Time for Hogs to Move Forward/ Rutgers Prediction

Despite a horrific start, the Razorbacks have a chance to get on track and have a meaningful season. Let’s face it. The season couldn’t have started out much worse, considering the Hogs started ranked in the top 10. Coming off an eleven-win season that was good enough for a top five finish, and returning the conference’s best QB/RB tandem, a 1-2 start was the last thing on the mind of players and fans.

Well, the reality is the Hogs are 1-2, and a loss today could send the team into a tailspin from which it may not recover. A win today could put the Hogs in a familiar position: going into SEC play down a game. The Razorbacks have started conference play with a loss since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, so the Hogs are in the same position as they were last season as far as conference aspirations are concerned. The Louisiana-Monroe loss did kill Arkansas’ national title hopes, but a run like the Hogs have put together the last several years down the stretch could end the season on a respectable note.

Granted, the entire team will have to play better to make that happen, but the team returns its unquestioned leader Tyler Wilson today. The Razorbacks have been a completely different team with Wilson at QB this year. He gives them a chance to beat any team in the country just by stepping on the field.

My picks have been more hopeful than accurate so far this season, so I’m going to try to turn it around today and be realistic. The Razorbacks will be a much better offense with Wilson at QB, but anything is better than 0. This isn’t a mid-major defense the Hogs are facing today. The Scarlet Knights are ranked in the top 10 in most defensive categories, but face their first real test today.

It will be hard for Rutgers to dominate on their first ever trip to Fayetteville, and the Hogs should have a chip on their shoulder today. There has been nothing but negative attention surrounding the team the last few weeks, and I’m sure they are ready to get that bad taste out of their mouths. Hogs win, but not in a blowout.

Arkansas 31

Rutgers   24

Louisiana-Monroe Game may Provide Glimse of Arkansas’ Success

When Arkansas plays Louisiana-Monroe Saturday in Little Rock, it will be the end of a one-of-a-kind agreement between the two schools. The Razorbacks have let their foe from the south play as the home team in the Hog’s home venue in an attempt for the Warhawks to retain their FBS status. This was agreed to after the NCAA adopted a rule requiring a minimum attendance mark for the distinction.

The Last time the two teams met in 2010, Arkansas was in a similar situation. Expectations were high. The hope was for Arkansas to finally get over the hump against Alabama, and put together a run for a national title. The Hog’s even had a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. Sound familiar?

Well, all these things are true again for the Hogs this season, and an early test against Louisiana-Monroe will again attempt to prepare the team for a grueling battle against the Crimson Tide. The Warhawks, as they did in 2010, play a very aggressive defensive scheme. They blitz up to 70% of the time, according to Arkansas’ Offensive Coordinator, Paul Petrino.  This sort of “all or nothing” approach will force the Hogs to make big plays against the pressure, or face having a tough time achieving offensive success. Ryan Mallett and company struggled against such pressure in the 2010 season meeting with Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks caused the offense so many problems the score was only 7-0 late in the third quarter, before the Hogs pulled away in the fourth.  Those mistakes proved as foreshadowing for the Alabama game a few weeks later, when the Hog’s slinger threw 2 interceptions late in his own territory.

Granted, Tyler Wilson is more mobile than Ryan Mallett, and therefore better against the blitz. Wilson completed right at 63% of his passes against the Tide and Bayou Bengals last year, even though he faced immense pressure in both games and was knocked down several times. Wilson has proven he can get the ball out accurately against pressure. It will be up to Arkansas’ receiving core to make things happen once they catch the ball this season. That is something three NFL bound receivers could not do last season against Alabama or LSU. More importantly, the Hogs will have to gain more than a combined 64 yards rushing against the two teams this year to meet their goals.

The Hogs should have some success offensively against Louisiana-Monroe. They will certainly not lose the game even if they do not. Even without the threat of losing, the game will provide us with a barometer of sorts on how the Hog’s will handle pressure early this season, and hopefully show us why Tyler Wilson may be able to do what Ryan Mallett could not: Beat Alabama, and Nick Saban. In Mallett’s defense, he did get it figured out against LSU and took the Hogs to their first ever BCS Bowl. He always played well against LSU and would have beaten them twice if not for late kicking and defensive struggles in Baton Rouge in 2009.

