TAT: State of the Program - D-Line Remains Solid, While Questions Linger at Linebacker

This article originally appeared in the January 29, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

NOTE: This is the second installment of a six-part series on the state of the Arkansas football program. For a preview of the upcoming parts of the series and review of previous parts, refer to the dates and links below the article.

The 2013 season was much of the same for Arkansas’ defense, as the Razorbacks allowed more than 30 points per game for the second consecutive year.

In John L. Smith’s only season as Arkansas’ head coach, the Razorbacks gave up 365 points. Head coach Bret Bielema’s first season in Fayetteville saw the Razorbacks give up 369 points.

Arkansas ranked near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference and NCAA in scoring defense both seasons. The 30.4 points allowed per game in 2012 was 12th in the conference and 81st in the country, while the 30.8 points allowed per game in 2013 was 12th and 88th, respectively.

Last season also featured back-to-back games in which the Razorbacks gave up 52 points. It was the first time in school history that Arkansas gave up 50-plus points in consecutive games and the 104 points were the most it had given up in consecutive games since the Razorbacks allowed 111 points to No. 19 Texas and No. 6 Houston in back-to-back games in 1990.

Similar to the offense, despite the defense’s struggles, certain areas showed promise. Most notably, Arkansas’ defensive line drew a lot of attention before, during and after the season.

Senior defensive end Chris Smith was selected to the preseason first-team All-SEC team by the coaches, while senior defensive tackle Byran Jones was named to the preseason third-team All-SEC team by Phil Steele.

Smith backed up this recognition by collecting 36 tackles, including 11.5 for a loss. He also had 8.5 sacks, which is tied for eighth-most in a single season in UA history, and giving him 21.5 in his career, fourth-most in UA history.

Jones started all but one game and racked up 32 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss. Next to Jones as the other defensive tackle was senior Robert Thomas, who was voted by his teammates as one of Arkansas’ team captains for the season.

Thomas started the first seven games of the season, tallying 31 tackles, before breaking his leg against South Carolina and missing the rest of the year.

The injury forced redshirt freshman Darius Philon into a starting role. He did well in the senior’s absence, collecting 46 tackles, including nine for a loss and three sacks.

Junior defensive end Trey Flowers had a breakout season, as well. He ended the year with 44 tackles and led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss.

Smith, Jones and Thomas will not be back next season, but Philon will return as a redshirt sophomore. Flowers received a third round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but he decided to return to Arkansas for his senior year.

The Razorbacks will miss the three senior defensive linemen, as Smith was named second-team All-SEC by the coaches and he, Jones and Thomas combined for 30 starts last season, but Philon and Flowers will bring experience to the position next season.

Philon and Flowers were selected as SEC All-Freshman and second-team All-SEC by the coaches, respectively and combined for 16 starts.

Four-star recruit Bijhon Jackson, the No. 8 defensive tackle in the country according to Rivals.com, will also help fill some holes on Arkansas’ defensive line.

Linebackers remain the biggest question mark for Arkansas’ defense.

Five different players started at least one game at linebacker in 2013 and Bielema used 10 different combinations at the position.

Senior Jarrett Lake started the most games at linebacker, with 11 starts, while junior Braylon Mitchell started eight games. Lake and Mitchell tied for second on the team with 77 tackles.

Junior college transfer Martrell Spaight received a lot of press before the season, but started only two games and finished with 22 tackles.

The late-emerging star of the linebacker core was a true freshman from Fayetteville High, Brooks Ellis. He appeared in all 12 games and started the last four at middle linebacker, receiving high praises from Bielema.

Mitchell, Spaight and Ellis will return next year, but the Razorbacks will be without Lake, as well as sophomore A.J. Turner and junior Myke Tavarres, who transferred after the season.

Arkansas could also get a contribution from incoming freshman Dwayne Eugene, a three-star linebacker recruit, according to Rivals.com, who is committed to the Razorbacks.

Finally, Arkansas’ secondary showed improvement, but still gave up 235 yards per game through the air.

In 2012, the Razorbacks gave up 285.8 passing yards per game, which ranked last in the SEC and 113th in the NCAA. They moved up in these rankings last season, finishing 11th in the conference and 72nd in the country.

Safeties Alan Turner and Eric Bennett started all 12 games, while Rohan Gaines also started five games at safety. Bennett was a senior, but Turner and Gaines will be back next season.

Turner led the Razorbacks with 97 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups. Gaines, who missed two games with a knee injury, finished the season with 33 tackles and one pass breakup.

Junior Tevin Mitchel and sophomore Will Hines began the season as Arkansas’ starting corners, but the injury bug soon mixed things up.

