The Good

• Tyler Wilson is obviously playing at another level right now.  Wilson has thrown for 772 yards and five touchdowns in the past TWO games.  And oh, by the way, both of those winning performances were against teams ranked in the top 25.
• Joe Adams’ 92-yard touchdown run was great…but it was the blocking that made the play.  Pulling guard Grant Cook and wide receiver Cobi Hamilton sealed the edge, fullback Kiero Small got the kick out, and tight end Chris Gragg got a nice downfield block as Adams ran (and hurdled!) down the Arkansas sideline to the end zone.
• The Razorbacks linebacking crew had its best performance to date this season.  Jerry Franklin (15 tackles), Alonzo Highsmith (12 tackles) and Jerico Nelson (10 tackles) combined for four tackles for loss on the night.
• The seventh largest crowd in Razorback Stadium history (74,191) were into the game and loud.  And two thumbs up to the Razorback Stadium game day production crew…they had the music rockin’ during most of the timeouts on Saturday.  (Although we’re sure there will be some calling to complain this week about “all the racket.”)
  
• Honorable Mention:  Good to see receiver Greg Childs looking a little more like he did before his season-ending injury last year.  Childs finished with four catches for 44 yards, but also had a 22-yard grab nullified by a penalty.

The Bad

• The Razorback defense has shown all the signs of being a unit that plays their best in the 2nd half of games.  But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch them make numerous mistakes before adjustments can be made.  I mean…was it really a surprise that Gus Malzahn would run misdirection rushing plays that would try to attack the Hogs’ defense at the edges?  Luckily, the Tigers only scored 14 points before the defense finally clamped down for the rest of the game.
• The final outcome could’ve been even larger had the Hogs done a better job on third downs.  The 5-for-16 conversion rate — including two failed attempts at 3rd and 1 — certainly isn’t going to cut it with Coach Petrino.  The Hogs currently rank 64th nationally (35-for-85, 41.2 percent) in 3rd Down Efficiency on the season.
• Honorable mention: Kicker Zach Hocker lining up right in the middle of the field — with the wind at his back — and missing a 34-yard field goal to start the game.  It was good, however, to see Hocker bounce back and make a similar field goal kick in the 4th quarter.

The Ugly

• When the penalty flag came out during Joe Adams’ touchdown run, we got nervous that it might be called back.  But it turned out to be an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Auburn linebacker Daren Bates, who was yelling at and (it appeared) intentionally bumping an official out of bounds while running behind the play.  Stay classy there, Daren.  And speaking of that…
• As someone said on Twitter during the game, the whole Auburn “us against the world” routine is getting tired.  At the end of the third quarter, with his team trailing 28-14, Auburn coach Gene Chizik sent his entire team down to northeast corner of the field to help fire up the Auburn cheering section.  The stunt by the ever front-running Chizik certainly didn’t motivate his team, as a Kiehl Frazier interception followed by Hocker’s 36-yard field goal quickly put the game out of reach.

Of course, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.”  What did we leave out?

Walking on Sunshine also contributed to this post.

The 2011 University of Arkansas Razorback football media guide has rolled off the presses. Totaling 208 pages, the book is the foremost source on all things pertaining to Razorback football for the upcoming season.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Full Media Guide (PDF), Interactive Media Guide
• Robbie Neiswanger: A Closer Look at Arkansas’ 2011 Media Guide

The Good

• Why is it always a struggle in Starkville?  Always a tough place to get a win, especially when emotions were running high like they were Saturday.  And while most projections have this team going to the Cotton Bowl, securing the ninth win of the season helps keep the Hogs in the discussion for a BCS bid.
• Linebacker Jerry Franklin was making tackles all over the field on Saturday.  Franklin recorded an astounding 20 tackles (8 solo), including a sack and two tackles for loss.  It was the most tackles in a game by a Razorback defender since 2002 and tied for the tenth-best single-game performance in school history.
• On a night full of fantastic ‘touchdown blocks,’ center Travis Swanson made the ‘Block of the Year.’  On Knile Davis’ first quarter touchdown run, Swanson pulled to the left and took out two MSU defenders with a single block.  As one of the two Bulldogs defenders fell, he actually tripped a third teammate, allowing Davis to romp 62 yards untouched for the Hogs first touchdown.
• Speaking of Davis, he had another memorable rushing day, rolling up 187 yards on 30 carries — both career highs.  The performance pushed Knile over the 1,000-yard mark (1,031), as he became only the 10th player in school history to do so.  But…

The Bad

• Both of Davis’ fumbles — the first two of his Razorback career — created huge momentum swings that really hurt the Hogs.  The first came deep in MSU territory, after the defense had secured a turnover, and kept the Hogs from going up two scores early.  The second, in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes to play, gave the Bulldogs the field position they needed to drive for the tying field goal.

