Arkansas didn’t look very sharp at times, even if Ryan Mallett did look the part of a Heisman contender in the 44-3 victory over Tennessee Tech.
Penalties, miscues, fumbles and, yes, a few bad decisions by Mallett hurt Arkansas early in the first half. Still, it was Mallett who stole the show by the end of the night.
Even when tossing an interception, Mallett was precise. After all, none of Mallett’s passes hit the ground until De’Anthony Curtis dropped a touchdown toss on a dive in the end zone in the second quarter.
Simply put, Mallett was sharp and smart with his decisions while completing 21 of 24 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. His 87.5 completion percentage tied for second all-time by an SEC quarterback in a game.
But Arkansas’ coaching staff doesn’t always focus on the good things when there are moments of hesitation and opportunities to correct mistakes.
“We think he can play better,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “He can push the tempo more. He missed some pressure checks early in the game. On the interception, he made a bad decision. … He made some mistakes early in the game but he was efficient and he was throwing completions, which you’ve got to be happy about.”
Not impressive but a win to build on was the general feel in the Broyles Center after the game. The players were not happy with the first quarter when Arkansas shot itself in the foot with penalties and stalled on drives on Tennessee Tech’s side of the field.
And then there was the running game, which had been one of the biggest stories in the offseason. Arkansas installed more plays in the Shot formation and the hope was for the running backs to be able to run down hill and create plays. The formation, the coaches thought, would provide better cut-back lanes and, as a result, bigger gains.
The result? Arkansas rushed for 51 yards in the first half. Dennis Johnson stepped up in the locker room during halftime and issued a challenge to his three mates in the backfield.
“Running backs, you’ve got to run the ball or you won’t get it any more,” Johnson said. “That’s basically what went through my head and I was just telling everybody, ‘Man, we’ve got to step this up.’”
Johnson, who busted a 49-yard run in the second half, led the resurgence with 60 yards on just three carries. Knile Davis led the team with 67 yards on six carries but also fumbled and was the only member of the group tabbed as the “four-headed monster” to not score a touchdown. Arkansas finished with 196 rushing yards.
And don’t forget about Joe Adams, who juked and sped his way to 138 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.
“When he gets the ball in his hands, I don’t know if there’s anybody better than him in the country,” Mallett said. “You saw that tonight. He made a couple of guys miss, stopped on a dime, cut back and went and scored. You can’t ask for much more from Joe.”
Adams, though, tipped a pass in the first half that resulted in Mallett’s lone interception. Petrino wasn’t happy with the three turnovers and the execution of his offense in the first half.
Defensively, Arkansas had one of its best games under defensive coordinator Willy Robinson. Never had Arkansas held a team to just three points — and no touchdowns — in the Petrino Era until Saturday night.
Anthony Leon, who led the defense with eight tackles, was masterful off the edge at outside linebacker and accounted for four tackles for loss, including two sacks. Leon, a safety three weeks ago, has adjusted well to his new position.
Most importantly, Saturday provided a win on a day that was filled with pitfalls in the SEC.
Arkansas will take the result and build on the mistakes.
Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage in the morning. For now, I’m off to edit more video and write a couple of future blogs.
Here’s our WholeHogCast after the game. Matt Jones, the new online sports editor, joins me to analyze the Razorbacks’ win.
WholeHogCast: Arkansas 44, Tennessee Tech 3
Sept. 4, 2010 — Brandon Marcello and new online sports editor Matt Jones analyze Arkansas’ 44-3 victory over Tennessee Tech in the season opener at Razorback Stadium. Who impressed and where does Arkansas go from here? The guys share their takes.
ake sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and@wholehogsports.
One thing that I was very happy to see, was Tejada putting kickoffs into the end zone! Most people might not think about that, but it’s huge for the defense. Pass coverage was very good. They did give up one long pass play, but the D stepped up and stopped TTU from getting a TD.
I want to see more of Wingo, Davis, and Johnson between the 20′s, and Green in goal line situations.
Joe Adams was nothing short of awesome. Cobi Hamilton looked great too, as did DJ Williams. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Wright and Childs though.
Win,i liked the kickoffs in the endzone,right it will help the defense out,is there anything Joe Adams cant do with a football in his hands.
Childs did not seem to play well last night. He missed blocks, and did not produce when his number was called early (but he is still a threat to take it to the house on any reception).