Play to our STRENGTHS!

[Wi11ieBeamin]

We have a top 10 ten QB, a top 10 WR unit, and a top 5 TE unit.  Let's spread these guys out and utilize all that talent we have and get all our best players on the field at the same time.  We got our five lineman, Austin at QB, Rawleigh at RB, Sprinkle at TE, and Hatcher, Morgan, and Cornelius at WR.  No more 8 in the box on us and we can probably start to actually run the ball.  We run it so much better when we have a hat on a hat.  Opens up the middle so much and will allow Rawleigh or Devwah to stop getting stuff at the line. I think this is our biggest problem in the Red Zone when we bunch all our players up and no one even respects the edges.  darn, people do it to us all the time..thats why we get gutted up the middle on the reg.

[Bacon_Bitz]

I tend to agree

[Cinco de Hogo]

Feed the Studs!

And for Gosh sake put Skipper back at RT and lets get this run game going!

[Big Nasty 34]

Feed the Studs!

And for Gosh sake put Skipper back at RT and lets get this run game going!

Yes, so Austin is killed from his blindside instead.

Thank goodness we had Skipper slow down Miles Garrett a little bit. He would have abused anyone else.

[colbs]

We have a top 10 ten QB, a top 10 WR unit, and a top 5 TE unit.  Let's spread these guys out and utilize all that talent we have and get all our best players on the field at the same time.  We got our five lineman, Austin at QB, Rawleigh at RB, Sprinkle at TE, and Hatcher, Morgan, and Cornelius at WR.  No more 8 in the box on us and we can probably start to actually run the ball.  We run it so much better when we have a hat on a hat.  Opens up the middle so much and will allow Rawleigh or Devwah to stop getting stuff at the line. I think this is our biggest problem in the Red Zone when we bunch all our players up and no one even respects the edges.  darn, people do it to us all the time..thats why we get gutted up the middle on the reg.

Maybe around the redzone but besides that Arkansas hasn't had trouble putting up yards.

[bigred223]

Yeah I think we need to spread out more near the goal line. We move just fine between the 20s

[DiamondHogFan]

Feed the Studs!

And for Gosh sake put Skipper back at RT and lets get this run game going!

Not sure if there was some sarcasm in ^that^ or not, but to your point...I think it would be more useful to move switch Ragnow and Froholdt if your goal was to get Skipper and Ragnow on the same side.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Who are you moving to LT then?

RT-Skipper
RG-Ragnow
C-Rogers
LG-Raulerson
LT-Froholdt

Power is now on the right and we can run(where did AC go last year).  Put KW at FB and assign him pass pro on left if Froholdt needs it.  On passing downs the RB picks up the blitz if it comes or slips out of the backfield, maybe a shovel pass.  On running plays KW simply lead blocks and you don't worry about a bull rushing DE. 

Now the beauty of that is next year you have an experience LT, and along the way Wallace and a couple others get better.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Not sure if there was some sarcasm in ^that^ or not, but to your point...I think it would be more useful to move switch Ragnow and Froholdt if your goal was to get Skipper and Ragnow on the same side.

No because the natural power side in football is to the right because it's easier for the QB in passing situations.

[DiamondHogFan]

RT-Skipper
RG-Ragnow
C-Rogers
LG-Raulerson
LT-Froholdt

Power is now on the right and we can run(where did AC go last year).  Put KW at FB and assign him pass pro on left if Froholdt needs it.  On passing downs the RB picks up the blitz if it comes or slips out of the backfield, maybe a shovel pass.  On running plays KW simply lead blocks and you don't worry about a bull rushing DE. 

Now the beauty of that is next year you have an experience LT, and along the way Wallace and a couple others get better.

Froholdt is far (very far) from being a LT.

[DiamondHogFan]

No because the natural power side in football is to the right because it's easier for the QB in passing situations.

Only easier if you have someone to block the guys from the other side as well...

[jacobp]

Froholdt isn't an LT and isn't going to be one.

[Cinco de Hogo]

The coaches want a balanced line and I understand that but we don't have a balanced line and I don't know if we will get there and even if we do we will have the same problem next year. 

The name of this thread is play to you strenghs, and I added feed the studs.  That's my idea of how best to do that.  I'm not saying I'm right or that I know more than the coaches...think goodness.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Only easier if you have someone to block the guys from the other side as well...

Right and who will it be next year if we don't find him this year?  Wallace can handle the right side eventually.  That mean next year LT is our worry spot once again.  Assign KW to help, scheme it.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Explain in football terms why Froholdt can't be a LT.

[DiamondHogFan]

Right and who will it be next year if we don't find him this year?  Wallace can handle the right side eventually.  That mean next year LT is our worry spot once again.  Assign KW to help, scheme it.

We will worry about next year, next year.  We are about to be 4-1 ranked in the top 20 trying to take down a giant.  I believe we have the best line on the field that we can for this year.  It just is what it is.

[Cinco de Hogo]

We will worry about next year, next year.  We are about to be 4-1 ranked in the top 20 trying to take down a giant.  I believe we have the best line on the field that we can for this year.  It just is what it is.

How long will you say that if we can't run the ball effectively?  My point is I'm worrying about this year too.  We are depending on the line balancing out and it may happen, I hope it does but obviously I have been posting this since fall camp and haven't been proven wrong yet. 

Anyway it's just football talk which I enjoy. 🙃

[GuvHog]

Explain in football terms why Froholdt can't be a LT.

He's just now getting the hang of playing LG and they don't have time to start from scratch and teach him a whole new position that he's never played.

