Morris wants Hogs to build on victory
After showing steady improvement over the past few weeks, the Arkansas Razorbacks finally broke through for a victory last Saturday, defeating Tulsa 23-0 in Fayetteville, Ark.
The loss snapped a six-game losing streak for Arkansas (2-6, 0-4 SEC) and it was by far the best defensive performance of the season for a team that had surrendered an average of nearly 37 points in its first seven games.
The Razorbacks held Tulsa to 260 total yards and forced a pair of turnovers. Arkansas collected six sacks, including two by junior defensive lineman McTelvin Agim.
“Defensively, I thought we had a really good week of preparation, and the shutout was even better,” coach Chad Morris said. “We stress all the time about putting pressure on the quarterback and getting him off his spot, and we did that this past week. When that happens your back end’s got to hold up, and I thought our back end played very well.”
Arkansas won without junior starting quarterback Ty Storey, who was in concussion protocol after being knocked out of the game on Oct.13 against Ole Miss. True freshman Connor Noland started in place of Storey and completed 10 of 16 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Morris said at his weekly news conference on Monday that Storey is cleared to play Saturday, when the Razorbacks host Vanderbilt in an SEC game.
“He is clear,” Morris said. “He’s great and everything, excited to be back and ready to go.”
Sophomore running back Rakeem Boyd continued to provide consistent production for the Arkansas offense. Boyd rushed for 99 yards on 22 carries and caught three passes for 14 yards.
Now, Morris wants to see his team build on the victory.
“It’s always good to win,” Morris said. “You love winning. But it’s so much about just how you respond. Win or lose, it’s about our response. It’s about us coming back in here tomorrow and getting better. This football team has to continue to improve.”