Two Days and Counting…

It seems the entire state of Arkansas is ready to just throw in the towel on this week and get to Saturday.  Hopefully the Razorback football team has more focus and discipline.  They’ll need every minute of preparation they can muster in order to knock off the #1 team in the land.  The indispensable Chris Low at ESPN.com breaks down a few key things to watch in the SEC this week, most notably what to look for in the Hogs/Tide showdown.  He correctly points out that the ability to protect Ryan Mallett against new blitz packages will likely make a big difference in the outcome.

1. Protecting Mallett: If you want to know how Arkansas fared late Saturday afternoon against Alabama without looking at the scoreboard, take a look instead at Ryan Mallett’s uniform and the number of turf stains it has on it. If the Hogs can protect him, he has a chance to do some damage against the Crimson Tide’s young secondary. A year ago, Alabama was able to frustrate Mallett not only by the pressure it brought, but also by disguising things and mixing up its coverages. You can bet Nick Saban’s going to dial up some blitzes the Hogs haven’t seen this season on tape, but Mallett is pretty slick in that pocket when it comes to buying just enough time and zipping it down the field. If the Hogs can keep him upright, they’ll have a chance to hit some big plays. On the flip side, if the Crimson Tide can get pressure with their front guys and not have to blitz much, then it’s going to be a long afternoon for Mallett and that Arkansas offense.

While I agree with the general consensus that Arkansas has got to run the ball more effectively, protecting the quarterback will play a bigger role in this game.  The short passing game is as effective as the speed running game, and putting the ball in the hands of the wideouts gives Arkansas a better chance to score than in the hands of the running backs.  That’s not to say the Hogs have no talent in the backfield.  If Ronnie or Broderick see a crease, they can take it to the house.  But hitting Joe Adams and Jarius Wright on 5-yard crossing patterns has proven to be something that produces chunk plays.  If the Hogs only rush for 50 yards but 40 of those come in the 4th quarter while we’re icing away a victory, I’m fine with it.