The Arkansas Razorbacks are winding down a lost and miserable season, but through the darkness and the feelings of inadequacy, say this much for the Razorbacks: They are continuing to play hard for their first-year head coach.
By Matt Zemek
This has been a disaster for Chad Morris, but not a complete disaster: At least his players still go to the wall for him. That is a building block a coach requires at the start of his tenure. That is something the program can point to as a source of hope for 2019. However, it’s just about the only source of hope at this point. When “but they’re playing hard!” is one of the foremost compliments that can be paid to a team the week before Thanksgiving, the outlook must be bleak. It’s like a patronizing pat on the head, and it can feel like an insult… but it is not meant to be one. At least that exists.
Arkansas now turns from its close loss against LSU to its next game against Mississippi State. The Razorbacks sorely need to bag an actual SEC win to leave this season feeling better about it. MSU won’t be easy, but in the same breath, this is not a team which is untouchable for the Hogs. The Bulldogs have handled Auburn and Texas A&M at home, but Auburn and A&M haven’t been very good this season. Arkansas has played LSU close. It has played A&M close. It has scored 31 points against Alabama. This does not strike a neutral observer as a game in which Arkansas has zero chance at kickoff time. This can become a close contest, and even a win, if Arkansas can play its cards right.
1 – DON’T PASS UP THE CHANCE
The fact that LSU got shut out by Alabama two weeks ago showed what many already knew: LSU did not have the passing game to threaten Alabama’s defense. This is not Alabama’s best defense. No one would dare tell you this is the best defense Nick Saban has. Yet, it shut out LSU…
… and then it shut out Mississippi State.
Yes, MSU should have scored a touchdown before halftime against Alabama, and the refs took it away with a bad call, but that would have given the Bulldogs only seven points. They made a similarly nonexistent imprint on Bama’s defense. They could not throw the ball in ways which did damage.
Defeating Mississippi State is achieved by forcing the Bulldogs to throw and generating a pass rush against a suspect offensive line. It has been true nearly all season. Arkansas has to find that formula.
2 – BASIC PLAYS
The Razorbacks’ season was epitomized in their Football Follies moment against LSU on Saturday. A basic starting point for the Hogs is to weed out those slip-on-the-banana-peel moments and play a 60-minute game without making really bad giveaways. We can talk about scoring points on amazing plays and doing spectacular things, but the Hogs must first avoid handing Mississippi State free yards and points. A no-giveaway performance on Saturday gives Arkansas a real chance.
3 – DELIGHTFUL D-LINE
The MSU offensive line is the weak point of the Bulldogs’ roster. The Arkansas defensive line has to deliver one of its best performances of the season.
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