Report Card: Arkansas aces Texas Bowl test in all three phases
By Ethan Levine
Published:
OFFENSE: B
The Arkansas offense remained committed to its methodical, downhill rushing attack with a few moderate passes mixed in. That strategy worked wonders against an overmatched Texas defense that was worn down by the start of the second half. The Razorbacks amassed 351 yards of total offense, including 191 yards on the ground, and their 31 points are the most they’ve scored in their last five games. Arkansas struggled at times to finish off drives, costing itself points a handful of times despite a huge advantage in average starting field position. Brandon Allen was not as accurate in obvious passing situations as Bret Bielema and Jim Chaney would have liked, completing just 4 of 9 passes on third downs (he still avoided an interception for a fourth straight game and threw a pair of touchdown passes). The offense remained in control for most of the game, especially at the line of scrimmage.
DEFENSE: A+
The Texas offense did plenty to stop itself throughout the night, but this Arkansas defense deserves a ton of credit for the way it suffocated the Longhorns in Houston. The Razorbacks held Texas to just 59 total yards — 57 through the air and just 2 on the ground. The Hogs limited the Longhorns to just 7 first downs, forced a pair of turnovers and maintained a 22-minute advantage in time of possession by game’s end. They registered 3.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss, and never allowed Texas an easy yard on the evening. The Arkansas defense was every bit as dominant as it was in back to back shutouts against LSU and Ole Miss last month, and that’s saying a lot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B+
Punter Sam Irwin-Hill was sensational in the bowl game, landing all four of his punts inside the Texas 20 yard line without a touchback. He also made two tackles on long kickoff returns that might have been touchdowns had he not made a play on the returner. Razorbacks place kicker Adam McFain missed a 32-yard field goal, and the Hogs allowed Texas to amass an average of better than 25 yards per kickoff return. Arkansas was better than Texas on special teams, but it wasn’t quite dominant enough to earn an A.
COACHING: A
Bret Bielema and his staff deserve an A for the way they maintained the Razorbacks edge following a furious close to the regular season. The Hogs were competitive in every one of their games in the month of November, earning bowl eligibility out of the grueling SEC West in the process. During a month away from the field, Bielema tested his starters on both sides of the ball by having them practice against one another during the duration of the bowl preparation period. He maintained the team’s intensity and kept his players focused during the time off, and it showed in the way Arkansas opened the game with 17 unanswered points.
OVERALL: A
Arkansas was the better team in all three phases of the game, and it was obvious from the opening kick to the final whistle. The Hogs held an edge in every statistical category, and they never trailed on the evening. This was as one-sided a win as any during the ongoing bowl season, and there’s no question the Razorbacks deserve a resounding A for their showing in a Texas Bowl victory.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
