BlogHawgs Razorback Rewind–Week 2

Second verse, same as the first. Arkansas did the expected in Week 2 and treated Los Lobos like Little Penny.  Here are our thoughts on Arkansas 52-3 victory over New Mexico after a day of reflection.

What We Saw in Week 2

—The “Razorbacks Remember” tributes to the victims of 9/11 were tremendous. Whether it was the national anthem, fly over, the color coordination of the fans, the red, white and blue logos on the field and Hogs’ helmets, or the over-the-air salutes, they got it right. It was all done very well.

—This just in: Arkansas’ wide receivers are fast. Very fast. Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Cobi Hamilton (and you can throw Marquel Wade into the mix, too) have more speed than a handful of NFL teams’ wide receivers. It shows when UA QB Tyler Tyler Wilson gets them the ball in space. They–and the weak opponents–are the main reasons Arkansas has scored 50 points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1928.

–Wilson had a few bumps along the way, literally and figuratively. He again showed better touch on short passes than his predecessor, New England Patriot, Ryan Mallett. This led to plenty of yards after catch for his speed burner wideouts. But, Wilson also struggled some against zones, forcing things at times in the Red Zone, and failing to get the ball out of his hands quickly on another occasion. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There is value to learning from your mistakes and correcting them mid-game. As a QB, you aren’t always going to have your “A” game, but there a plenty of times you can win as long as you settle down and utilize the weapons at your disposal.

–For the second consecutive week, Wilson risked his health and safety at the goalline. Wilson took a hit and was rewarded with a TD just before half, but it also helped him punch an early ticket to the sidelines with concussion-like symptoms. Brandon Mitchell came in and moved the team, but we would like to see Wilson pick his spots a little better. There is a reason he is the starter and, for now, Mitchell is just the capable backup that adds a different dimension to the offense.

–Wilson wasn’t the only Hog to test the frayed nerves of Arkansas’ most anxious fans. Defensive end Jake Bequette went down in the 1st quarter with a leg injury, which wass later diagnosed as a strained hamstring. He returned to the sideline and did not have the look of a guy who expected to miss significant playing time, if any. Jarius Wright also tweaked his knee after again proving to be one of Wilson’s favorite targets. None of the three injuries appear to be serious and that is good news as Arkansas eyes a showdown with Alabama in a few weeks.

–Mitchell showed the explosiveness that had impressed coaches in camp, but as of yet, had not been on full display under the big lights. He was quick and decisive in the passing game, showed off a very strong arm and was a load on the run. Don’t get me wrong–there shouldn’t be, and isn’t–a quarterback controversy. But, just as we saw last year, the backup has to be ready at a moment’s notice, particularly if you have real title aspirations.

What We Didn’t See in Week 2

–The real Greg Childs. Numerous reports from  fall camp revealed that Childs is 100% physically after rehabbing from season-ending knee surgery last year. But, Childs clearly isn’t all the way back mentally. By my count, he had 3 passes targeted to him, and he looked like he wanted no part of them, coming out of his cuts timidly, and with his eyes on the approaching defenders. The old Childs would have snagged the passes, looked those guys up, and punished them.

While Arkansas, as a team, can probably overcome sub par numbers from Childs, I yearn to see him get back to his old form because Childs is a prototypical NFL wide receiver, and I would hate to see a career wasted because of the fateful tearing of his patella tendon. Look for Arkansas to get him the ball early next week in the hopes of getting his mind right heading into the showdown in Alabama.

What You May Not Have Seen in Week 2

–True freshman cornerback Tevin Mitchel (no typo, there) played early and often, and looks to have the athleticism and confidence to contribute meaningful SEC minutes this season.

–Senior defensive end Tenarius “Tank” Wright lived up to his nickname, as he punished UNM’s kicker on a fake field goal he stonewalled, and he generally had a nasty disposition all night. That’s a good thing. There will be no free lunch in the SEC and if Arkansas wants to continue to build as a program, it needs to play  like the biggest, baddest bully on the block–without picking up dumb personal fouls.

–We have an increasingly ridiculous tailgating situation at War Memorial Stadium. Yes, the tailgating is a lot of fun and the game atmosphere typically benefits. But, something has to be done about the guys who get too far into their cups. I saw one guy who had more “almost fights” than UNM had points. To say he was acting like a fool isn’t fair to fools. And, I am pretty sure “Rack ’em Willie”(NSFW) hung out near our vehicles for the entire second half There is alwayss going to be some riff raff, but I just don’t want to see any Bryan Stowe incidents at Hog games.

What We Hope to See in Week 3

–The running game needs to continue to improve. But for a fumble, Ronnie Wingo Jr. did just that. He had 73 yards on 12 carries and was, for the most part, quick, and decisive. Weakside offensive tackle Jason Peacock seemed to improve from Week 1 to Week 2 and will be worth watching next week to see if he grabs playing time ahead of Week 1 freshman Mitch Smothers.

–I want the old Greg Childs back. He is a beast, when he’s locked in. He just needs to remember that.

–Arkansas needs to take care of business, early. Troy is a step above the competition to date, and the Hogs don’t need to give them any reason to believe they can leave Fayetteville with a huge upset. And, the Razorbacks need to be able to get their starters some action but keep them healthy for the SEC opener on September 24th.