This article originally appeared in the September 21, 2012 Football Edition of The Arkansas Traveler.
1. Gain Momentum
Anytime a team loses 52-0, the question is always, “How will
they respond?” Following the Alabama game, senior Tyler Wilson called out his
teammates, saying they “gave up out there.” If players truly did give up, they
must start the game with fire. Rutgers is coming in 3-0 and with a lot of
confidence. The Hogs will lose if they come out lackadaisical. Wilson and the
other seniors have to get the players fired up about tomorrow’s game and make
them forget the last two weeks.
2. Put the Ball in the End Zone
This seems simple enough, but Arkansas has been struggling with
putting the ball in the end zone. They suffered their first home shutout since
1966 last Saturday and haven’t scored a touchdown since the third quarter of
the ULM game. Rutgers has only given up two touchdowns this season, both in the
fourth quarter. If Arkansas puts up another goose egg or is forced to settle
for field goals, they will have a hard time beating anyone.
3. Tackle
Rutgers junior running back Jawan Jamison is coming off a
151-yard performance against USF and the Hogs recently gave up 225 rushing
yards against Alabama. In order to beat the Scarlet Knights, Arkansas must
tackle and prevent them from getting five yards per carry like Alabama did.
Also, UA interim head coach John L. Smith has talked a lot about Rutgers’
receivers. Senior Mark Harrison (6’3” 230 lbs.), junior Brandon Coleman (6’6”
220 lbs.) and sophomore tight end Tyler Kroft (6’6” 235 lbs.) are all big
targets, and it will take good tackling by the Hogs to bring them down.
4. Protect the Ball
Against Alabama, Arkansas turned the ball over five times,
throwing two interceptions and losing three fumbles. More alarming, however,
was the fact that the Hogs actually fumbled the ball eight times. Rutgers is
sure to see this and most likely put an emphasis on stripping the ball during
practice this week. They have already forced four fumbles this season and also
have four interceptions. The Razorbacks must fix their turnover problem if they
expect to have a chance tomorrow.
5. Keep Tyler Wilson Healthy
With Wilson under center this year, the Hogs have outscored
opponents 70-31. Without him under center, opponents have outscored Arkansas
76-10. Also, through their first three games, Rutgers has sacked their
opponents seven times. While they may not be as big as Southeastern Conference
teams, the Scarlet Knights still find a way to get behind the line of
scrimmage. Obviously Arkansas plays better with Wilson at quarterback, so it is
key for the offensive line to step up and protect him.
No comments:
Post a Comment