Hines broke his arm in the sixth game and did not return until the LSU game. In his place, junior Carroll Washington started four games before being replaced by redshirt freshman Jared Collins, who started the final two games.

Mitchel started the first 10 games of the season, but missed the Mississippi State game because of a family health issue. Freshman D.J. Dean started the last two games in his place.

All five players who started at safety this season will be back next year.

Overall, Arkansas will return 13 defensive players who started at least one game last season. Those players combined for 62 starts, or 47 percent of the Razorbacks’ defensive starts in 2013.

Future "State of the Program" dates and links to previous parts...

Part I – Offense

Part III – Coaches (Feb. 5)

Part IV – Recruiting (Feb. 12)

Part V – Television (Feb. 19)

Part VI – Attendance (Feb. 26)

TAT: 85 Percent Would Play in Super Bowl With Concussion... 15 Percent Lied

This article originally appeared in the January 29, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

A recent annonymous survey by ESPN.com found that 85 percent of the 320 players polled said they would play in the Super Bowl with a concussion.

Like many people, I was taken aback by this staggering number, but probably for different reasons.

Most fans will see that statistic and think, “How can they be so stupid?” With all of the information available with just a quick Google search and a wave of media coverage, some find it hard to believe anyone would play with any “concussion-like symptoms,” let alone an actual diagnosed concussion.

However, anyone who has ever played the game, or any sport for that matter, knows they would play in the biggest game of the year with a concussion, too.

I was shocked to see that 15 percent of the players lied; there’s no way any of them would willingly sit out of the Super Bowl with a concussion.

These players have worked their entire lives for a chance to play in the biggest sporting event in the country. Some have escaped poverty, while many have overcome other great obstacles.

Michael Oher’s story is well-known to the general public because it was shared in a best-selling book by Michael Lewis and then made into a movie, The Blind Side. People don’t realize that Oher is just one of hundreds of players who made the NFL against all odds.

These athletes put their bodies through grueling workouts that a normal person couldn’t even fathom. They won’t let a concussion stop them. It’s that way on every level in every sport.

If my high school football team made the state championship game, the only way I wouldn’t suit up and play is if I was paralyzed and physically couldn’t put on my pads.

Heck, if I was on an intramural flag football team that made the playoffs, I wouldn’t sit out with a concussion. That’s just how athletes are wired.

The players in the NFL are grown men capable of making decisions for themselves. They know the dangers of playing their sport, but they love it and choose to continue playing.

By the time they reach the Super Bowl, even if they’re a rookie, they have already played three or four years in college, four years of high school, a couple years in junior high or middle school and probably several years in pee wee. One more game, in their minds, won’t hurt.

And you know what? They’re probably right. I know scientific studies have shown otherwise, but it’s the Super Bowl. If it was a preseason game or insignificant regular season game, it might be a different story, but not the Super Bowl.

If faced with the decision to play or not to play in the Super Bowl with a concussion, I guarantee 100 percent would play. No doubt about it.

TAT: By the Numbers (Jan. 29)

These stats were originally compiled for the January 29, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

**NOTE: Because these stats were compiled for publishing on Wednesday, Jan. 29, some may not be completely up-to-date, as of Jan. 30.**

65.4 - Arkansas’ second-half field goal percentage against Auburn Saturday. The Razorbacks shot only 31.4 percent in the first half, but their hot second half brought their field goal percentage for the game up to 45.9 percent.

7 - Consecutive times Arkansas’ men’s basketball team has beaten Auburn. That is tied for their second-longest winning streak against a conference opponent since joining the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks beat Mississippi State seven straight times from 1998-2000 and LSU 11 straight times from 1992-1997. All three streaks included at least one overtime game.

7.9 - Average margin of victory by the Razorbacks in their seven-game winning streak against Auburn. Arkansas’ 19-point win Saturday was its largest during the streak.

8.4 - Average margin of victory by the Razorbacks in their seven-game winning streak against Mississippi State from 1998-2000. Arkansas’ largest win during that streak was a 20-point home win during the 1998-99 season.

11.6 - Average margin of victory by the Razorbacks in their 11-game winning streak against LSU from 1992-1997. Arkansas’ largest win during that streak was a 25-point home win during the 1996-97 season.

66.7 - Field goal percentage by senior Fred Gulley in the Razorbacks’ last four games. The guard is 16-for-24 from the floor, including 7-for-10 behind the arc, and is averaging 10.5 points per game over that stretch.

