Gameday Extra

10.01.2022 BEST OF THE WEB Here are some selected comments from the message boards at wholehogsports.com. SOMETIMES THE BETTER TEAM DOESN'T WIN … Hogmodo: Usually outstanding players make mistakes like KJ Jefferson's fumble or Ricky Stromberg's bad snap. Sometimes, when an offensive coordinator has his offense dominating another team they decide to "experiment" with some trickeration that stalls the offense, letting the momentum get away never to get it back. Sometimes, our great pass rush forces their quarterback to throw up a lame duck pass three different times and their great athletes beat our not-as-great defenders to the ball… Our defense played well enough to win. Our offense had a bad game. We still could have won but our future All-SEC kicker barely missed a critical field goal. Sometimes that happens at a really bad time and it should never have come down to that. If our offense plays anywhere close to its usual level of competence, we win by 10. PS: Maybe that will happen the other way this weekend and we will be the one who beats a better team. bobghawg: The best TEAM always wins, the best players sometimes do not. youdaman: Plenty of times the best TEAM beats themselves so the inferior team didn't have to. (That) happened Saturday. I think we beat Texas A&M nine out of 10 times but we made it easy for them to win by making critical, game-altering mistakes. hawgcotton: Best prepared teams win most often but we will see if we can fix the turnovers, lack of tacking, getting away from what works play calling, having the defense get some turnovers, etc. And, do it against the benchmark of college football for past 15 years. So you say we have a chance? Yes, we do. But it will take the greatest performance by players and coaching staff to do it. wizardofhogz: Two things particularly sting about (the) loss to A&M. One is that it was obvious that the better team (Arkansas) did not win. Not that that team played better in the game. But it was clear that if we just played straight-forward football (without some of the odd choices that were made) we not only win, we dominate. Second thing is that this exact type of loss is what has characterized the recent period of futility against the Aggies. With only a couple of exceptions, all of the games in the series have been very competitive, despite the 1-10 record in the last 11 games. And not only "might" Arkansas have won several of those games, they should … have won several. Four or five, for sure. And in those games, it was the same script…Arkansas finding a way to lose rather than A&M winning. docestes2: Unfortunately, the Aggies seem to have replaced the 'Horns as the team that just seems to have our number, no matter what. bushhog: I live in Austin with many Aggie friends. Just got back from church where I congratulated many. Almost all say they were lucky and do not want to play us again. Said we are really good. I still sting from loss and agree we hurt ourselves. So proud where program has come back though. A little over two years ago were coming off back-to-back 2-10 (seasons). And now we were a couple in inches from a field goal and 4-0 and maybe close to top 5. WHAT ARE ARKANSAS' CHANCES AGAINST ALABAMA? armyhog: We might get beat by 'Bama, but they know our Hogs will fight until the end of the game. There will not be a four-game skid. youdaman: I think (Alabama) will come in here ready to prove last year was a game we just caught them by surprise and they weren't ready for it. We have had their full attention now for a year they will be very prepared and motivated…They are light years better than A&M on defense in their quarterback's in a different world altogether… bikehog23: This "reaching" for the end zone almost cost KJ possession in an earlier game. It did cost Missouri the game against Auburn. There is no need for it unless it is a 4th down situation. There's just too much risk of fumbling. We have had several players do it this year. In all the cases I can recall, all would have scored without the reach. MattJones: Unless the ball hits the ground a lot, I think the tackling and pass coverage problems are going to be hard to overcome against a team like Alabama. WHAT IF CAM LITTLE MADE THE FIELD GOAL? rayzobackerii: if Cam had made it, there was plenty of time and big plays in the Gaggies to probably get in position for their own FG. Max Johnson seemed to have a flow to his game that would have succeeded. I did think that our pass rush had gotten better later in the game but his tackle-breaking scrambles and talented wide receivers just made me worry about the minute-plus left on the clock. goldsurfer: I'll just say the game wasn't over if Cam had made it…Games these days aren't over when a team takes a lead inside of 30 seconds. bikehog23: No doubt in my mind — A&M wouldn't get across mid-field. nlrbuzzard: The better theoretical question is whether the Aggies would have had enough time to do anything if we had not had the bad snap on second and five shortly before the field goal. Their defense was reeling and we had two downs to make five yards. Make that first down and you either end up with a short field goal or you end up scoring the TD with the Aggies with little time and maybe no time outs when they get the ball back. pavlovhog1: Of all the bad plays or non- plays of the game, the uncharacteristic bad snap by Stromberg was the defining play of the game in my (usually worthless) opinion. We could have run down the clock and either scored a TD or kicked a makeable FG. The Aggies would have little time to score. The saddest sight I saw the entire game was a shot of Stromberg with a towel over his head and tears streaming down his face. No one