Pay close attention to the offensive line’s play, and how the offense looks against the blitz. Those are two major areas that must be much improved from last year for the Hogs to win the SEC. The Hogs need to get some questions answered tomorrow in Little Rock.

Jacskonville State Prediction

We are going to post our best educated guess for each game’s outcome this season. Today Jack Crowe returns to Fayetteville. Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis finally get to take the field together as starters, and our defense gets to show all the progress they have made since the Cotton Bowl. I look for a huge first half explosion from the Hogs and several reserves to get their reps. Knile Davis will have a big day and Tyler Wilson will look sharp. I’m not looking for a shutout, but I do think the defense will play well.

 

Arkansas 44          Jacksonville State 13

5 Reasons Arkansas Will Beat Alabama This Year

Finally, it is game week and football is here! I’m going to skip doing a breakdown on the Jacksonville State game. No dis-respect to the Gamecocks, but something has been killing me lately and it is about time I make my point. Hardly anyone in the media is giving us a chance against Alabama this season. Given, the Tide has owned us the last several years, but there are some glaring differences in the upcoming September 15^th match-up and last year’s game. In fact, here are five good reasons I think could make the difference this year.

1.     THE RETURN OF KNILE DAVIS

Obviously anytime you can bring back the SEC’s leading rusher, it is a good thing. Davis led the league in rushing in 2010 with 1322 yards, and this was mostly achieved in the last 6 games. Anyone who watched the Razorbacks at the end of that season recognized a difference in Arkansas’ offense with a home-run threat in the backfield: something that the Hogs had lacked since Darren McFadden and Felix Jones’ departures. Davis is a real threat to take it to the house on any carry, which will make it harder for the Tide to key in on Tyler Wilson and the Razorback’s passing game. If the offensive line blocks well, the combination is unstoppable in theory.

2.      THE GAME IS IN FAYETTTEVILLE

The last time that Alabama came to Razorback Stadium they were, in my opinion, dominated by Arkansas for the first 3 quarters. The lack of emergence of a go-to running back, and 2 costly turnovers by Ryan Mallett in his own territory are what led to the win by Alabama. If you listen to the media, they act like we haven’t competed with Alabama for years and that is not true. Many of these same players were on that 2010 team who just fell short. This year’s game should be a lot different than last year’s. It’s hard to ignore how unstoppable Tyler Wilson was at home last season, and that was without a threatening run game. I’m sure Knile Davis would love to replay the 2010 game and get about 10 carries in the fourth quarter alone. Simply taking the ball out of the air and controlling the clock would have given the Hogs the big win they were looking for. This season, look for a healthy dose of Knile Davis, especially if we have a lead in the second half.

3.     ALABAMA IS RETURNING ONLY 4 STARTERS ON DEFENSE

Returning only 4 starters on defense is a challenge for any team. Granted, Nick Saban rarely has a lot of drop-off on that side of the ball. His defense has been in the top 6 in the country since his arrival to Tuscaloosa in 2008, but the Tide have to face Tyler Wilson and the SEC’s top passing attack in only the third game of the season. Chances are, some new faces will make mistakes and hesitate at least enough for the passing game to be effective. Also, Knile Davis will be adding a dimension to Arkansas’ offense that Alabama has not had to deal with since the Hogs started leading the division in passing.

4.     NEW WIDE RECIEVERS

A lot of experts have made a big deal about Arkansas losing 3 key receivers to the NFL. That is a fact that cannot be ignored, and that elite group will be missed. I just don’t think we are going to have much of a decline in the passing game without them. Naturally the reaction is to expect such with a team losing so much, but the Hogs are loaded at the position with talent. Now that the depth chart has been released you can also see that Cobi Hamilton is now Arkansas’ shortest starting wide-out. This is a drastic change from years past with the smaller type receivers that we have had. Players like Mekale McKay and Brandon Mitchell will add the jump ball dimension we have been lacking since Greg Childs injury 2 years ago.