17.3 - Points per game by junior Rashad Madden in SEC play through six games. He has either been first or second on the team in scoring each of the first six conference games Arkansas has played. Against Auburn, Madden scored a career-high 24 points.

26 - Points per game by freshman Jessica Jackson in the Razorbacks’ last three games. She has led the team in scoring each of those games and is shooting 88.9 percent from the free-throw line during that stretch.

50.3 - Average points allowed per game by the Arkansas women’s basketball team. That is the second-best scoring defense in the country, trailing only undefeated No. 1 UConn.

40 - Minutes played by junior Calli Berna against No. 9 Kentucky Sunday. This marked the fifth time Berna has played all 40 minutes in an SEC game this season. In SEC play, she is averaging 38.4 minutes per game.

14 - Events won by Arkansas’ swimming and diving team in its double-dual meet against Clemson and Rice. The No. 23 Razorbacks beat Clemson 230-19 and beat Rice 207-86.

39.475 - All-around score by senior Katherine Grable against No. 7 Alabama Friday. Grable, the No. 1 all-around gymnast in the NCAA, won the vault with a score of 9.950 and the floor with a score of 9.975 enroute to the all-around title against the Crimson Tide.

16 - Days until the Arkansas baseball team’s Opening Day. The Razorbacks open up their season Feb. 14 at 3:05 p.m. against Appalachian State.

TAT: Hogs in the Pros (Jan. 29)

These stats were originally compiled for the January 29, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

NBA

1/21-1/27

Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets

• 3 games, 3 starts
• Averages: 33.3 min., 6 pts., 4.7 reb., 3.3 ast., 0.7 blk., 0.7 stl.

Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

• 4 games, 4 starts
• Averages: 29 min., 9 pts., 3.5 reb., 2 ast., 0.5 stl.

Jannero Pargo, Charlotte Bobcats

• 3 games, 0 starts
• Averages: 19.7 min., 12.3 pts., 0.7 reb., 4 ast., 0.3 stl.

NBA D-League 

Season Stats through 1/27

B.J. Young, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

• 14 games, 0 starts
• Season Averages: 6.3 min., 5.9 pts., 1 reb., 1 ast.
• Last Game: 14 min., 18 pts., 3 reb., 3 ast.

Overseas Basketball

Season Stats

Rotnei Clarke, Wollongong Hawks (Australia)

• 18 games
• Averages: 36.5 min., 20.8 pts., 2.2 reb., 2.9 ast.
• Third-leading scorer in the Australian National Basketball League

Gary Ervin, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)

• 16 games
• Averages: 30.3 min., 16.4 pts., 3.5 reb., 5 ast.
• Australian NBL league-leader in assists per game

Courtney Fortson, Avtodor (Russia)

• 13 games
• Averages: 34.2 min., 14.2 pts., 4.2 reb., 3.6 ast., 2.4 stl.

Marshawn Powell, Ferro-ZNTU (Ukraine)

• 15 games
• Averages: 26.1 min., 14.2 pts., 5.3 reb., 1.8 ast., 0.5 blk., 0.6 stl.

LPGA

Stacy Lewis

• Finished 2nd at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
• One stroke behind the winner
• Shot 69 - 71 - 68 - 66

Greatest Game... Ever?

I graduated from Springdale. Let me get that out of the way right now. I am a Red ‘Dog through and through. Also, like most fans in the 7A West, I hate Bentonville with a burning passion. However, I don’t want those feelings to pollute what I witnessed tonight.

I really hate using words like “best” and “greatest,” especially since I used them after witnessing the Arkansas-Kentucky basketball game just two weeks ago, but the Springdale-Bentonville game rivals any other sporting event I’ve ever attended.

The hype leading up to the game alone was incredible.

Springdale and Bentonville were the two best teams in the 7A West and ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the state, respectively. The Bulldogs were coming off of a game in which Tereke Eckwood scored nine points in a span of 32.7 seconds to beat arch-rival Fayetteville, while the Tigers were coming off of a game in which phenom Malik Monk scored 43 points against Siloam Springs, including making 11-of-12 three-pointers. Monk, the younger brother of former Arkansas football and basketball player Marcus Monk, came into the game as the No. 8 sophomore in the country, according to ESPN.com. Springdale students planned a “monk themed” student section, where they dressed up as monks. Everyone was advised to arrive early to guarantee entry, because the fire marshal would be there to turn away fans once the gym reached capacity.

The day before and the day of the game, I texted a couple of my friends and expressed concerns that it wouldn’t live up to the hype.

I was wrong.

