TAT: Five Keys vs. Texas A&M

This article originally appeared in the September 27, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

1. Establish a Run Game

Arkansas has gotten nothing out of the run game so far this season. They are only averaging 97.8 yards per game on the ground. After missing the entire 2011 season because of injury, junior Knile Davis hasn’t shown the ability he did during the 2010 season. Texas A&M is only giving up 94 rushing yards per game, so Arkansas’ offensive line will have to step up against the Aggies’ stiff defense, and Davis, as well as the Hogs’ other running backs, will need to hit holes whenever they open up. This will force the Aggies not to completely focus on the pass.

2. Shut Down Johnny Manziel

Freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel has accounted for 65.1 percent of Texas A&M’s total offense. He is their leading passer (213.7 yards per game) and leading rusher (87.3 yards per game). Last time Arkansas played a dual-threat quarterback was in week two against ULM’s Kolton Browning. The Hogs allowed Browning to run around and make plays. If they let Manziel do the same, they will suffer a similar result (Arkansas lost to ULM 34-31).

3. Other Wide Receivers Need to Step Up

Last week, senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton hauled in 10 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. His 303 receiving yards broke the UA and Southeastern Conference single-game records. Wilson expects Texas A&M to “pay a little more attention to him” because of this performance. Other wide receivers, such as junior Brandon Mitchell and freshman Mekale McKay, are going to need to step up and make plays if Arkansas is going win.

4. Protect Tyler Wilson

This seems to be a key every week, but it is especially important this Saturday. Texas A&M is tied for third in the country in sacks with 16. Junior defensive lineman Damontre Moore leads them with six sacks, which is tied for third in the country among individual players. While Arkansas has only given up seven sacks, they must bring their best performance to slow down Texas A&M’s ability to attack and protect senior quarterback Tyler Wilson.

5. Stay Focused

This is Arkansas’ first road game. For the first time this season, Arkansas will break out of their normal routine and play in a hostile environment. Texas A&M is famous for their student section, the “12th Man,” which never sits down during the game. They also play at Kyle Field, which was ranked as the 10th toughest place to play according to a Yahoo.com article at the beginning of the season. The young players and the rest of the team must remain focused the entire game in order to have a chance.

Piling Up Points - It'll Bite You in the Butt

     One of my assignments for The Arkansas Traveler next week is to write a preview of the Arkansas-Vanderbilt women's soccer team. Of course, I know absolutely nothing about women's soccer, let alone Arkansas women's soccer.
     As research, I went to arkansasrazorbacks.com and went to the women's soccer page. I started flipping through their stats and schedule. Then I decided to look at their media guide and see how the Hogs had performed in the past.
     I learned that the team started in 1986 and has been pretty mediocre. I also found out that in the last game of the first season, 1986, Arkansas traveled to Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) and got demolished 16-1. I know I said I don't know much about women's soccer, but I DO know that a 15 goal loss is NOT good.
     I read on and discovered that they played Missouri-Rolla again in 1986 (tied 2-2) and in 1989 (won 2-0). The next two seasons, however, jumped out at me. In 1990, Arkansas won 9-0 and in 1991, Arkansas won 8-0. Something tells me that the Hogs probably didn't even think about letting up in those two games.
     This kind of brings to mind another situation like this. In 1916, Cumberland College defeated Georgia Tech 22-0 in a baseball game. The coach of Georgia Tech, John Heisman (yes, THAT Heisman), believed Cumberland played professionals. So even though Cumberland's football team was discontinued in 1915, Heisman demanded them to live up to their contract and play them in football.
     Cumberland roughly put together a team of 14 students, traveled to Georgia Tech, and suffered the worst loss in college football history, losing 222-0.
     The lesson of both of these stories is simple: don't pile on points against a helpless team. Once you have them down, call off the dogs and run out the clock. Otherwise, some day or another, it will come back and bite you in the butt. Shiloh Christian High School suffered this last year, is suffering it this year, and will probably suffer it for several more years.

TAT: Hogs Are Confident They Can Turn Season Around

This article originally appeared in the September 25, 2012 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

     Arkansas lost to Rutgers 35-26 Saturday night, falling to 1-3 on the season. Although the season isn’t going how the Razorbacks expected, the players remain positive.

     “We made a big stride last week,” senior quarterback Tyler Wilson said at a press conference Monday. “The attitude and excitement was where it needed to be, but the execution was not.”