The Ugly

• While we’ve seen much worse, Anthony Leon losing his cool and getting ejected was still just plain stupid.  After the Hogs forced a critical fumble in the third quarter, Leon reacted to an MSU player and took a swipe at him right in front of an official.  As a result of the ejection, Leon will miss the first half of the LSU game.  C’mon, man.
• Willy Robinson’s defenses continue to be ‘just what the doctor ordered’ for struggling SEC offenses.  Coming into the game only ahead of Vanderbilt in scoring offense, the Bulldogs rolled up 486 total yards Saturday on 100 plays.  The yardage was by far the most the Bulldogs had gained versus an SEC opponent this year.  (325 vs. Kentucky was their previous high.)

Of course, we can’t possibly mention everything that was “Good, Bad and Ugly.”  What did we leave out?

TipsterHog also contributed to this post.

This week’s candidate is senior safety Anthony ‘Juice’ Leon.  Leon (6-4, 227), who had a reputation as a big hitter before arriving in Fayetteville, might fare better closer to the line of scrimmage.  That’s the thought, at least.  After practicing there for two practices, he’s already found himself working at times as the first-team weakside linebacker.

While we applaud finding a spot for a big hitter, what does that tell you about the Hogs’ linebacking corps at this late stage?  Juice is there less than 48 hours and he might be the starter?

“He really enjoys being at that position,” Robinson said.  “We felt like he was very natural the first day we moved him there as far as his reads.”

Last year around this time, we were writing about the demotion of linebackers Wendel Davis and Jerry Franklin to the second team in the hopes of sending them a message.  Davis completed his eligibility last season, while Franklin was voted one of the defensive captains for 2010.

But this week Franklin, who is a Butkus Award nominee, has again been working some with the second team.  And the senior that apparently needs a message to be sent this year is Freddy Burton, who toiled with the newcomers on Wednesday afternoon while the other veterans got the second practice of the day off.

The signing this spring of Chris Smith, the highly touted freshman from North Carolina, gave a glimmer of hope that the Hogs would be bolstering their linebacker corps.  But now that Smith has found a home as a pass-rushing defensive end, it appears to be the same song, second verse this season at linebacker.

In a year where this team has made obvious improvement on the defensive front and (fingers crossed) in the secondary, the Achilles’ heel of this defensive unit seems even more pronounced now.

Could there be more possibilities out there that Robinson and Petrino haven’t explored?  What’s next…open it up for student body tryouts?

Bobby Petrino enters his third spring practice with the Hogs and, as usual, he’s shooting it to us straight about expectations for 2010.

“I feel good about the expectations of our players, the expectations of our team”, Petrino said.

“That’s the key.  We’re hoping everyone expects us to win, and if the fans do, then obviously that’s great.

“But the best part of it is when our players expect to take the field and win, and I think we’ll be that way this year.”

To get to the top in the fall, the 15 spring practices that begin next Tuesday will be important to this team.  Surprisingly, the absence of starting quarterback Ryan Mallett is not a huge storyline.  Here’s a few things we’ll be eyeing closely when the RBN crew makes it down to watch practice.

How will the three new assistant coaches mesh with the returning staff and players?  Defensive line coach Steve Caldwell, offensive line coach Chris Klenakis, and wide receivers coach Kris Cinkovich all make their debuts.  The SEC veteran Caldwell comes to Fayetteville after 14 seasons in Knoxville.  Klenakis and Cinkovich have coached with the Petrino family before, so expect a smooth transition there.  What’s their coaching style like…their approach?  We’ll find out.

How much more of the Pistol formation will we see in 2010?  Referred to as the “Shot” formation by Petrino, this look was sprinkled in last year and was a good set for the Hogs.  Considering Coach Klenakis was one of the innovators of the Pistol at Nevada (along with Nevada head coach Chris Ault), we’re expecting to see this formation more heavily used this year.

