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OFFENSE: C+
Nothing earth-shattering from the Arkansas offense last night, but it was nearly enough to win the game or at least force it into overtime.
Running the football has always been Arkansas’ strength under Bret Bielema, and while the Razorbacks did some good things in the ground game, it wasn’t their usual dominance. Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams were both held under 100 yards (Collins had 93 yards; Williams had 47) and just one touchdown. Brandon Allen threw for 238 yards — his fourth straight game of 200 passing yards or more — but the lack of touchdowns and a crucial interception halted Arkansas’ comeback attempt on the final drive.
Overall, there were some offensive highlights, but not near enough to get the victory over a No. 1 ranked team.
DEFENSE: B
Despite giving up the game-winning score via broken coverage in the secondary, Arkansas’ defense played well against the Bulldogs. Led by Heisman Trophy quarterback Dak Prescott, the MSU offense scored only 17 points and racked up 459 total yards, both season lows for the Bulldogs.
The defensive line pressured Prescott all game. They weren’t able to bring him down for any sacks, but six tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries is a great performance against a tough MSU offensive line. Arkasnas’ defense did all it could, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Special teams didn’t play a major factor into Arkansas’ 17-10 loss last night, but the unit didn’t play all too great. There were no big plays in the return game and Arkansas once again struggled kicking the ball. Adam McFain went 1-for-2 on field goals, missing a 42-yard attempt at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The three points wouldn’t have made a difference in regard to the final result, but establishing some confidence in the kicking game moving forward would have been ideal for the Razorbacks. Instead, it remains a big question mark.
COACHING: C+
The obvious coaching blunder came in the fourth quarter when the Razorbacks had a first down at MSU’s nine-yard line down seven points. Four plays later, Arkansas is stopped, unable to score any points. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it’s hard not to criticize the playcalling after that sequence. When an offense is within 10 yards of the end zone and has four attempts at a touchdown, you have to score, especially in that crucial of a situation. Until Arkansas can make these kind of big plays, the Razorbacks won’t be able to get over the hump and win that first SEC game any time soon.
OVERALL: C+
If it wasn’t for a tough defensive performance, the overall game probably wouldn’t have been very pretty for the Razorbacks. On the scoresheet, it’s another close SEC loss for Arkansas who is still looking for that all-important first SEC win under Bielema. Arkansas is definitely an improved team, but I’m not quite sure how much longer these close losses will be enough to satisfy a fan base. Their patience is likely already waining.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
