Film Study: Arkansas sent a stern message by destroying Ole Miss

Nothing to see here, folks.

It’s just the University of Arkansas going Beast Mode and laying waste to yet another formidable Southeastern Conference foe, in the then No. 8-ranked University of Mississippi (30-0), only a week after putting it on Louisiana State University (17-0) to end a 17-game stretch in which the Hogs failed to win in conference play.

While stomping out LSU in a rival game for the Golden Boot is extremely admirable, replicating the performance against the Ole Miss Rebels is the performance that cements where this program is at, under surging second-year coach Bret Bielema, and where it’s going in the very near future.

Make no mistake about it; Ole Miss is an authentic top-10 team that is in possession of arguably the country’s finest defense; from scheme to personnel, you’ll rarely find another unit that’s in the same stratosphere as its Landshark Defense.

That is, until we saw the proverbial passing of the guard in this tilt.

In fact, we may have seen the Hogs take what makes Mississippi great and evolve it into something even more effective — when you factor in Arkansas may be the premier rushing outfit in the nation and Ole Miss couldn’t run the ball between the tackles in a “pass skeleton” drill.

But for all the attention the offense gets, and rightfully so, it’s the defense that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with Ole Miss and the University of Alabama — the latter of which is perennially elite.

With the regime just getting its sea legs underneath it, this strong finish to the season is a scary proposition…for the rest of the SEC, that is.

Running Wild Boar Defense/Bend-But-Don’t-Break Approach

Be honest; when you formulate an opinion on if an offense had an effective day, you usually look towards yards achieved. If you see a team racked up 500 yards in offense, your first thought is: “man that team did its thing!”

I admit, at times, I’m guilty of it, too.

But playing on a plethora of defenses that yielded a ton of yardage, albeit at the semi-professional level, I’ve learned to put stock into stiffening up in the red zone and forcing turnovers.

It used to be disheartening to me to see a team march up and down the field, but once I realized the game became increasingly difficult outside of the 20’s, it made life much easier for me as a defensive player.

The Hog’s defense is now coming to that same realization as you can plainly see its confidence never waivers when a team is threatening. On numerous occasions the Rebels ripped off yardage in chunks — which is very disheartening for a defense — but time and time again, the Razorbacks came up with game-changing turnovers that transferred that negative energy over to the Rebels.

And it’s defensive coordinator Robb Smith who deserves the lion’s share of the praise; his ability to oscillate between coverages makes the Hog’s defense a force to be reckoned with. Shifting between 4-3-based over- and under-front alignments, Smith’s units have pinched the run and put some serious pressure on quarterbacks.

Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace can attest to this.

This sack by future superstar defensive tackle Darius Philon was a game-changing moment in the contest.

Keep in mind that this is Smith’s first season in Fayetteville and his defense will only continue to evolve. As true disciple of one of the better defensive minds in the business, former University of Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, you can expect the oft-ran Cover 6 shell to morph into creative zone-blitzes in the future.

While the Schiano-Smith scheme evolved into a read-and-react zone outfit in Tampa, schematically, it’s an attack defense at its core — which is something you can see developing as the season wanes on.

But giving up just 10 points over the last three games, with two shutout of ranked teams, is definitely something Smith, Bielema and their gang of wild boars should be proud of.

QBs Making Timely Plays And Protecting The Ball

The QB position has been a source of frustration for supporters of the Cardinal and White since Tyler Wilson graduated a couple of seasons ago — although some felt like he never quite lived up to the performance of his predecessor, the great Ryan Mallett.

The 6’7″, 245-pound gunslinging Mallett had everything you would want in a signal-caller: A penchant for making splash plays, a keen understanding of offensive and defensive concepts and some of the best arm talent you’ll ever see.

Arkansas’ incumbent QB Brandon Allen may be the exact opposite of Mallett. His slight frame, 6’3″, 210 pounds, has been supported by inaccuracy and a predisposition for making mistakes in the clutch.

However, he’s playing in a type of offense where all he needs to do is limit mistakes and make timely plays. He’s supported by a potent rushing attack, his offense is middle-of-the-field centric (due to its best threats being tight ends) and, as we’ve seen, his defense is shaping up to be elite.

So the title of game manager is apt for anyone in offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s scheme —  which should be associated mostly with head coach Bret Bielema as Chaney was known for running a spread offense at previous stops.

Bielema’s scheme has a no-frill smash-mouth approach that creates opportunity for the QB by way of a heavy dose of play-action fakes; Allen has steadily improved with time.

Case in point: Allen hit receiver Keon Hatcher on a post against zone coverage while being provided with an outside technique; Allen put the ball right where it needed to be.

We may have also been provided with a glimpse of the future as Allen was replaced by his younger brother Austin when the former suffered an injury to his hip.

The younger Allen seemed to have the exact same skill set as his brother and should be an adequate permanent option in the future as well as next week against the Missouri Tigers — if necessary — which is a team looking to clinch the eastern division title of the SEC.

The now bowl-eligible Hogs will have a chance to take their act on the road against a team that presents more of a threat in the passing game than previous foes. Expect the “Running Wild Boar Defense” to be in hunt mode.

And expect the offense to continue to take the necessary steps to make Arkansas one of the most balanced teams in the country.

Quick Look At The Run Game

Lost amid all the Hogs’ success has been inconsistencies in the run game as it pertains to getting the necessary push in short-yardage situations. On many occasions Arkansas has failed convert on as little as 3rd-and-inches and have left points on the field

This is extremely puzzling when you consider the talent in the backfield and along the offensive line. Furthermore, the use of two- and three-tight sets should almost ensure the Hogs convert in short yardage or avoid negative gains.

Here we see the Hogs in “13 personnel” attempting to execute a dive. Take note of the lack of push, as well as the penetration Ole Miss’ defensive line gets. Despite the fact that multiple lanes were formed, the few players who did penetrate forced Hog’s back Alex Collins to hesitate, which in turn allowed the second- and third-level defenders to fill.

This particular goal-line sequence stood out as well. Lined up once again in “13 personnel,” the Hogs attempted a dive with a “Wham” block, but the fullback, Patrick Arinze, failed to execute his assignment. (A Wham is when a defender is allowed a free rush only to be met by another blocker, unexpectedly.)

Sometimes, it’s the little things that can dampen a high-powered attack. I have no reservations that Arkansas will continue to be the preeminent rushing outfit in the country, and I have complete confidence in the direction of the entire program behind its ever-developing, stifling defense.

Regardless of the outcome of the game against Missouri, I have seem enough to know that next season the Hogs will be a major player in the toughest division of all of college football (click here to read that article), the SEC West.

It seems as though the future is now for the Mighty Hogs and it couldn’t have happened a moment sooner for such a prestigious program.