felt as bad as he did. WHO DOES KJ JEFFERSON REMIND YOU OF? hogmaestro: One QB I admired as a kid — so much so that I even loved the team (though I probably loved the helmet and the nickname Vikings even more) — was Joe Kapp. KJ reminds me of him. Just pure, distilled grit. A leader. Made whatever play was needed. Nothing especially aesthetically beautiful — unless you think seeing your QB run over folks is beautiful, which I do. adgebg: It fits. You couldn't pay him a higher compliment. Kapp really was the very epitome of grit. neastarkie: I haven't thought about Joe Kapp in ages, but he was one tough QB. If I recall correctly, he was the coach for the Cal football team that beat Stanford on that incredible play where the Stanford band came onto the field thinking the game was over. Late 80's, I think. nlrbuzzard: KJ actually reminds me more of Byron Leftwich when he was in college at Marshall, both physically and in attitude. PREDICTING THE SCORE OF SATURDAY'S GAME … LoudLoyd: I think we follow the Texas A&M model from 2021: Lose a heart breaker in Dallas, come home the next game and beat 'Bama. Arkansas 20, Alabama 17. Redemption for Cam Little. eaglehog5: Crimson 42, Cardinal 17. hawgindaslough: 'Bama 45, Arkansas 31. hogmaestro: IF we beat 'Bama, we will have to score lots. Which we could do. Our offense is that good if KJ gets hot with his arm. My optimistic self says Hogs 31, 'Bama 30. Little hits a last-second 42-yarder. hogbacker: 31-27, Hogs. We're overdue. I got nothing else to back up my prediction. Snout: Had we beaten A&M I would have picked us this week. But we didn't and we did not look like a high calibre team for over half the game So, UA 24, Bammy 38. neastarkie: Going with my head instead of my heart. 'Bama 45, Hogs 28. gentryrzrbk: 'Bama 55, Hogs 17. We can't handle their passing attack. lilhawg: We'll give it our best, but it won't be enough. 'Bama 38-22. dghog: Bammer 49, Hogs 24. Secondary will be pierced easily and often, sad to say. georgiahawg: Heard Trey Biddy said it was foolish or something similar to pick Arkansas and he is right. So I am a fool. Arkansas 27, 'Bama 24. Look at some away games for 'Bama with Bryce Young at quarterback. Beat Texas by 1. Beat Auburn by 2. Lost to A&M by 3. Beat Florida by 2. This game is not in Alabama or on a neutral field. The crowd and defensive line can get to him. white25: TAMU hangover. Tide 39, Arkansas 12. dogen: Big win, Little redemption. Hogs, 30-27. FANS MAKE THE BEST OF A TOUGH LOSS WHILE WONDERING IF THE RAZORBACKS STAND A CHANCE AGAINST MIGHTY ALABAMA. returns, 12 fumble returns, 8 kickoff returns, 20 punt returns and 10 blocked punt returns. Alabama players practice scoring aer forcing a turnover and their amazing play-making ability shines in the return game. Eight of those touchdowns have come against Arkansas in the Saban era, including two years ago when Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith returned a punt 84 yards to break a 3-3 tie late in the first quarter. Alabama has scored at least one non-offensive touchdown in its last three games in Fayetteville. Shyheim Carter returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown in 2018, and Tim Williams returned a fumble 23 yards and Minkah Fitzpatrick had a 100-yard interception return during the Tide's 49-30 victory in 2016. Against Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago, Alabama scored three touchdowns on defense and special teams. Anderson had a 25-yard interception return, Malachi Moore returned a blocked punt 3 yards and Brian Branch returned a punt 68 yards. If the past two weeks are any indication, Alabama will have an opportunity for a return touchdown. Arkansas fumbled a combined nine times in games against Missouri State and Texas A&M, and lost three. Turnovers hurt bad enough against the Crimson Tide, and the Razorbacks saw firsthand last week how quickly a defensive touchdown can change a game. It is imperative that Arkansas' offensive players and specialists give the Razorbacks' defense a chance to keep Alabama out of the end zone. LOCATING ANDERSON Pro Football Focus analytics show Alabama's Anderson has played all 140 of his snaps on the Crimson Tide's defensive line. But that doesn't even begin to tell the story of his usage. e 6-4, 243-pound edge is one of college football's true game-wrecking players on defense, and Alabama's defensive staff utilizes him as such. Anderson already has 20 tackles, 7.5 for lost yardage, and 4.5 sacks to his credit despite sitting out several series in the Tide's blow-out victories. He has also intercepted a pass and blocked a kick. ere are few plays on the field he cannot make. "He's right where he was last year," Pittman said. "You have to have a plan for him. You have to look out there and go, 'OK, who can change the game on both sides of the ball?' You have to try to eliminate them as much as you can with your schematics or double teaming him, whatever it may be. "I mean, he's taken over a couple of their games defensively. ey've got a bunch of good players on defense, their D-line too, but he sticks out still." Anderson's defensive alignment changes constantly. If he lines up across from the le or right tackle, it does not necessarily mean he is crashing the line of scrimmage from that side. Against Arkansas last season, the Crimson Tide oen had Anderson loop around his own defensive linemen on exotic blitzes to create confusion for offensive fronts. Expect more of that Saturday to take advantage of his supreme athleticism and nose for the football. "It's been fun," Anderson said of moving to various spots up front. "You have to give all the credit to the coaching staff for helping me get lined up in different