     The day after the loss, Arkansas players and coaches met and had their usual conditioning workout.

     “It’s wild,” Wilson said. “With a few losses and the expectations the way they were, you’d think there would be a lot of crazy things happening, but the way we came out (Sunday) night, it was another positive.”

     A major concern for Arkansas’ offense moving forward is the ability to get the run game going. Through four games, the running backs are averaging just 97.8 yards per game.

     “There are a couple things coach is working on right now,” Wilson said. “We were a little predictable, and we’re going to change that up. That will help us out in the run game.”

     Defensively, Arkansas is struggling against the pass. Against Rutgers, they gave up 397 yards through the air to a quarterback who had only been averaging 188.3 yards per game.

     “Sometimes we’ll be right there and they’ll make the play. Sometimes our names are called on the blitz and we don’t get there,” senior linebacker Alonzo Highsmith said. “There’s a number of things as a team that we’re not doing right.”

     The Razorbacks travel to College Station, Texas, Saturday to play Texas A&M in their first Southeastern Conference road game of the season.

     “Road games are tough, but they’re fun,” Wilson said. “It’s always a challenge, especially going down to Texas A&M. They always have a big fanbase.”

     The “12th Man,” the Texas A&M student section, will be “very loud and a very hostile environment,” junior center Travis Swanson said.

     Wilson expects the Aggies to key in on senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton after his SEC and UA record-breaking performance against Rutgers last week. He had 303 receiving yards on 10 catches, three of which resulted in touchdowns – the only three touchdowns of the game.

     “They’re probably going to pay a little more attention to him, but we have some guys that can make plays,” Wilson said.

     Junior Brandon Mitchell and freshman Mekale McKay will have big games, Wilson said.

     Arkansas’ defense will be challenged by Texas A&M’s talented freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel is averaging 301 total offensive yards per game.

     “He’s an athletic quarterback,” Highsmith said. “He likes to get out and run, but he’s not anything we haven’t seen before.”

     Despite three consecutive losses and dropping out of both the AP and Coaches’ Polls, the Hogs remain confident they can still win games.

     “We had high expectations coming into the season, so it’s still kind of a shock to all of us,” Swanson said. “Do I think the season is over? Not at all. We can still turn this season around and make it a great one.”

TAT: Hogs Suffer Loss on Hamilton's Record Night

This article originally appeared on uatrav.com on September 22, 2012, following Arkansas' loss to Rutgers.

     It was a night to forget for Razorback fans, but one to remember for senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton.

     Arkansas fell to 1-3 on the season with a 35-26 loss to Rutgers. However, Hamilton set a new Southeastern Conference and school record with 303 receiving yards.

     After pulling ahead 10-0 in the first quarter, Rutgers drove the ball 75 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown. During the drive, they converted a fake punt on 4th and one and got a first down as a result of an offside penalty called on the Hogs on a field goal attempt.

     Quarterback Gary Nova led the Scarlett Knights on two more touchdown drives, pulling ahead 21-7 early in the third quarter, before Arkansas answered.

     Arkansas’ last two possessions of the first half and first two possessions of the second half resulted in three-and-outs, good for a total of 20 yards. Finally, they drove the ball 52 yards and junior Zack Hocker made a 27-yard field goal to pull within eight points.

     Rutgers’ next possession ended with another Nova touchdown pass. Hamilton responded by catching two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. His last was an 80-yard catch that broke the SEC and UA record for receiving yards. The Hogs attempted a two-point conversion, but failed, so they trailed 28-26.

     Less than a minute later, Nova threw his fifth and final touchdown pass of the game. He finished with 397 yards and was 25-for-35 passing.

     With a little over six minutes remaining, the Hogs made a final effort. Senior punter Dylan Breeding pinned the Scarlett Knights on their own one-yard line with a 51-yard punt. Arkansas appeared to tackle sophomore running back Jawan Jamison in the end zone for a safety, but he was able to avoid being brought down and gained 24 yards.

     The Razorbacks’ final drive ended when senior Tyler Wilson’s pass was intercepted by senior safety Duron Harmon. Wilson was 20-for-40 for 419 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.

     From the second quarter to the end of the game, they had possession of the ball for 29 minutes and 12 seconds, compared to Arkansas’ 12 minutes and 25 seconds.

