The 6-5 Arkansas Razorbacks have secured bowl eligibility heading into their last SEC game against the 5-6 Missouri Tigers. Mizzou must win this to reach a bowl so the Hogs can expect their best effort.
Here are the three keys to an Arkansas win in Columbia:
1 – Don’t Take Them Lightly
Looking at their record – and the fact that they are sixth in the SEC East, ahead of only Vanderbilt – it would be easy to look past Mizzou. This would be a mistake, as apart from being blown out by Tennessee (back when Tennessee was blowing out everyone), the Tigers have been in every one of their losses until deep into the game. Four of their six losses have come by a score or less, meaning that one or two plays along the way dictated the game’s outcome. Arkansas can’t go into this expecting an opponent that will just roll over.
2 – Keep The Run Going
Playing against Ole Miss does something to Arkansas. The Razorbacks scored 35 points in the first half on Saturday – they were out of sight at the break after going in 35-6 ahead – a year after scoring 37 points in the second half against the Rebels. The running game took over, with Raheim Sanders dominant as Arkansas had 205 yards rushing by half-time. The Hogs finished with 335 yards on the ground, with Sanders blowing up for 232 yards and three touchdowns at an insane 9.7 yards per carry. Just keep giving Sanders the ball.
3 – Attack The Offensive Line
One of the reasons Mizzou hasn’t been able to pull out more wins is the play of its offensive line. Quarterback Brady Cook is capable, while wide receivers Dominic Lovett and Luther Burden are both talented playmakers. However, Mizzou hasn’t been able to protect its quarterback with any level of consistency. This issue has seen them lose games with missed assignments and defensive players simply being more physical than their blockers. Blitzing is the way to go against this unit, getting their players to make decisions and taking advantage of mistakes.
Be the first to comment