For a quarterback like Tyler Wilson, who has had some troubles under center, this formation might be a godsend.  Also, Nevada was one of the leaders nationally in rushing, much of it out of the Pistol.

Can offensive lineman Alvin Bailey (6-5, 323) and Anthony Oden (6-8, 328) push their way onto the first team?  Bailey and Oden both impressed as freshman a year ago.  The Hogs bit the bullet and redshirted Bailey, while Oden started one game and saw limited action in 2009.  Both are All-SEC type players at some point, and will emerge in due time.  Will that be this spring?

If there’s any linebackers on campus, will they stand up and be counted?  How long has it been since we’ve had a linebacker?  This spring, we trot the same, sad souls out there and try to find somebody, anybody that can make a play at this position.  Bueller….Bueller…anybody?

Off-season workout warrior Jermaine Love (5-11, 230) gets the first shot at middle linebacker, but look for sophomore Terrell Williams (6-3, 237) to emerge.  Regulars Jerry Franklin, Freddy Burton, Jerico Nelson and Bret Harris hold down the fort until incoming freshman Chris Smith (6-2, 230, Mt. Ulla, NC) gets on campus this fall.

ESPN’s Chris Low tabs the Hogs Defense as the unit that has “the most to prove” in the SEC this spring.  We couldn’t agree more.

“With all this talk about the Hogs being ready to contend for a championship next season, you can’t help but wonder how much better they will be on defense.  They were the only team in the SEC last season to give up more than 400 yards an outing in conference games (419.5 yards).”

A lot to solve in 15 practices, huh?  The Razorbacks will play their Spring Game on April 24th.  Here’s hoping the snow is over and warmer weather combines with the sound of popping pads to remove the sting of watching March Madness from afar.

The Good

• Good for kicker Alex Tejada, a guy who has long deserved to have some good things happen for him.  As mentioned here before, we’ve regularly driven by and seen Tejada on the practice fields kicking by himself in the mid-July heat.  It’s that kind of dedication by the players and coaches of this team that you like to see rewarded with success.
• While turnovers forced by the Razorbacks made a very obvious contribution to winning the game, this team’s overall improvement in turnover margin has been dramatic.  After finishing -9 in 2008 (102nd nationally), the Hogs concluded this season at +15, which currently ranks sixth in the country.  The interception reads that Jerry Franklin and Tramain Thomas made showed they were well-prepared by the coaches for what they would see from East Carolina.

The Bad

• The Razorback offense looked very much the part of the ‘finesse team’ on Saturday.  While the Pirates were setting up the pass with the run on their impressive 99-yard second quarter drive, the Hogs were setting up the pass with, well…the pass.  What little running game that was attempted was stuffed for most of the game by an impressively strong ECU defensive line.  If Coach Petrino is going to achieve the balance that he says he wants, there is much to be improved in the Razorback rushing attack during the offseason.
• How fortunate was Arkansas to win this game?  Before Saturday night, only one other college team this season had won their game without converting a single third down.  The Hogs’ futility was, we suppose, not too surprising since third down conversions were the Achilles heel for this Razorback offense all season long (54 for 162, 104th nationally).  Which leads us to ‘The Ugly’…

The Ugly

• Of the 13 failed third down conversions on Saturday, one attempt stood out as the most frustrating to watch.  Facing a third and one — one yard! — in the fourth quarter, Bobby Petrino called a nice play-action fake play that allowed Ryan Mallett to roll right.  Standing right in front of him was tight end D.J. Williams WIDE OPEN for an easy, short completion.  Instead, Mallett inexplicably chose to throw wildly downfield for an incompletion.  Now…we normally don’t fault a quarterback for not finding a receiver that we, as fans, see clearly.  But how do you miss a guy standing 10 feet in front of you?

In recent days, Bobby Petrino and Willy Robinson have raised some eyebrows by demoting two starters to second team.  Are they still searching for linebackers at this late date, or is this a motivational ploy?

Starters from last season like Wendel Davis and Jerry Franklin have spent a good bit of the last two days on the second team.  Sophomore Bret Harris and redshirt freshman Tenarius Wright jumped into the first team fray.  Harris is a recently converted strong safety, while Wright has the size (6-2, 238) the coaches covet.

“We’re going to be competitive,” Petrino said. “You’ve got to come out and practice hard every day and do what you’re coached to do, run to the football. If not, then the guy behind you is going to move up.”

