Defense regaining its mettle
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ defense might not be ready to post back-toback SEC shutouts, as the Razorbacks did late last season when they beat LSU and Ole Miss by a combined 47-0, but the unit seems to be rounding into form.
The defense kept the Razorbacks in their game at Alabama until the fourth quarter, when the Crimson Tide took advantage of a failed fake punt, an interception and a long punt return to rally for a 27-14 victory after trailing 7-3.
Even with all that working against the defense, the Razorbacks ended Alabama’s streak of scoring 34 or more points at nine games.
The week before the Alabama game, Arkansas won 24-20 at Tennessee when the Razorbacks held the Vols to three points in the second half. One of Tennessee’s first-half touchdowns
came on a kickoff return.
“I feel like we’re real close to playing defense like we did last year when we really got it going,” senior safety Rohan Gaines said. “It’s just a couple things we need to do to get over that hump to be a great defense.
“It’s more of a mental thing than physical. We have a lot of young guys, and with that comes some mistakes. They just have to learn from their mistakes.”
Arkansas lists 14 freshmen and sophomores on its defensive depth chart as well as junior newcomer Jeremiah Ledbetter, a transfer from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College who is starting at end.
Other first-team starters have included sophomore end Tevin Beanum, freshman linebacker Dre Greenlaw, sophomore linebackers Khalia Hackett and Dwayne Eugene and freshman free safety Santos Ramirez.
“I think all those young guys, they’re coming along,” Gaines said. “Sometimes it just takes a little bit of success to spark something inside of you. I feel like each and every one of those guys have had some success, so now they’re playing with more confidence.
“Now they’re getting more reps in practice. Now they’re getting more reps in games. It’s become second nature to them.”
Arkansas had four starters from last season — first-team All-SEC linebacker Martrell Spaight, second-team All-SEC end Trey Flowers, second-team All-SEC tackle Darius Philon and cornerback Tevin Mitchel — who were NFL Draft picks after helping the Razorbacks finish ninth nationally in scoring defense (19.2 points per game) and 10th in total defense (323.4 yards).
Two other seniors, safety Alan Turner and linebacker Braylon Mitchell, signed as free agents.
Those departures left plenty of holes to fill.
“We did a lose a lot from last year, but we keep getting better every week,” linebacker Brooks Ellis said. “That’s what it’s all about. If you keep getting better every week and never let the past week get to your head, you’ll always get better.”
The defense will look to continue to improve when Arkansas plays Auburn on Saturday at Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium.
“I think our defense the last half of the season will match up fairly well against the offenses we’ll see,” Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. “I think the way they’re communicating and talking.”
Bielema said he talked to the defense after the Alabama game about building on that performance.
“They played their tales off against a team that might be playing as well as anybody in the country right now,” Bielema said. “I just challenged them to take that next step.”
Arkansas is ranked 45th nationally in scoring defense (23.3 points per game) and 46th in total defense (365.3 yards), so the Razorbacks have a way to go if they are going to finish as high in those categories as last season.
“I think we get one step closer every day, and this is going to be a big week for us, how we prepare,” defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. “If you can put one play after another and stack a few plays in a row where you get some stops, then you seem to play a little bit faster, you seem to play a little bit more confident, you’re able to anticipate a little bit better. So i think our focus is just always on that next play.
“If we can just keep stacking those plays up, I think you kind of pop out on the other side and you end up where we were last year. So we’re just going to focus on the process and let the results take care of themselves.”
Bielema and Smith have credited returning starters like Gaines, Ellis and junior defensive end JaMichael Winston and junior defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson with helping the players who have had to play larger roles this season.
“I think we’re getting leadership that’s helping guys understand the system, understand the scheme,” Smith said. “I think if you just have the right approach and you go to work and you try and improve each week, that’s our goal every year, right?
“If we can just stay on the trend that we’re on, I think we’ll all be pretty happy.”
Ellis said he’s confident the defense is ready to start peaking to help the Razorbacks make a run to a bowl game.
“Alabama was a sneak peak,” Ellis said. “It’s taken some time, and we’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re definitely getting close.”