The Razorbacks didn’t have enough to beat No. 1 Alabama last week despite a 400-yard passing day from Austin Allen. And while things get a little easier this week, that’s only because Ole Miss happens to enter the week ranked only in the teens rather than atop the polls.
While there’s a natural worry about a letdown following the lost opportunity against a No. 1 team, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema doesn’t expect that to be a factor in game week preparations.
“I think to the outside world, that’s probably a very easy question to ask, but if you’re in the locker room with our guys, it’s something never that never really comes up,” Bielema said. “They play very, very hard. They’re locked in. They understand — they had high expectations, and when you lose, you’re going to have a high feeling of disappointment, so that’s a good thing. But we definitely don’t have time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves.”
There’s no time for that because there’s a lot that needs correcting. Ole Miss is yet another ranked team with a mobile quarterback who will require the Razorbacks to fix some chronic issues that have plagued the squad all season.
The ability to contain at the edges was absent from the defense through much of the loss to Alabama as well as its September loss to Texas A&M, and Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly is more than capable of breaking out wide to extend the play and pick up yardage given a small area of daylight.
At 0-2 in the SEC West, it’s apparent that the Razorbacks dreams of an SEC championship are all but over. Still, there’s a lot to play for this weekend, and losses to Texas A&M and Alabama hardly make the Razorbacks unique.
“Obviously to win the SEC West after an 0-2 start, we’re going to need help along the way, but I don’t know if our guys were in that frame of mind [against Alabama] as much as ‘let’s just take advantage of the opportunity that’s in front of us,’” Bielema said after the loss to Alabama. “We’re a 4-2 team that lost to the No. 1 team in the country and did enough things to make that happen, but we’ve got to correct the negatives for us to move forward on positives.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Austin Allen threw for 400 yards, had three touchdown passes and three interceptions, and was sacked six times. He continues to impress as the Arkansas quarterbacks, but getting him protection is key to keeping the offense on the field and cutting down on the miscues.
–WR Jared Cornelius went over 100 receiving yards for the third week in a row in the loss to Alabama. He had five catches for a career-high 146 yards against the Crimson Tide.
–RB Devwah Whaley had just five carries against Alabama. He’s shown a lot of potential, and will see snaps alongside Rawleigh Williams, but his blocking remains a concern and he’s not yet a big part of the passing game.
–TE Jeremy Sprinkle had three catches for 37 yards and a score last week. He’s one of the top tight ends in the country, but Arkansas hasn’t always found it easy to get him the ball thus far in 2016.
–DT Taiwan Johnson is coming off a strong game against Alabama. He had one tackle for a loss and was solid in winning his battle at the line.