Arkansas hit the road to tangle with the Tennessee Vols, with many questions surrounding a sputtering program. In the end, the result was the same as the former staff as the Razorbacks fell, 34-31, in Knoxville. While many fans will attempt to put lipstick on this pig following the loss, the fact is that this is now four consecutive losses for Arkansas. We at Last Word provided three keys to success for the Razorbacks in pregame, and now will give the report card for Arkansas.
Week Seven Report Card for Arkansas Football
Before we start, we want to remind you of the keys to success that we outlined prior to the game. The first was pressure up front. While this may sound elementary, the second key was for the offense to score points. The third, and final key was to keep quarterback Taylen Green upright. Now, let’s grade the week seven report card for Arkansas football.
Pressure Up Front – F
We began the report card with the opening key, pressure up front. In a game that featured an elite Vols offensive line, the Hogs needed to create hostility in the trenches. With Cam Ball anchoring the line, we expected to see a change, yet did not. Arkansas failed to create any pressure through four quarters, and the stats bring this repeated issue to even more light.
In the loss, Arkansas finished with zero sacks on the day. Furthermore, the Razorbacks only had one quarterback hurry along with two tackles for loss, for three yards in another dismal performance. The secondary only batted away three passes, which has to improve. The opening key was vital for success, and Arkansas failed miserably. Because of this, we grade the report card for Arkansas with an F, for failure.
Score Points – C-
We tasked the offense with getting points in the second key of the week. If you are to look at social media sites, we know it’s wild out there. You will see constant complaints regarding the defense, and rightfully so. While this is an issue, we here at Last Word have been very critical of an inept offense in Fayetteville over the last four weeks. The reason is that this unit lacks consistency throughout games. With a porous defense, this is a recipe for losses. Arkansas bolted to a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but will it last?
In the second stanza, the Hogs netted seven more points, and they were tied, at 17, at halftime. This is where we expected to see adjustments made offensively, but we saw more of the same. The final score for Arkansas in the first half came with four and a half minutes left in the second quarter. The next five drives, not including the end of the half, were ugly to say the least. The output finished in punt, fumble, downs, punt, and fumble. The possession issues continue to stall this offense, combined with a lack of scoring in the second half.
Four fumbles on the day and losing three is just a bad job of possessing the ball. The only two scores of the final half came with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, followed by the final, with just under three minutes. With this, we grade the report card for Arkansas second key a C-. This offense has to be more consistent to win games, especially in the daunting SEC.
Stay Upright – F
The final key to success was keeping Green upright. While this and the second are in a sense connected, this stood alone with the pursuit of Tennessee. In the end, this key was another failing grade for the Hogs. In the road loss, Green was sacked five times. These sacks equated to 35 yards lost offensively for Petrino and the unit.
Allowing five sacks for a loss of 35 yards will always hurt momentum and rhythm. For an offense already sputtering, this has to be a point of emphasis, as the Hogs have been sacked 11 times on the season. Of the 11 recorded, nine have come in the last three games as the Irish recorded three and one from Memphis in addition to the handful versus the Vols. The grade will again represent the performance in this week’s report card for Arkansas. We grade the final key on the report card for Arkansas with an F, as this was again a failure for this program.
Where Do They Go From Here?
No pun intended here, but Arkansas, and its fans, are bleeding like a stuck Hog. As we have discussed, the road does not get smoother as Arkansas is in the teeth of the SEC slate. As we peek ahead at week eight, Arkansas returns to Fayetteville as they welcome top-10 Texas A&M. We at Last Word will have more on this matchup soon, including keys to success for Arkansas.
Main Image: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
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