Hogs Secondary Plays Jeckyll and Hyde Against Alabama

Razorbacks secondary bad in first half, reason for close game in surprisingly close game

Author:
Jacob Davis
Publish date:
Oct 14, 2023 6:24 PM EDT

In this story:

An improved Arkansas secondary was exposed throughout their road matchup against Alabama receivers. Dwight McGlothern's return from injury provided a silver lining. His stay on the field was shortened once again, leaving the game with another injury.

Shortly before kickoff it was announced that freshman defensive back Jaylen Braxton would miss the game due to an injury he suffered against Ole Miss. The Frisco, Texas, native was the highest rated prospect of the 2023 class. As a freshman, he has recorded 11 total tackles while breaking up five passes during the first six games. His absence was sorely missed, especially in the first half.

One other defensive back missed significant action. TCU transfer Kee’Yon Stewart suffered an injury late in the first half and didn’t return.

The injuries forced the Hogs to play defenders off the line of scrimmage and shifted to more of a zone defense. That alone played a role in the defensive collapse in the first half. Although, the change was necessary when down so many players in the secondary, that didn’t help pass coverage early on.

“We had a couple of busts in the secondary,” Hogs coach Sam Pittman said following the loss.

A pair of explosive plays coming off Milroe’s arm helped Alabama build a 21-6 lead by halftime. Kobe Prentice scored off broken coverage where the Hogs’ safeties neglected to cover him. The Crimson Tide designed a play for tight end Amari Niblack to come open for a 29 yard touchdown.

The script of the game was turned upside down by the Razorbacks' secondary in the second half. In the first half alone, Arkansas allowed Milroe to a low amount of completions amount but big gainers killed any momentum they held. Completions of 79, 44, 29 and 25 in first were cleaned up in the second stanza. Milroe threw for just 19 yards on two completions in the final two quarters.

One of the key stops that breathed fresh air into the game was Jayden Johnson’s huge stop on Alabama’s first fourth quarter drive. The play saw him nearly force the Crimson Tide into their first turnover.

One other issue stemming from zone coverage was Alabama’s success in the run game. The angles taken on gashing run plays were putrid. Explosive run plays by Alabama’s Jase McClellan, Jam Miller and Roydell Williams all had runs of 18 or more yards but were all kept out of the endzone.