5 Reasons Auburn Should Be Worried About Arkansas, Part 3

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Nov 2, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall (14) is tackled by Arkansas Razorbacks linebackers Braylon Mitchell (34) and Jarrett Lake (39) at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Thus far, we have discussed two of the five reasons that Auburn should be worried about Arkansas when the schools meet August 30 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

They are:

1. It’s the Season Opener, and

2. These Hogs Can Run

Now, we take a look at a third reason. To the average fan, it may seem like pure fiction. However, to the trained eye, it’s as clear as day.

3. The Razorbacks Could Have Won Last Year

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We don’t always remember things as they happened. We look back now on that evening and feel like the game was never in question. We flip through our favorite pre-season magazine and hardly notice the 35-17 victory over a winless SEC West rival. Sure, Arkansas played Mississippi State and LSU close at the end of the year – but the mighty Auburn Tigers beat them by three scores!

I suggest watching last year’s game again (it’s on YouTube). I did just the other day, and here are some of the things that I noticed when I took a careful second look:

On the game’s first series, Arkansas was rolling. The Razorbacks got 35 quick yards from running back Jonathan Williams on his first three carries. On the fourth play of the game, Brandon Allen sailed a play-action pass into the end zone for what looked like a surefire touchdown.

Javontee Herndon, the player on the receiving end of Allen’s strike, had the ball in the end zone for a split second before cornerback Jonathon Mincy was able to knock it barely loose enough that the ball hit the ground before Herndon was able to cradle it.

Just a few plays later Allen took off running in an attempt to scramble for yardage as his pass protection broke down. He attempted to slide to avoid contact with Auburn defenders, but instead injured his ankle when it was stepped on. Allen left the game and backup AJ Derby (now a tight end) entered.

Nov 2, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (21) is congratulated by center Reese Dismukes (50) after scoring a touchdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

It took just two plays for Derby to throw an interception after an Auburn defender batted the ball into the air at the line of scrimmage. The Hogs, who had still been driving after their first touchdown literally slipped through the fingers of a receiver, were instead stopped dead in their tracks and the Tigers took possession of the football.

Arkansas began their second possession with 5:26 left in the first quarter. Their first drive had lasted more than six minutes and took 13 plays before the turnover. To this point, the game plan seemed to be working very well for head coach Bret Bielema: hold the ball as long as possible and keep it away from the Auburn Tigers.

Derby converted a short pass on third down, Alex Collins quickly broke off a 17-yard run, and then Bielema decided to take a page out of Gus Malzahn’s playbook and push the tempo. In all the excitement, and in a rush to snap the ball quicker than Auburn could line up on defense, the ball never made it into Derby’s hands. Auburn linebacker Kris Frost jumped on the loose ball, and two plays later Tre Mason was in the end zone.

7-0 Auburn.

The Razorbacks got the ball back with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter, and Brandon Allen returned to the field from the locker room. For those keeping score at home, AJ Derby was on the field for a total of eight offensive plays, and was responsible for two turnovers – one coming in his team’s red zone, the other coming in Auburn’s red zone. Not good.

Allen guided the Hogs methodically down the field with the help of the Arkansas running game and a silly personal foul by Chris Davis, in which the senior cornerback slapped an Arkansas player after he was first pushed. Senior leaders should know that it’s always the second person that gets caught.

Anyway, after ten plays, the Razorbacks were back in the red zone. However, the drive stalled at the 17-yard line and Zach Hocker hits a 34-yard field goal.

7-3 Auburn.

Looking back, had Herndon held onto the ball (or if Mincy hadn’t dislodged it,) Arkansas would have taken a 7-0 lead and the place would have gone nuts. Allen wouldn’t have scrambled and hurt his ankle, and Derby wouldn’t have entered the game and coughed up the football twice in the span of eight plays.

At this point, Bret Bielema made an odd choice. While onside kicks are great for catching your opponent by surprise and capitalizing on momentum, when you put three kickers around the ball in an attempt to confuse the return team, you tip your hand.

No coach in his right mind would kick the ball deep with three kickers on the field – it’s bad enough to have one guy on the kickoff team that can’t tackle anybody.

Then, amazingly, not only did Auburn easily cover the obvious onside kick, Arkansas was offside anyway. Therefore, even if the Hogs had recovered, it would not have counted.

The Tigers took possession in Arkansas territory and Tre Mason found the end zone again six plays later.

14-3 Auburn.

Arkansas again took possession, and again was bound and determined to hold the football as long as humanly possible. Williams, Collins, Allen, wide receiver Keon Hatcher and tight end Hunter Harvey took turns picking up first downs, and 17 plays and more than eight minutes later, the Hogs were facing 4^th-and-goal from the one-yard line.

Instead of kicking a field goal to pull within one possession before halftime and with less than three minutes on the clock, Bielema elected to go for it. Williams took a handoff and went nowhere and the Tigers forced a turnover on downs.

With the help of a penalty after an Auburn punt, the Tigers ran out the clock and both teams headed to the locker room. Auburn led by eleven points, but Arkansas held the ball for 75% of the first half, actually led the Tigers in total yardage, yet had only one field goal to show for three trips to the red zone.

Looking back, had Herndon held onto the ball on the game’s fourth play from scrimmage (or if Mincy hadn’t dislodged it – however you want to look at it,) Arkansas would have taken a 7-0 lead and the place would have gone nuts. Allen wouldn’t have scrambled and hurt his ankle, and Derby wouldn’t have entered the game or cough up the football twice in the span of eight plays.

In other words, it would have been a very different game, and BERT may have thought twice about his silly onside kick concoction.

(Continued on page 2)

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