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Rapid reaction to Arkansas’ 63-28 blowout win over Tennessee-Martin:
What it means: The Oct. 17 bye week apparently came at the perfect time for Arkansas. The preseason Top-20 ranked Razorbacks may have found their groove after several bad losses to begin the season: 117 points in two weeks shows the offense’s potential is just being reached.
What I liked: Arkansas’ offense has been one of the more inconsistent in the SEC, so it was nice to see the Razorbacks get off to a fast start, scoring the game’s opening 21 points. On fourth-and-12 in the red zone, QB Brandon Allen didn’t panic. He found his most talented star on the outside, TE Hunter Henry, who looks every bit like the top tight end in the 2016 draft class. After showing up late for a team breakfast RB Alex Collins is apparently out of coach Bret Bielema’s doghouse as he scored the game’s first three touchdowns, finishing with five.
Hunter Henry continues to remind everyone that he’s the total package at tight end: https://t.co/fN6OLUxtgb
— Alex Scarborough (@ByScarborough) October 31, 2015
What I didn’t like: Eliminate Tennessee-Martin’s bad turnovers in the first half and this game could have been much much closer. With 7:23 left in the second quarter, in a 21-7 game, Arkansas and UTM had pretty much identical time of possession and total yards. The only difference: turnover margin. Against a team better at protecting the football, it’s unlikely the Razorbacks would have been able to build much a lead.
Who’s the man: Plenty offensive players deserve a shoutout, but coming into game with the shortest leash on offense after showing up late to breakfast last week, Collins shined from start to finish.
What’s next: The Razorbacks (4-4, 2-2 SEC) travel to Ole Miss next Saturday hoping for their first win against a ranked SEC opponent this season.