     Also, in the third quarter, Rutgers was 4-for-5 on third down conversions, including 3-for-3 on one of their touchdown drives.

     During the first quarter, senior tight end Chris Gragg suffered a lower leg injury and didn’t return to the game.

     Arkansas plays again next Saturday at Texas A&M in College Station.

TAT: Five Keys vs. Rutgers

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.

TAT: Past Will Help Allen's Game in the Future

This article originally appeared in the September 21, 2012 Football Edition of The Arkansas Traveler.

     The NFL has the Manning brothers. The NBA has Doc and Austin Rivers. Baseball has the Griffeys.

     Northwest Arkansas’ version of a famous sports family is the Allens.

     Bobby Allen is the secondary coach for the Razorback football team, Christian is a senior baseball player at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Brandon is a redshirt freshman quarterback for the Hogs, Austin is a senior quarterback at Fayetteville High and is committed to Arkansas and Daniela is a sophomore basketball player at Fayetteville High.

     “It was competitive with everything,” Austin Allen said. “We’d go to the backyard and play one-on-one basketball and it ended in tears when we were younger.”

     Recently, Brandon has been the most publicized. After starting the season as the backup quarterback, he was thrust into the starting position midway through the second game after senior Tyler Wilson was injured.

     While this was his first major collegiate experience, many people across the state knew of him already. At Fayetteville High School, Brandon Allen threw for 10,068 yards and earned All-State honors as a senior.

     Even before starting high school, Fayetteville head coach Daryl Patton knew Brandon Allen had talent.

     “We knew he was gifted,” Patton said. “He was very physically mature as a ninth grader and he could make throws that some of our high school quarterbacks couldn’t make.”

     Once he got there, Brandon Allen had an immediate impact, throwing for over 3,000 yards in his first season.

     However, he also threw 20 interceptions. Over the next two seasons, he decreased that number.

     “He improved every year,” Patton said. “He had 20 interceptions as a sophomore, as a junior he had five and as a senior he didn’t have one during the regular season.”

     One reason he improved so much was because of his preparation off the field.

     “He has great work ethic,” Austin Allen said. “He watches a lot of film and he’s always trying to get better and find something new to get better at.”

     Following his senior year, in which he led his team to the state championship game, he signed with the Razorbacks. Last year he redshirted as he learned under Wilson.

     When he replaced Wilson in the ULM game, Brandon Allen led the Hogs on a 67-yard drive that ended on a 13-yard touchdown pass to freshman Mekale McKay. He finished the game with 85 yards on 6-for-20 passing and one interception.

     Against No. 1 Alabama, Brandon Allen was 10-for-18 with 60 yards and two interceptions.

     Despite the underwhelming stats, positives can be taken from the two games. It was a “tough situation” to be put into, Wilson said.

     “If I put myself in a position that Brandon Allen was in, as a redshirt freshman, I’m not sure if I could have even done what he did out there,” Wilson said. “I sent him a text (Sunday) night and I said, ‘Man, you did a pretty good job. I’m proud of you.’”

     Brandon Allen’s high school quarterbacks coach and former Razorback Zak Clark echoes this feeling.

     “That’s a tough spot. It’s always tough going into the game after an injury and then to start against (Alabama), who is really good on defense,” Clark said. “I’m proud of him. You can forget what the fans are saying. In my opinion, he played really well for his first start.”

     Clark, who started nine games at quarterback for the Hogs in 2001, even said he would have traded his first start for Brandon Allen’s.

     Brandon Allen said he gained a lot from the experience as well.

     “Being in games and taking more reps in games was really big for me,” Brandon Allen said. “My confidence is up and I have matured a lot.”

     As for the future, Patton is sure Brandon Allen will figure everything out, just as he has in the past.

     “What he’s going through right now kind of resembles what he went through as a sophomore for us. He had high expectations for himself and we were coming off winning a state championship,” Patton said.

     “He had a big year for us, but he threw 20 interceptions,” Patton said. “He had to learn from that. The game is going to slow down for him.”

     Whether Brandon Allen plays much more this season depends on the health of Wilson, but in the future, Hog fans can expect him to be “something special,” Patton said.

     “When I see Brandon, I see a guy that’s going to continue to improve and by the time he’s a senior, maybe a junior, I don’t see anybody better in the country,” Patton said. “I think he’s going to be a fantastic quarterback.”