Our guess is Davis and Franklin will get the message and answer the call, and this is just a way for the coaches to get their attention.  If coming off a season where the Hogs ranked dead last in the SEC on defense wasn’t motivation enough, maybe playing second fiddle for a few days will be.

The Good

• Where would this team be without the play of running back Michael Smith?  The 5-foot-7 junior had 182 all-purpose yards on Saturday and showed a toughness and determination that impressed everyone.  After the game, Paul Petrino said Smith is giving “everything he’s got,” while Urban Meyer made a point of calling Smith “a heck of a player” in his post-game interview.
• For three quarters, the defense and tackling were better.  Simplifying the scheme looks to have helped the Hog defense execute faster.
• Along those lines, Wendel Davis was back at middle linebacker and tallied 11 tackles on Saturday.  Moving Davis allowed Jerry Franklin to slide over to outside linebacker…a position he looks more comfortable playing.
• The hurry-up drive right before halftime was going great…until the interception.  Still, the mere ability to execute a decent two-minute offense is something we’ve begged for on this site for years.  (And the catch made by Joe Adams during that drive was spectacular.)

The Bad

• The key drive of the game was after the Hogs intercepted Tim Tebow late in the third quarter.  After an ill-advised deep ball attempt to London Crawford on first down, two passes were completed short of the first down yardage.  As hard as the defense had played up to that point, they really needed the offensive players and coaches to produce more than a quick three-and-out.
• The Razorbacks are still looking for that elusive first quarter score.  They trail their opponents 41-0 collectively this season after one period of play.

The Ugly

• This team is not good enough on either side of the ball to overcome being penalized as much as they were on Saturday.  And speaking of not scoring in the opening quarter (see above), if you look at the Hogs’ first quarter drives on Saturday, they both stalled out after false start penalties.
• Unlike the rest of the team, special teams took a step back on Saturday.  In particular, the short kickoffs, blocked field goal and muffed punt.  (Luckily, a kickoff returned by Florida for a touchdown was called back after kicker Jeremy Davis took a block in the back ‘for the team.’)  After five games, Arkansas has not played a team this season that hasn’t had a superior special teams unit.

Walking on Sunshine also contributed to this post.

We were not disappointed.  What a pleasure it is to watch a Bobby Petrino team practice.  Organized, fast-paced, attention to detail…it was all there.

Here are a few of our casual observations made while watching the two hour practice:

– Freshman wide receiver Jarius Wright and running back De’Anthony Curtis were expected to impress…and did not disappoint.  Both look like major contributors.

The newcomer that really surprised me, though, was freshman running back Dennis Johnson of Texarkana.  Johnson (5-7, 195) is cat quick and showed an elusive burst that is going to make him hard to bring down.  For those who have not seen him, just imagine a younger, less experienced version of Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Chip Gregory also looked much improved at running back after his injury-hampered spring.  Running hard and breaking tackles with strength is not a problem.  Hanging onto the ball, however, continues to be as Gregory fumbled again during one of the Hogs tackling drills.

– As for the quarterbacks, Tyler Wilson and Jim Youngblood are good prospects.  Both have strong arms and showed flashes.  But both probably need to redshirt if the Hogs can get by without playing them.

Wilson needs to improve his strength (especially in his lower body) and Youngblood needs to improve his mechanics.  Both of those deficiencies, of course, are pretty typical for most incoming freshman quarterbacks.

Ryan Mallett is just off the charts.  He will be a superstar when his time comes.

Finally, while other units were running their drills, quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee was taking two five-minute periods to work with all the quarterbacks on making the proper pre-snap check (audible) after a defensive shift.  Very interesting and fun to watch.

– On the defensive side, I felt a little better about the linebackers after getting a closeup view of Ryan Powers, Jermaine Love, Jerry Franklin, and Freddy Burton.  These four along with senior captain Elston Forte might be okay as a group, but they are so ‘smallish’ by SEC standards that it’s still an area of concern.

Some of the tackling drills on Saturday seemed to indicate that true freshman Tenarius Wright (6-2, 230) was taking a small step back for the moment.  It’s obvious that junior Wendel Davis needs to get healthy again over the next few weeks.

Heavy rains in the Fayetteville area forced the Hogs inside for the second practice on Saturday.  Expect some shakeups (like the move of Wade Grayson to first team) after the coaches review the film of Sunday’s scrimmage.  It should be a fun week to watch the depth chart.