Defensive performance anything but a treat
FAYETTEVILLE — On a day when the Arkansas defense gave up more than 500 yards of total offense to Tennessee-Martin in a 63-28 victory, it was difficult to stay away from cliches about tricking (over the middle) and treating (to four touchdowns).
It was the most yards the Razorbacks have allowed all season, and that includes against teams like Texas Tech and Texas A&M, who seem to run off jet fuel.
However, the offense picked up where it left off a week earlier in the four-overtime victory over Auburn, and when the Razorbacks scored on the ninth of their first 10 possessions for a 63-21 lead, the crowd finally began to make its way into the Halloween night.
A good crowd — definitely short of the 64,206 tickets sold — saw the Hogs score like they were a no-huddle team even though they used one.
The Skyhawks, who opened the season with a resounding 76-3 loss to Ole Miss, moved the ball through the air and on the ground, but the one thing the Razorbacks didn’t do was allow them to hit paydirt as often as the 519 total yards might indicate.
Granted, by the first possession of the fourth quarter when Austin Allen passed 35 yards to Jeremy Sprinkle for the ninth touchdown, his brother Brandon, the starting quarterback, was exactly where some had wanted him for most of the season — on the bench.
With a quarterback rating of 225.6 for the game.
Brandon Allen, who won the Crip Hall Award that goes to the outstanding senior player in the homecoming game, completed 14 of 19 passes without an interception for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns and couldn’t have been much more efficient as the Hogs evened their record at 4-4 and need two victories to be bowl eligible. He also ran for a touchdown.
Alex Collins used a 63yard touchdown run to push his stats to 173 yards on 16 carries with 5 touchdowns to earn a seat on the bench to watch the final quarter.
Tennessee-Martin was never going to be Toledo, which opened its season with a 16-12 victory over the Hogs and is now 7-0 and ranked No. 20 in the nation.
The Skyhawks are members of the FCS — it still seems like it was easier and made more sense to say I-AA — and play in the Ohio Valley Conference, which they could win. But it was still disconcerting to see the Hogs defense give up so much yardage and 25 first downs Saturday.
Giving up enough yards to build a small subdivision was too much, especially when the Razorbacks had Saturday’s game to get ready for back-to-back road games at Ole Miss and LSU.
That’s the same Rebels team that racked up 662 yards against the Skyhawks and allowed only 290 and won 27-19 at Auburn on Saturday.
It didn’t help the Hogs that freshman defensive back Ryan Pulley was forced into his first start, but overall he seemed to learn on the fly, and linebackers Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw were inspired on every down. Ellis got his third career interception, but that was something that helped the Razorbacks. Tennessee-Martin had three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble).
Fortunately for the Razorbacks, the offense clicked the best it had all season. To put it in perspective, they allowed Texas Tech 486 yards and Texas A&M 423 yards. Heck, even Alabama, one of the best teams in the country, managed only 396 yards.
Yes, Arkansas’ defense bent but didn’t break enough to cost the Razorbacks the game, but FCS teams aren’t supposed to move the chains like the Skyhawks did.
If the Razorbacks were looking ahead a little to Ole Miss, something they would never admit, then they should be totally focused on the Rebels next Saturday.