Predictability on first down
During the telecast of Arkansas’ 41-38 loss to Alabama on Sept. 15, ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge said the Razorbacks did not air the ball out enough on first down. Blackledge would have been disappointed to see Arkansas’ playcalling in the second half of the Razorbacks’ 42-29 loss to No. 21 Kentucky on Saturday.
In nine of the 11 first down-situations Arkansas faced in the final two quarters, the Razorbacks ran the ball. The two during which they decided to pass? They took place with less than a minute to go in the game, when the Razorbacks trailed by 13 points.
It was during that last possession that Arkansas attempted two consecutive passes for the first time all half, a 30-minute span during which it failed to produce an offensive touchdown. The inability to produce points — or move the ball — in the late stages of the game proved to be Arkansas’ downfall against the Wildcats.
11 Responses to “Predictability on first down”
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Nutt needs to GO! He is destroying a great Razorback legend.
All he can do during a need to get first down is bite his fingernails and try to decide what not to do.
He is totally indecisive, will always be a mediocre coach, and on the Peter principle,he is two steps above his abilities.
Coach Broyles will have no legacy if he keeps Nutt(the nut)
I have donated my money since 1980, drive almost 700 miles every weekend to attend games in FV, miss very few bowl games and for the past 10 years have been a faithful supporter of coach Nutt. However, the time has come for him to go. He is a good man but a mediocre coach at best. When he came to the UofA, I honestly thought he would bring a national champtionship to the program but I have been proven wrong. The first step for the new AD should be to begin looking for a new coach. Hopefully, he has already done that.
Well Porkomatic…don’t thing that Jeff Long is going to get rid of Coach Nutt. He has direct ties to the Nutt family and I doubt he will pull the trigger. It’s unfortunate, but true.
Well Westcoast……..Wrong….Jeff Long has no direct ties with the Nutt family. It’s unfortunate, but true.
Think of the season we could have had with all the great AR players we had and lost.Any coach can predict Arkansas plays every game.Last yr. Malzaun was able to mix it up enough to pull Nutts butt out of the fire then Nutt runs him and some of his best players off.Lets run Nutt off before the nation laughs us out of town.
Potheus….thank you for the clarification. i was misinformed. i guess we will see if he does pull the trigger.
I hope the team pulls it together and has a strong finish but regardless of how the season plays out….Nutt has got to go. He is just not SEC caliber and never will be.
Westcoast….No Problem. If he did have those ties it might cause issues. So hopefully he won’t have problems pulling the trigger so to speak. And I agree with Karanoz. I hope the team does pull together and finish strong mainly for D-Mac and Felix….But I unfortunatly have to also agree that it’s time to reload the coaching staff…..
I agree…hopefully they do pull it together. Two “warm-up” games before getting back into SEC play is just what the doctor ordered. With all of the problems so far this year…how amazing are both, McFadden and Jones? I think most would agree that they are the best running back tandem in college football.
I was there in person to witness this latest debacle. An absolutely wretched defensive performance down the stretch. Apparently, our secondary has never been coached to look for the ball when it is in the air. Houston Nutt and his entire coaching staff must eat the crow of blame on this one. It was simply a microcasm of all that is wrong with the Razorback football program; no quality coaching, no field smarts, and no clue how to win a tight battle in the fourth quarter. I’m afraid that Nutt and his staff will cost D-Mac the Heisman, and what a shame that will be for Hog fans. Our all-time greatest stifled by his own coaches. Nutt, Herring, and the boys must go. Time for a house cleaning, Mr. Long.
I think it’s time we stop having McFadden run back kickoffs. We have the greatest kick returner in Arkansas history in Felix Jones, why can’t we give McFadden a break from having to pull double (maybe even triple) duty. Saturday night he returned a kickoff about 30 yards and then on first down was called to run off tackle. Kentucky may not be LSU, but the Wildcats are an SEC team, and they know how to stop a predictable running game. Don’t waste McFadden’s energy on kickoffs, and it’ll pay dividends later in the game, especially on a night when he and Jones were suffering a stomach ailment.