places to either help others make plays or I can make plays myself. I'm looking to the rest of the season to see what (the coaches) have in store." GET TO YOUNG Young, last year's Heisman winner, is performing as well as any quarterback in the country this season when Alabama's offensive line provides a clean pocket. According to PFF, he has completed 72 of 95 (75.8%) passes in those instances. e result? Eleven touchdown passes and 902 yards. On nearly three-fourths of his dropbacks, Young has had ample time to scan the field and search for a target. But when opponents have been able to apply pressure and place him under duress, his numbers slide considerably — 11 of 26 (42.3%) for 126 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Arkansas' defense is far more equipped to knock Young off his spot than last season, when he set Alabama's single-game record for passing yards. e Razorbacks have five players, according to PFF, with at least 10 quarterback pressures. Sanders, the former Alabama linebacker, leads the way with 18, including 11 hurries. Little Rock native Zach Williams is second with 15. If Arkansas is unable to get to Young, it could be in for a long aernoon, and he will likely exploit the middle of the Razorbacks' defense, which is what Young prefers. Per PFF data, he has completed 37 of 46 passes to the middle of the field, including 19 of 20 on intermediate passes of 10 to 19 yards. "It's really going to be a crucial part of the game," Arkansas defensive end Jordan Domineck said. "ey're more of a throwing team now, especially on first and second down. at's what our goal is, to get to him, disrupt him and get in his face." JADON HASELWOOD Largely on account of the closeness of the game in the fourth quarter and the fact that former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was back on a sideline in Fayetteville, the Oklahoma transfer's play against Missouri State was overlooked. Haselwood finished with a career-best 86 receiving yards in the 38-27 victory and his second touchdown of the season on a 38-yard pass from quarterback KJ Jefferson. He then followed it up by leading Arkansas in receiving in the narrow loss to Texas A&M. e redshirt junior has been consistent the last three weeks, bringing in five passes each game. And he has been a safety net of sorts for Jefferson, who has targeted Haselwood a team- high 24 times. e Razorbacks' offense could benefit tremendously from another productive performance. Haselwood, in his career, has 16 grabs for 186 yards against AP-ranked opponents. Twice at Oklahoma he faced AP top-5 teams and totaled 5 catches for 71 yards. Arkansas may need that type of play Saturday aernoon — with a touchdown or two — to remain competitive against the country's No. 6 pass defense. "I think he's been pretty solid all year," Pittman said. "You know, maybe his leadership is probably a little bit better than what it was at the beginning, which was really good anyway. I think Haselwood's been probably the most consistent of those guys. "But I will say this: He's a leader now. He's tough, and he's a leader. I love the kid." Now would be an ideal time for Haselwood to establish that he is the Alpha at receiver. FINISHING DRIVES Arkansas' offense ranks 102nd nationally in red-zone succes at 76.5%. e Razorbacks have come away empty-handed inside their opponent's 3-yard line twice in the past two weeks. Running back Raheim Sanders fumbled at the goal line against Missouri State and the Bears converted the turnover into a field goal. Last week's game against Texas A&M changed when Jefferson was stripped as tried to leap over the line of scrimmage from the 3 and the Aggies returned the fumble for a touchdown. Arkansas has scored in 13 of 17 in red-zone trips this season, including 11 touchdowns. Jefferson was stopped on a fourth-and-1 keeper against South Carolina and kicker Cam Little missed a field goal at the end of the Texas A&M game. Alabama ranks 20th in red-zone offense and defense. Offensively, the Crimson Tide have a 95% success rate inside the red zone, with 16 touchdowns and kicked 3 field goals in 20 red-zone attempts. e defense has allowed 2 touchdowns and 3 field goals in 7 red-zone attempts by the opposition. Alabama's 28.6% rate of red-zone trips without allowing a touchdown is fih- best nationally. KICKERS e last two teams to beat Alabama in the regular season — Auburn in 2019 and Texas A&M last year — kicked multiple field goals and won by three points on their home field. Little, a Freshman All- American last season, has the potential to be as good as Auburn's Anders Carlson and Texas A&M's Seth Small, but has to shake any doubts that might stem from his 0-for-2 start to SEC play. Little missed a 50-yard attempt against South Carolina and missed the potential game winner that bounced off the upright with 1:30 remaining last week against the Aggies. Alabama's Will Reichard silenced the big Texas crowd with a 33-yard game winner with 10 seconds remaining. Reichard has made all six of his field-goal attempts this season, with a long of 52 yards against the Longhorns. Keys n Continued from Page 2 NOW HIRING QUALIFIED THERAPISTS & ESTHETICIANS Thanks for voting us the Best of the Best! FAYETTEVILLE 3557 North Shiloh Drive 479-571-3689 ROGERS 2603 W Pleasant Grove Rd 479-633-8340 Monday-Saturday 8 am-8 pm | Sunday 10 am-8 pm *Offer valid for first-time guests only. All session times include a total of 10 minutes of time for consultation and dressing, which occurs pre and post-service. Additional taxes and fees may apply. Each location is independently owned and operated. ©2021 ME SPE Franchising, LLC. All rights reserved. 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