ARKANSAS QB ALLEN shows out, honored by SEC.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen earned SEC player of the week honors after passing for a careerhigh 442 yards and a schoolrecord six touchdowns in the Razorbacks’ 53- 52 overtime victory at Mississippi on Saturday.
Allen was carried off the field at Vaught- Hemingway Stadium by teammates after the fifth- year senior from Fayetteville completed 33 of 45 passes and charged into the end zone with the winning two- point conversion in overtime.
Allen’s six touchdown passes are tied for the most by an FBS quarterback this season and are tied for second- most in an SEC game. His 442 passing yards rank second in school history and his 33 completions broke Tyler Wilson’s school record by one.
“Brandon Allen, to have him play the way he did, set a school record of six touchdowns, to have him persevere through so many things through the course of the game … a phenomenal effort by him and truly rewarding and fun to see him get rewarded because of that,” Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said.
Tiger bounce
LSU is 27- 2 in games following losses under 11th year Coach Les Miles. The good news for Arkansas is the Razorbacks delivered loss No. 2 on both occasions: a 31- 30 victory in Miracle on Markham II in 2008 after the Tigers lost to Ole Miss, and last year’s 17- 0 victory, which followed LSU’s loss to Alabama.
The Crimson Tide beat LSU 30- 16 last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Tigers face Arkansas in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Tube talk
Arkansas’ home game against Mississippi State on
Nov. 21 will kick off at 6 p. m. on ESPN, the SEC office announced Monday. The Razorbacks played in four consecutive night games earlier in the season and will have another Saturday at 6: 15 p. m. against LSU, but their past three games have kicked off at 3 p. m. or earlier and the Hogs are 3- 0 in those games.
Alex for 31
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema was asked what he thought of the slight defection offensive tackle Dan Skipper put on the Hunter Henry lateral against Ole Miss in overtime and whether he thought Skipper might have to run with it instead of Alex Collins, who ran for 31 yards and a first down on fourth and 25.
“Well, the difference between Dan running with the ball and Alex is monumental,” Bielema said. “I didn’t think Skip could actually get his hand on it. I think he just tried to tip it because he saw another color. I didn’t even see Dan tip it until film on Sunday. The ball bounced the right way and we converted.”
Freeze first
Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze opened his Monday news conference by saying, “Well, I never experienced anything quite like what we experienced on Saturday. … It was certainly one of those days where the offenses had their way on both sides. It was a very difficult ending.
“You think you’ve won it a couple of times. Obviously, a game is never just decided on those plays, but they are a part of it.”
A reporter asked Freeze if he agreed with the officials’ interpretation that Hunter Henry’s overtime heave was a backwards pass rather than a fumble.
“The interpretation is based on whether or not it was a lateral or a fumble,” he said. “In their interpretation, and I would agree, it was a lateral. It was a backwards pass. That is the differentiating thing.”
Les weighs in
LSU Coach Les Miles, asked at his Monday news conference about the Hunter Henry lateral scooped up by Alex Collins in overtime Saturday against Ole Miss, provided a Les- like response.
“What a great play,” Miles said. “Fourth and 25. He catches the ball 10 yards short. He’s getting tackled, he throws it blindly over his back and their running back gets it, picks up the first down, correct? I thought that was, I thought that play was spectacular. So, certainly something we’ll start practicing.”
Miles’ response drew hearty laughter from reporters.
Tackle talk
Bret Bielema said he asked each assistant coach on defense to meet with his group and come up with ways that might help the unit tackle better. The Razorbacks missed numerous tackles, including the potential for up to six sacks on quarterback Chad Kelly, against Ole Miss on Saturday.
Bielema said he thought smaller settings could be more effective at coming up with ways to improve how the team approached tackling because players might be reluctant to speak up in a larger group. Bielema said the Hogs reduced their tackling drills last week and might revisit that decision. Coaches are reluctant to do a lot of live tackling this time of year when the players’ bodies are already worn down.
“So we’ve just got to work smart this week to find time where we do tackle and get the job done from that standpoint,” defensive coordinator Robb Smith said, “because that’s obviously a place where we’ve got to improve.”
Add Morgan
Junior wideout Drew Morgan was added this week to the watch list for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top receiver.
The junior from Greenwood leads the Razorbacks with 44 catches for 620 yards and 9 touchdowns. Morgan’s three touchdowns at Ole Miss put him atop the SEC in receiving touchdowns. He is tied for third nationally in that department.
“He comes over here every day, I feel, like he’s got something to prove,” offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. “I mean, he wants his number called every play. And he’s open on every play, which is baffling to me, because sometimes he’s not. But when you ask him, he is.
“But he’s fun to coach. He brings a lot of energy. He practices hard.”
Sprinkle rein
The SEC officiating crew working the Arkansas- Ole Miss game interpreted a defensive play against tight end Jeremy Sprinkle differently than Razorbacks fans Saturday night.
Fans on social media were outraged to see no penalty flag thrown when Rebels linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche tugged Sprinkle’s jersey on what turned out to be an incomplete pass on second and 9 from the Ole Miss 28.
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said the official told him he didn’t flag the play because he determined the jersey pull did not affect how fast Sprinkle was running or his ability to get to the pass, which sailed over his head.