5.     BIG PLAYS MADE THE DIFFERENCE LAST SEASON

From a general perspective it seemed that Alabama dominated from start to finish in last year’s game, but further investigation reveals some hope for this year. Alabama scored on 3 non-offensive touchdowns in that game last season, including the fake punt that seemed to change the games tone. Without the crazy plays the game was 17-14, a completely different story. My point is, even without us ever getting into a rhythm and being able to run the ball we still put up 14 points at their place. Add Knile Davis, a home-field advantage, the tide’s inexperience on defense, and taller receivers giving Wilson more confidence in the red zone and I think the hogs have a great chance to beat Saban and pave the way for a championship season.

No injuries in Davis’ first contact

Arkansas running back Knile Davis finally received the go-ahead to be tackled to the ground from Coach John L. Smith, earlier this week. Davis has been held out of contact drills since breaking his ankle last August. While the scrimmage was closed to the public, a few tweets after the game give Hog fans insight to their most pressing questions. Here is the Slophouse report.

Recapping the Razorbacks’ mock game, via Twitter | The Slophouse.

Knile Davis will face contact in scrimmage

John L. Smith has finally told the media when Knile Davis will be tackled for the first time: this Friday during a scrimmage. Davis hasn’t been thru any contact since he broke his ankle just over a year ago in preseason drills. Davis led the SEC in rushing the season prior to his injury, and Davis feels like he will do the same this season. Knile is the real-deal all-around running back. He has power, balnce, vision, super breakaway speed, and is also a good blocker. Add that to the fact that he and Tyler Wilson are very experienced and it seems that Knile is primed to reach his goals. The offensive line should be much improved from last season, as far as experience and depth are concerned. It dosen’t hurt that Arkansas has a feared passing attack too. I’m sure everyone will be eagerly waiting to find out how Knile does.

Arkansas Razorbacks Knile Davis to face contact in scrimmage – ESPN.

Power Rankings: No. 11 Arkansas – SEC Blog – ESPN

ESPN has been going through their preseason power rankings. We dropped in at #11. The general belief is that our defensive play will determine the level of our success this season. One writer even said he likes our chances at the national title, with Alabama and LSU playing in Fayetteville. Knile Davis even gives his take.  Here is the video.

Power Rankings: No. 11 Arkansas – SEC Blog – ESPN.

Alabama, LSU games sold out | The Slophouse

It looks like fans are excited for the upcoming season, even without former coach Bobby Petrino. Ticket sales are at an all-time high, and why not? Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis should be one of the best backfield combinations in college football history. Here is some info from Matt Jones on how good sales have been.

Alabama, LSU games sold out | The Slophouse.

Football Season is Around the Corner

Wtih the Arkansas Razorback Football team’s season opener just over a month away, its time to get revved-up for a big season. If your like most Arkansas fans you are counting days until the season opens, and looking for every tidbit of information you can to keep you going through the long summer. After a nice long vacation it is time to dig into the storylines of the fall. What are expectations for the Razorbacks this season? Who will be the next Razorback coach? Does success on the field equal an extension for John L.? Can the Hogs finally beat Alabama and Nick Saban? Will Knile Davis and Tyler Wilson be the best 1-2 punch in the nation? Can the Hogs defense step-up enough for them to win the west?

Well wonder no longer Razorback fans. At WeArePigSooie we will be jumping all over these topics as they develop throughout the fall. Hopefully you caught Arkansas coach John L. Smith on ESPN today, and make sure you look for Knile Davis and Tyler Wilson tomorrow. There is no doubt that the rest of the country is interested in how the Hogs will perform post Bobby Petrino, and will all be watching this fall. The players think we find a way to get over the hump and win the SEC this season, and who am I to argue with them. If they are right, we will be talking about this team for a long time.

Thanks for visiting the blog this summer and look no further for non-stop coverage once camp starts this fall. Until then we will be discussing how Arkansas stacks-up going into the season against the rest of the SEC.

Football: Davis To Stay At Arkansas For 2012 Season? | Arkansas News

Football: Davis To Stay At Arkansas For 2012 Season? | Arkansas News.