40 Minutes, 27 Seconds of Misery, Bad Offense for Razorbacks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — "Pass interference - Defense, number 11, that's a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down," referee Lee Hendrick said with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter.
Those words ended a long drought that mired the Arkansas offense for most of the game and put into context just how terrible the unit was. The Razorbacks didn't go over 40 minutes in real-time without getting a first down which would be unacceptable for this offense given the expectations coming into the season. Under offensive coordinator Dan Enos, the Hogs' offense went 40 minutes and 27 seconds of game time without getting a first down. Before the final drive of the game, the previous Hogs' first down was the final play of the first quarter, when running back Rashod Dubinion ran for 5 yards up the middle on the second-and-3 at the Texas A&M 16.
Arkansas had the ball nine times in between the two first downs (excluding the end of the first half). On those nine drives, six of them resulted in punts (one returned for a touchdown), a pick-six by quarterback KJ Jefferson, a turnover on downs on a failed fourth-and-1 and a Cam Little 50-yard field goal after a fumble by Texas A&M in their own territory.
"What happened is we quit converting those third downs," coach Sam Pittman said. "Because we converted our first three in a row, then after that we went on a dry spell" (Arkansas finished the game 5-15 on third down).
Arkansas' 174 yards of total offense was also the Hogs' lowest output against an unranked team in the AP Poll since they put up 114 yards against UNLV in 2001.
Highly vaunted receiver Isaac TeSlaa finished the day with one catch for 0 yards. The long-awaited return of running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders netted just 34 yards, his career low as a starter in a conference game (17 yards on three carries in the Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas). The offensive line allowed seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss, their most since 2001 as well.
In one of the first articles I wrote for this site, offensive line coach Cody Kennedy proudly proclaimed that the fans should look towards the Super Bowl between the Eagles and the Chiefs because the Hogs' offense was going "pro-style"
"You had the Chiefs and the Eagles, if that’s pro-style, then yes (we are going pro-style)," Kennedy said on Aug. 15. "Pro-style has shifted along the years. It’s really enjoyable for our guys to turn on NFL tape and be like ‘That’s so and so protection.’”
Mr. Kennedy. Please tell the fans which protection you ran successfully against Texas A&M resembles that of the Chiefs and Eagles game. At this point, the last thing the Hogs need to worry about is whether or not the guys can turn on the tape and see them blocking the same way as Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Their only job now is finding a way to protect Jefferson, so he doesn't get hurt and can scramble around long enough to throw the ball so he can make sure one of his best receivers never has another day with a goose egg in receiving yards ever again.
The Hogs' offense focus on turning in a better performance against Ole Miss Saturday Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. The game will be on the SEC Network and fuboTV.
HOGS FEED:
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IN-GAME DECISIONS, BEING STUBBORN COME UP AGAIN IN RAZORBACKS' LOSS TO TEXAS A&M
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