Last week I couldn't even think of anything that might hold your attention for more than five seconds.
I've got a few thoughts this week though.
I've got a few thoughts this week though.
- This season feels almost identical to last season, so far. And that's good news in a way, because last year they did get it turned around and the final product was what we all called a successful season. Personally, I think they're on track to do it again as long as they don't quit. As I said in another thread, Bret Bielema had a knack for getting them up time and time again after terrible losses in his first two years. The concern is that his message grows stale and they just quit. Hopefully that's not the case. It's always easy to call the next game the most important game to date, because it is. But boy, this Tennessee game is huge. The loser of this game will probably be too far gone, in my opinion. It's absolutely a must-win for both.
- The bad news is the obvious: So much more was expected out of this team. Even with the injuries, no one predicted a 1-3 start. Sources even told me all summer, "We should be 5-0 heading into Alabama," so I'm sure they're just as surprised and probably more than all of us. My advice, although no one asked for it, is to not quit on the team. There are still 8 games left and if they keep going to work, it'll turn eventually. Just like last year. I know fans didn't want another 6 or 7-win season out of this team, but considering where they're at right now, you'd definitely take it.
- Drew Morgan is quickly becoming a fan favorite. His performances as of late -- especially Saturday's 8 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown -- are enough for him to draw a lot of praise, but I think more than anything fans can watch him and tell how hard he's playing. I don't mind saying it, Drew isn't just confident, he's downright arrogant when it comes to competition. Off the field, great guy. On the field, he doesn't mind letting you know about the plays he's making. And if the talking reaches a certain point, he doesn't mind fighting you. I think he's learned to use all of that on-the-field arrogance in the right way, but the tools have always been there.
- I've told it many times before, but when he was a senior we had high school coaches telling us, "Altee Tenpenny is the best running back in the state, Austin Allen is the best quarterback, Hunter Henry is the best tight end, Brooks Ellis is the best defensive player ... but Drew Morgan is the best football player in the state." He's always had the tools and it's good to see him stepping up this year. What a game he had Saturday night.
- Rawleigh Williams is beginning to turn the corner now, and that's good news because Alex Collins has rushed it 54 times in the last two weeks. Collins may have had bigger rushing totals in the past -- I don't know without looking it up -- but I think Saturday's game against A&M was the best I'd ever seen him play. Am I alone in thinking he's running harder the last two weeks? It certainly seems that way, and it's obviously allowed him to gain 321 rushing yards in the last two games combined. The thing that sticks out to me about Williams is how he finishes runs. He's got those thick legs and he keeps them going after contact. It's still new to him, but it's pretty obvious he's on his way to becoming Arkansas' next guy at that position.
- This is one of those seasons where it's hard to focus in on too many individual positives, because the bottom line reads 1-3. I get it, but Jeremiah Ledbetter has been the real deal since the day he stepped on campus. He's currently second in tackles with 22 and has 3.5 behind the line this year. There aren't a ton of huge, impressive stats to be found on defense through the first four games, but if you watch Ledbetter play he does a lot of things that don't show up in the stat column. He's been very impressive.
- While I'm talking about defensive linemen -- and I tweeted this during the game -- Karl Roesler never gets any publicity but he's one of the best players they've got on defense. They obviously haven't gotten to the quarterback very much this season, but his one sack is tied for the team lead. He's also third on the team in tackles for loss with 2.5. As I said on Twitter, no one ever requests him for interviews or writes about him, and that needs to change. He's been solid and is always around the ball.
- That's probably enough positive talk for now. It's still a 1-3 football team with lots of problems in close games. It's pretty simple when you get right down to it: Brandon Allen is absolutely great -- one of the top guys in the SEC as a matter of fact -- until the game is on the line. It's frustrating to watch because you know it's all mental for him. Like after he short-armed Sprinkle again on their last third down of the game last night, I was saying to the TV, "Brandon, just move on. You've got one more shot here. Just move on." You could see it all over his face that he was still carrying that fumble with him. Just forget about it and move on to the next play, the next series. Stop letting one bad play turn into bad plays for the remainder of the game. That's the one thing he's got to overcome, the whole, "Here we go again" attitude and body language.
- Also, Arkansas continues to shoot itself in the foot with dumb penalties. And it's not first-year guys, for the most part. These are juniors and seniors getting some of the most untimely penalties I've ever seen. You can live with a Dre Greenlaw getting beat by a good player. He's a true freshman. But you can't keep letting veterans get you beat with untimely errors.
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