Red zone struggles a concern

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ struggles in the red zone continued last week with two second-half drives inside the Texas Tech 20-yard line netting three points in the Red Raiders’ 35-34 victory.

Arkansas ranks No. 120 in red zone success, converting 9 of 14 drives (64.3 percent) into scores. The Razorbacks are No. 121 in touchdown percentage inside their opponents’ 20-yard line at 35.7 percent.

The struggles in the fourth quarter have been especially magnified in closes losses, which are reminiscent of last season, when Arkansas had trouble scoring and closing out SEC games.

“It’s tough to say one half to another, but the execution just isn’t there in the second half,” quarterback Brandon Allen said. “We’re done a lot to improve this week. We’re working on it.

“We know to win games you have to finish in the second half, you have to finish in the fourth quarter, and that’s kind of where we’ve been struggling of late.”

Arkansas scored on its first two red zone possessions against Texas Tech. Four consecutive Alex Collins runs from the 21 ended with his 1-yard scoring run in the first quarter. Then Allen flipped a 7-yard bootleg pass to Hunter Henry for a touchdown after the Razorbacks had a first-andgoal from the Red Raiders’ 8.

Allen’s 10-yard screen pass to Rawleigh Williams in the third quarter set up third and 3 from the Texas Tech 4, but the Red Raiders stopped Williams on a running play and forced a field goal.

Trailing 35-24, Arkansas drove 70 yards to the Texas Tech 5 and appeared to score on Allen’s 5-yard throw to Hunter Henry, but the play was wiped out by offensive pass interference. Allen’s third-and-17 pass for Sprinkle at the goal line fell well short on the next play.

“He was coming open and I was trying to time it out to where I was letting it go before he was ready for the ball,” Allen said. “I probably could have waited one more tick there at the end to let him get open even more.”