Hot or Cold: Arkansas’ running backs lead early-season charge

Checking in on the early-season temperatures in Fayetteville, Ark. …

HOT

Arkansas’ running backs. Let’s forget about the second half of Auburn for a second. In the three remaining halves that the Razorbacks have played so far this season, Arkansas running backs have combined for a total of 646 rushing yards. Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams have been leading the charge thus far. Collins is more of the complete back, but Williams has exploded for some big plays, including a 90-yard touchdown run last weekend against Nicholls State. If you add in Korliss Marshall to the mix, the Razorbacks can throw a little bit of everything running-wise at opposing defenses. In addition to Collins’ complete running game, Williams provides an extra bit of power, while Marshall gives them a speedier, more electrifying option out of the backfield. These three backs have lived up to the hype in the first two weeks of the season, so while the college football world continues to talk about Georgia and Alabama’s running backs, perhaps the most talented group just may be in Fayetteville.

WARM

Brandon Allen’s improvement. Coming into the season, Allen didn’t garner much attention. Whether it was because of a lackluster sophomore season or the fact that he was coming off of a shoulder injury, the junior quarterback was often ranked near the bottom of many SEC quarterback lists. However, it’s Allen that is the X-factor to the success of the Razorbacks’ offense. Early on, he’s shown that he possesses the physical and mental capabilities of a serviceable SEC quarterback. He ran the offense efficiently against Auburn in the first-half of their season opener. There weren’t any dumb decisions on his part as he simply took what the defense gave him and executing the play-action attack off of a successful run game. Against Nicholls State, Allen reeled off some big plays, completing four-of-five with all four completions going for touchdowns. The truth is, Allen won’t blow you away. He doesn’t have the running ability of a Nick Marshall nor an incredibly strong arm, but he’s still more than capable of getting the job done for the Hogs. Every defense knows about Arkansas’ running ability, but if Allen is able to get defenses to respect the passing game as well, it could be open season for Collins, Williams and Marshall moving forward.

COLD

Wide receivers. Arkansas has played two games. In Arkansas’ most recent game against Nicholls State, the wide receivers looked strong. Whether that was more because of the incredibly weak competition or just an improvement during practice that week, I don’t know. We won’t know until the Texas Tech game this weekend. Regardless, it was encouraging for Arkansas fans to see their wide receivers, especially Keon Hatcher and Jared Cornelius, operate in open space and contribute with some big plays of their own. But for now, it’s certainly a mixed bag. After a dreadful game against Auburn in the season-opener when the receivers recorded five drops, including one that would have been a touchdown, it’s tough to predict what kind of game the wide receivers will give against good competition. We’ll know more after this weekend, but the potential is there for some explosive plays out of this group.

FROZEN

The Razorbacks’ secondary. Like the wide receivers, the secondary had a pretty rough outing against Auburn and a much more improved showing versus Nicholls State. However, I believe the former is a more realistic indicator of where this group is currently at. Led by upperclassman safeties Alan Turner and Rohan Gaines, the defensive backs struggled mightily against Auburn, looking slow and weak on press coverage and they had trouble tackling in the open field. Starting with their upcoming game against Texas Tech, Arkansas will face several teams this season with a dynamic passing attack. Until the defensive backs prove they’re able to stop good teams from passing, this position group is definitely a cause for concern moving forward.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.