Arkansas’ offense is legit. The bad news? As good as the Razorbacks’ offense is this season, the defense seems to be as equally bad.
Don't break your calculators crunching these big numbers on offense and defense. It's easy to do.
Here’s how the Hogs stack up nationally in several offensive and defensive categories after Week 3. The biggest drops, of course, come from the defense. The Hogs allowed 530 yards of offense in their 52-41 loss to Georgia on Saturday.
We’ll start off with the good news for Arkansas fans — the offensive numbers. Well, the defense’s numbers are offensive but… well, you know what I’m saying.
ARKANSAS OFFENSE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Passing Offense: 2 (427.5 ypg)
Total Offense: 2 (538 ypg)
Scoring Offense: 8 (44.5 ppg)
Passing Efficiency: 2 (184.08)
ARKANSAS OFFENSE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS (INDIVIDUALS)
Passing Efficiency: Ryan Mallett, 1 (193.49)
Total Offense: Ryan Mallett, 5 (361.5 ypg)
Receiving ypg: Jarius Wright, 6 (123.5 ypg)
Greg Childs, 23 (95 ypg)
Joe Adams, 86 (62.5 ypg)
As I mentioned after the season opener, Bobby Petrino looks to be getting back on the path he cultivated as an offensive juggernaut at Louisville and Auburn. As an assistant coach or head coach, Petrino’s offenses have ranked in the top 10 nationally six times in total offense, including twice at No. 1.
ARKANSAS DEFENSE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Total Defense: 81 (367.5 ypg)
Scoring Defense: 99 (31 ppg)
Pass Defense: 90 (249 ypg)
Pass Efficiency: 116 (173.63)
Run Defense: 49 (118.5 ypg)
In just one game, the Hogs’ pass efficiency dropped a staggering 102 spots, total defense dropped 60 spots, scoring defense 66 spots and pass defense 67 spots. By the way, the majority of you in our “You Make the Grade” post believe the Hogs’ defense earned a grade of “F” against Georgia.
There is a sliver of good news for the Hogs’ defense. They are tied for 21st in the nation in tackles for loss. Also, defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard is 23rd in the nation and first in the SEC with 1.75 tackles for loss per game.
On special teams, Dennis Johnson is 10th in the nation with an average of 35.6 yards per kickoff return. The team, propelled by Johnson and Cobi Hamilton‘s nice reverse return against Georgia, is fifth nationally on kick returns (36.71 yards). Kicker Alex Tejada is tied for fifth nationally with an average of two field goals a game. He’s 14th nationally in scoring.
Everybody out there that just had to have a coach that employed the foward pass more, can you now channel that in to getting us a defensive coordinator that is not a complete idiot and that actually knows how to play defense……PLEEEAAAASSSSSSEEEE!!!!!! Also Coach Petrino needs to understand that this is not C-USA… This is the SEC and defense wins game here buddy….You can’t expect to out score everyone and consider that a defense….Not in the SEC anyway. We are in for a long year if Ole Willy is still running the defense after this game…..
Offense looked great. Mallett will continue to improve on his reads and hit his check down recievers as time goes on. I cannot see how we let the cubbard get this bare in the secondary. We don’t have a corner that would start on any other team in the SEC and the defensive schemes are just as bad.