but erratic quarterback play tops the list.
Last week, Lunney called the quarterback situation a carousel because each of them — transfers Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel, and freshmen Jefferson and John Stephen Jones — has shown flashes of stellar play.
“We’re going to continue giving them an opportunity to show us what they’ve got down the stretch,” he said.
LSU Coach Ed Orgeron was asked his thoughts on the Arkansas offense during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference.
“It’s something that I’m sure they’re trying to find their way,” Orgeron said. “They have some very good schemes.”
Orgeron pointed out tailback Rakeem Boyd and receiver Treylon Burks, who he tried to sign.
“They have some talent there,” he said. “I think that with their quarterback runs, they have a good scheme with their quarterback runs. I think one thing they struggle with is execution and turnovers.”
Lunney also pointed out areas that need improvement.
“Offensively, I think we’ve got to get better on third down,” he said. “Stay on
the field. When we’ve gotten opportunities in the red zone, it’s important to come away with touchdowns and not field goals or field goal opportunities. Those small things there could reap large benefits for us offensively.”
Arkansas quarterbacks have combined to complete 178 of 348 passes, a 51.1% completion percentage that ranks 122nd among the 130 FBS teams and last in the SEC.
The Razorbacks average 5.9 yards per pass attempt, tied for 120th nationally, and have a 102.39 pass efficiency rating (126th) and have thrown 15 interceptions. Only Alabama-Birmingham with 16 interceptions thrown and Texas State (18) have thrown more.
The lack of efficiency at quarterback was best illustrated in the Razorbacks’ 4519 loss to Western Kentucky on Nov. 9, the final game of the Morris era.
Former Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey, who knew the coaching staff was shopping for quarterbacks to compete against him, operated the Hilltoppers’ offense with remarkable precision. The Charleston graduate completed 22 of 32 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for 77 yards and 2 more scores.
While Storey and the Hilltoppers were scoring touchdowns on all five of their first-half possessions — going 7 of 12 on third-down conversions and 5 of 5 on fourth downs — and amassing 317 total yards and 16 first downs,
Arkansas was going 0 of 4 on third downs — scoring only on Boyd’s 76-yard run — and compiling 119 yards and 3 first downs.
The contrast was glaring. For the first time all season, the Razorbacks went with only their freshman quarterbacks, Jones and Jefferson, and the result wasn’t a lot different than most of their games with senior transfer Hicks or junior transfer Starkel behind center.
Jones completed 3 of 10 passes for 27 yards with an interception. Jefferson went 6 of 15 for 60 yards with an interception that was returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
Lunney said the offensive staff has been operating with a plan at quarterback since last week.
“I think we have a pretty clear direction on what we anticipate doing in that game, but it’s going to be to our advantage to not divulge that,” he said. “Just keep that in house and go from there.”