My alma mater came out firing, building a 10- or 12-point lead, before ending the first quarter with an 18-8 lead. Springdale’s D.J. Evans played lockdown defense on Monk and forced him to take contested shots. Monk was 1-of-8 from the field and 0-for-3 from behind the arc in the first.

Like all good teams, Bentonville made a run to begin the second half. A quick 6-0 burst in the first minute and a half cut Springdale’s lead to only four points. The half ended after the Bulldogs held the ball for over a minute and a half and Evans made a layup a few seconds before the buzzer. Springdale led 31-24 and Monk’s struggles continued. He had eight points on 2-of-12 shooting, including 0-for-4 from three-point range, at the break.

The third quarter was almost an exact replica of the first half. The Bulldogs built a 10-point lead in four and a half minutes, but a 6-0 run made it 44-40 Springdale after three quarters. Monk still couldn’t find his shot, but he started attacking the basket and drawing fouls. He had 15 points on just 2-of-16 shooting (0-for-5 from behind the arc), but was 11-for-13 from the free throw line.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Monk got in a groove and, sure enough, he opened up the fourth quarter by knocking down a three at the top of the key, making it a one-point game. The next few minutes are a blur, but the lead changed several times.

By this time, Evans had gotten into foul trouble and Springdale put Chris Owens in charge of guarding Monk. Some people, myself included, worried that he would take over the game, but Owens held his own and played great defense.

With less than five minutes remaining, Owens knocked down a three-pointer to give Springdale a five-point lead. When the Bulldogs got the ball back, Evans, Owens and Eckwood took over, running a perfectly executed game of keep-away. Springdale successfully burned nearly three minutes of game clock on one possession, before head coach Brad Stamps called a timeout.

Bentonville was eventually forced to foul, and after Springdale made 1-of-2 free throws, the ball was back in Monk’s hands. The sophomore proceeded to dribble down the court and soar above everyone, coming down with a monster, posterization, and-one dunk. The free throw made it a three-point game with 1:16 remaining.

Then the lead was one point and Springdale was inbounding the ball. Bentonville forced a turnover and Monk was fouled with around 10 or 15 seconds left. I thought the game was over. He was 14-for-16 up until that point, but he missed the first one. He made his second attempt and I just KNEW the game was going to overtime.

Instead, Eckwood went coast-to-coast and made a layup with about four seconds left in the game. Bentonville inbounded the ball, but Evans intercepted it. Pandemonium. Game over…or was it?

After some discussion, the referees determined 0.8 seconds (eight-tenths of a second) should be put on the clock and Bentonville should get the ball, because Evans went out of bounds with time left.

Everyone in the gym knew who was going to get the ball. Despite having two defenders draped all over him, Monk caught the inbounds pass and heaved a fade-away prayer toward the basket. It went in. Bentonville 57, Springdale 56 – Final.

Monk finished with 27 points. By my count, he was 5-of-23 from the field, 2-of-9 from three-point range and 15-of-18 from the charity stripe. I also recorded six rebounds, four assists, one turnover (only one!), two steals and one blocked shot.

I could sit here and argue that the referees gave Monk a lot of calls or that the game should have been over after Evans’ steal or that there was no way Monk could have caught the ball and gotten a shot off in 0.8 seconds, but as I said before, I want to appreciate what I saw.

Immediately after the game, I sat down, speechless. When I finally left the gym, I drove from Springdale High to my apartment in Fayetteville in complete silence. No music, no sports talk. Nothing. I still can’t wrap my head around it.

Two unbelievable teams with incredible talent played one of the greatest games – maybe THE greatest game – I have ever witnessed in person. I may be only 19 years old, but I have been to thousands of games in my life, so that is saying something (click here if you don't believe me).

When I am old and gray, I will tell my grandchildren about tonight’s game.

Here it is. Monk's game-winning fade-away three pointer with

two guys draped all over him and only 0.8 seconds remaining.

WHS: Gimme 5: Arkansas-Auburn Takeaways

This article originally appeared January 26, 2014 on WholeHogSports.com.

Five key stats from Arkansas' 86-67 win over Auburn.

1. Arkansas’ Assists/FG Made: 21/28

The Razorbacks had 21 assists on 28 made shots during their 86-67 victory over Auburn.

“That’s pretty efficient basketball,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said.

That means Arkansas passed the ball in a way that led to open shots, particularly in the second half, when the Razorbacks made only three shots that weren’t assisted.

“The ball never got stagnant,” senior guard Fred Gulley said. “When someone was open, we hit them.”

Before the Auburn game, Arkansas assisted on just 55.1 percent of its made field goals. The Razorbacks assisted on 75 percent of them against the Tigers, for their highest percentage of the season.

To continue reading, click here.