The Arkansas Razorbacks did not beat a very good opponent in Week 8. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane have been bad throughout the season and show no tangible signs of improving. Tulsa put up a good fight for two and a half quarters against Houston a few weeks ago but then unraveled.
By Matt Zemek
The Golden Hurricane similarly collapsed against South Florida in the fourth quarter. Tulsa is not what it used to be, and for that reason, Hog fans can’t think that their team is turning the corner. It will take more than that to offer signs of a true transformation.
Winning an SEC game would offer a better indication that this team is moving forward under Chad Morris and embattled defensive coordinator John Chavis. Let’s see if this team can figure out Vanderbilt at home and bag the win which eluded the Razorbacks against Ole Miss earlier in October. That would be a sorely needed source of satisfaction with the season almost in November.
1 – STAY MAD
The impressive part about the shutout of Tulsa was the fact that even though the win-loss outcome had clearly been decided in the fourth quarter – the Hogs knew they were going to win the game – they didn’t relent. They wanted that shutout. They pursued it. They got it. That is the hunger which this team needs every week. You have seen Arkansas play well for one or one and a half or occasionally two quarters, but very rarely anything more than that. Bursts of good play give way to long stretches of mediocrity or paralysis or both. Arkansas’ defense competed well against Tulsa. Vanderbilt has better athletes and overall talent, but if the fire in the gut can burn for 60 minutes, the Hogs can serve up a “hot pork belly” victory sandwich against the Commodores. Get mad, stay mad.
2 – TIPPING POINT
The Kentucky Wildcats are better than Arkansas this season… but not necessarily by a large margin, given the way UK’s offense is stumbling and bumbling. The Wildcats have won because their defense is really good and opposing SEC quarterbacks have struggled against them. Why mention Kentucky in an Arkansas-Vanderbilt game key? Because Kentucky just played Vanderbilt, and did not play well on offense. The Cats once again slogged through that game with very little precision or verve on offense. It was all up to the defense to save the day.
When the Kentucky defense needed to step up against Vanderbilt, it did, stopping a drive which began at the UK 40 after a Wildcat fumble, and later causing a takeaway when VU was in scoring position in the fourth quarter.
Chances are the UA defense will need to make those kinds of tipping-point responses to pressure. This is how the previous weeks of frustration can be turned into a positive lesson this week. If Arkansas can make life hard for the VU offense, the Dores might cough up the big gift.
3 – GAME PRESSURE
The Arkansas offense did not operate under stress in the fourth quarter, but we have seen this offense repeatedly fail to close the sale late in a close game. That’s something this unit needs to achieve before the season ends. Saturday might offer that very opportunity for Ty Storey and Company.
Be the first to comment