5 things that went right for Arkansas in 2016 ... and 3 that didn't

There’s still a bowl game to enjoy, but Arkansas fans might find themselves this offseason uttering a familiar and now-available-to-borrow phrase made famous by Chicago Cub fans:

Wait till next year.

Although the 2016 regular season brought some great wins, there were plenty of frustrating moments for Arkansas this year.

Inconsistency was the theme, as the Hogs struggled to maintain any momentum during their 7-5 (3-5 SEC) campaign.

As the Hogs await their bowl destination, here are five things that went right … and three things that didn’t during the regular season:

5 THINGS THAT WENT RIGHT

Austin Allen: There were high hopes for the junior considering he was able to learn the offense while sitting behind his older brother, Brandon, for three years. Still, the younger Allen hadn’t played meaningful snaps and needed to prove his worth this season.

And he did that in a big way.

Allen was among the most consistent players for the Razorbacks, as he completed 227-of-370 passes for 3,152 yards and 23 touchdowns. Even though he sometimes struggled with his accuracy — his 12 interceptions are tied with Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs for most in the SEC — Allen was one of the few bright spots throughout a rocky season.

Rawleigh Williams III: Before the season, the majority of pigskin pundits expected senior Kody Walker to be the featured running back.

Instead, Williams stormed back from his scary neck injury last season and snatched the starting spot as a sophomore.

In the end, Razorbacks fans forgot all about the 1,577 rushing yards Alex Collins finished with in 2015, as Williams blossomed into a dominant force.

He might not match Collins’ total, but Williams still ran for an SEC-best 1,326 yards and 12 touchdowns on 233 carries. When Williams and the ground game got going, the Hogs almost always found a way to win.

Fortunately for Arkansas, he’ll be back to help lead the offense alongside Allen next season.

The receiving corps: As good as Allen was during his debut season, his pass-catchers deserve a lot of the credit.

Three receivers hauled in more than 500 yards, with Drew Morgan (3 TDs) leading the way with 664 yards. Keon Hatcher (7 TDs) finished with 638, while Jared Cornelius (4 TDs) tallied 515.

And who can forget Jeremy Sprinkle? The tight end was one of Allen’s favorite targets in the red zone, and he finished with 380 yards and four scores on 33 catches.

While none of the Fantastic Four possess the same level of talent as some of the SEC’s premier pass-catchers, collectively the group was one of the league’s deepest.

Nonconference play: The Razorbacks struggled at the start of the 2015 season, dropping three of their first four games — including back-to-back losses to Toledo and Texas Tech.

This year, though, Arkansas was perfect outside of conference play.

Even though the panic meter nearly burst after the Hogs needed a late comeback to escape with a 21-20 victory over Louisiana Tech in their opener, the team found its footing when it went on the road and bested TCU 41-38 in a double-overtime thriller the very next week.

Following that win, Arkansas manhandled Texas State (42-3) and Alcorn State (52-10) in its final two nonconference games. The Razorbacks recognize how challenging it is to win in the SEC, and they took care of business in nonconference play this season.

The cornerbacks: Once DJ Dean and Britto Tutt sustained injuries during preseason camp, the general consensus was Arkansas would have a hard time preventing big plays outside.

Instead, the cornerbacks wound up being one of the strongest units for a defense that was anything but stellar this season.

Senior Jared Collins bounced back from a preseason broken hand to provide veteran leadership, while sophomore Ryan Pulley shined at times.

Considering how much concern surrounded the cornerbacks at the start of the season, the unit deserves credit for being serviceable for much of the year.

3 THINGS THAT DIDN’T

Rushing defense: The Razorbacks have a long history of struggling to stop the run, and this season was no different.

Although four SEC teams — Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Ole Miss — allowed more yards, the Hogs were still routinely torched.

Remember the Auburn game? The Tigers set a school record after rushing for 543 yards. Well, that game wasn’t an anomaly.

In all, the defense allowed 6.16 yards per carry and surrendered 2,512 rushing yards. Even more concerning: they allowed an SEC-worst 36 rushing touchdowns. Only three teams in the country allowed more.

Pass blocking: Arkansas’ offensive line paved the way for Williams’ big year, but the unit struggled to protect Allen.

The Hogs allowed 29 sacks for 227 yards this season, which ranks second-worst in the conference. Only South Carolina (36 sacks for 233 yards) allowed more sacks.

As much as Bielema and his staff want to boast about the play of the offensive line, the unit was a liability for the passing game.

Conference play: After starting the season with three consecutive victories against nonconference opponents, it looked as though this would be the year Arkansas could finally make its mark in the SEC West chase.

My, how quickly things changed.

Visiting Texas A&M crushed the Hogs 45-24 in their SEC opener. After bouncing back with a 52-10 win over Alcorn State, the Razorbacks experienced another sobering loss when the top-ranked Crimson Tide rolled to a 49-30 victory in Week 6.

Sure, the team’s SEC wins over Ole Miss, Florida and Mississippi State were each impressive, but Bielema was brought to town to finish better than 3-5 in conference play.

His seat isn’t hot, but it could grow warmer if the Hogs post another losing SEC record next season.