Arkansas began the Chad Morris era with a 55-20 win over Eastern Illinois on Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Hogs did plenty of good things in their opener. In particular, quarterback Ty Storey was outstanding. He threw for three touchdowns, rushed for another and passed for 261 yards while completing 12 of his 17 attempts. Storey didn’t get in the game until after Arkansas’ third series, when he replaced starter Cole Kelley. The Razorbacks defense also showed promise while forcing five turnovers.

There’s also plenty the Hogs can improve on as they prepare for what should be a tougher contest at Colorado State in Week 2. Here are three areas Arkansas clearly needs to improve upon heading into its matchup with the Rams:

The running game

Arkansas’ offensive line was a major area of concern throughout the preseason. The unit did nothing to alleviate that worry in Week 1. The Hogs rushed for just 80 yards on 37 attempts. Starting running back Devwah Whaley averaged 2.8 yards with his team-high 10 carries. The other options at running back didn’t fare any better as the line failed to create openings all afternoon. Running back is the most talented position group on the roster, but it’s not going to matter if this level of offensive line play continues.

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The new coaching staff, particularly offensive line coach Dustin Fry, can’t be blamed for the personnel. The offensive line noticeably deteriorated over Bret Bielema’s final two seasons, and one recruiting class isn’t going to make up for that. But it’s still the job of Fry and the new staff to fix it. If the offensive line can’t show some signs of improvement against Colorado State, the Hogs are going to have a lot of trouble winning any games going forward.

Consistency at punter

Junior punter Blake Johnson has been known for his inconsistency during his time at Arkansas. His 2018 season got off to a similar start. Johnson pinned Eastern Illinois inside the 10-yard line in the first quarter. But in the third, he gave the Panthers great field position with a punt that sailed out of bounds and netted just 20 yards.

Johnson’s shank resulted in freshman Reid Bauer getting a chance to handle the punting duties in the fourth quarter. He wasn’t much better, as his only attempt was a 25-yard effort that gave Eastern Illinois the ball at Arkansas’ 37-yard line.

A bad punting game didn’t hurt the Hogs against an overmatched FCS foe. That won’t be the case all season, so Arkansas had better find a punter soon. There’s no better place than Fort Collins to help one of those options gain confidence and seize the role of becoming a reliable punter.

Mental errors

Few teams get through the season opener without making a few mental mistakes. Arkansas was no exception in Week 1, but the Hogs had a couple of exceptionally bad mistakes.

After stopping Eastern Illinois on a third down in the second quarter, cornerback Chevin Calloway remained on the field and wide receiver Jared Cornelius took the field as the Hogs’ punt returner. Here’s the problem: both players wear No. 1.

Arkansas was flagged for an equipment violation, resulting in a 5-yard penalty and a first down for the Panthers. Continuing the drive allowed Eastern Illinois to reach the Hogs’ 12-yard line before settling for a field goal attempt, which was missed. Against a better opponent, or even against a poor opponent with a reliable kicker, that penalty would’ve cost Arkansas points. That’s simply the type of mistake that can’t happen.

In the third quarter, center Hjalte Froholdt was coaxed into a shoving match with a defensive lineman. The result was offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties. Froholdt is fortunate the officials saw blame on both sides. If only he had been flagged, it would have negated a 36-yard pass from Storey to Chase Harrell that converted a third down. Additionally, two unsportsmanlike penalties on one player result in an ejection. Froholdt, who is Arkansas’ best offensive lineman and has plenty of experience, has to refrain from getting involved in those type of situations.