[Biggus Piggus]

This situation has much to do with the challenge of developing the available players into an offensive line that can handle power run blocking and pass protection. Arkansas has a number of players who are good at one and weak to poor at the other. This is the low point in the Oline talent pipeline at Arkansas. It was visible from a ways off and made worse by one ill-advised departure and the exit of the position coach, which hampered recruiting.

A position coach more experienced than Kurt Anderson might have been better prepared to put these players into the right positions, but the essential problem was the talent/skill/experience mix of the available players.

They can't even do the conventional thing, which is to default to experience over talent, because that option still leaves two slots filled by players with no previous experience.

It still seems like a poorly managed process when you begin August camp with a left side consisting of two completely green starters; then make a mid-camp move of Dan Skipper from RT to LT; scrimmage with Rogers and Raulerson at RG and RT, then they never reappear at those positions; take the former first-team LT, redshirt frosh, and start him at RT; move Ragnow from C to RG for Texas State; move him back to C at the last minute before aTm; ignore Wallace then give him 50% of snaps against Texas State; start Wallace for the first time against the Aggies.

I don't see how some people think we're "down on the players." It looks like the Oline was mismanaged from March on. Somehow, Arkansas made a dramatic conversion from "we can't play Skipper at left tackle" to "Skipper is the left tackle we had dreamed of."

They did not make Wallace the starting right tackle in spring because they expected Skipper to be the starting right tackle. Wallace got a millisecond's look at left tackle before being moved to right guard, where they never committed to him.

Get this. They 100% committed to Froholdt at left guard but could not commit to any position for Wallace. What is wrong here? It's not as though anybody was earning any special treatment in practice, other than Ragnow and Skipper. What happened to choose your best and develop them?

Wallace was obviously one of the best, but he was subordinated to five or six other players for many months. Thankfully, Wallace worked harder and earned his way back up, but a lot of things had to fall into place. First one was the move of Skipper to left tackle. Second was the predictable unreadiness of Colton Jackson (though true and redshirt freshmen aren't universally unready, are they).

Jackson is likely to be a great Razorback someday, maybe soon. Nothing wrong with him. But why was he given two starting jobs that were his to lose, when Wallace - with one more year under his belt - was shunted around? Why not put Wallace in a starting role way back, then work with him until he was ready?

Otherwise, the selection of starting guards has been a strange process. Arkansas appears to have extra depth at center and a real void at guard. Rogers or Raulerson could be the center, but somebody seems to be afraid of that option. Somebody's decided that the Hogs need to be big and powerful at center, even if it means starting a right guard who isn't.

If you could suspend timing from the issue, Arkansas would have plenty of options at the guards with Froholdt, Gibson, Heinrich, Malone, Merrick, Ragnow, Ramirez, Raulerson and Rogers.

Froholdt - learning on the fly
Gibson - walk-on who has not gotten a serious look
Heinrich - had to overcome injury, behind in the weight room
Malone - undersized juco transfer
Merrick - redshirt freshman still coming on
Ragnow - starting center
Ramirez - undersized juco transfer
Raulerson - Texas transfer, also needs to catch up on strength
Rogers - he's 6-1

A lot of these guys will develop into good players, but most are not there yet. Any ranting to be done about the ability of Kurt Anderson to develop players? Probably not.

We can expect Arkansas to continue trying to improve the power running game instead of doing everything it can to get the best pass protectors onto the football field. It is unlikely that any option is going to produce great results this season. What the Hogs will do is stay true to their philosophy, hack through this season, and try to arrive in 2017 with a better-prepared, more versatile blend of players.

[Cinco de Hogo]

He's just now getting the hang of playing LG and they don't have time to start from scratch and teach him a whole new position that he's never played.

Spring ball was the time no doubt. 

[DiamondHogFan]

How long will you say that if we can't run the ball effectively?  My point is I'm worrying about this year too.  We are depending on the line balancing out and it may happen, I hope it does but obviously I have been posting this since fall camp and haven't been proven wrong yet. 

Anyway it's just football talk which I enjoy. 🙃

I think there are very few defenses (A&M and Bama) with a defensive front like we just faced.  RWIII went for over 130 against TCU.  I think that is a more likely outcome against even most SEC teams than what we saw last Saturday.  I actually think Froholdt is one heck of a run blocker and if anything we may try to push Ragnow out to RT and switch the guards.  I have no idea though.  I trust the coaches and that's why I believe we are putting the best we have on the field every week.

LT Skipper
LG Raulerson
C Rogers
RG Froholdt
RT Ragnow

Who knows if that would work better, but I think it would help our run game on the right side as well as leaving Skipper as the blindside tackle.

[Cinco de Hogo]

This situation has much to do with the challenge of developing the available players into an offensive line that can handle power run blocking and pass protection. Arkansas has a number of players who are good at one and weak to poor at the other. This is the low point in the Oline talent pipeline at Arkansas. It was visible from a ways off and made worse by one ill-advised departure and the exit of the position coach, which hampered recruiting.

A position coach more experienced than Kurt Anderson might have been better prepared to put these players into the right positions, but the essential problem was the talent/skill/experience mix of the available players.

They can't even do the conventional thing, which is to default to experience over talent, because that option still leaves two slots filled by players with no previous experience.

It still seems like a poorly managed process when you begin August camp with a left side consisting of two completely green starters; then make a mid-camp move of Dan Skipper from RT to LT; scrimmage with Rogers and Raulerson at RG and RT, then they never reappear at those positions; take the former first-team LT, redshirt frosh, and start him at RT; move Ragnow from C to RG for Texas State; move him back to C at the last minute before aTm; ignore Wallace then give him 50% of snaps against Texas State; start Wallace for the first time against the Aggies.

I don't see how some people think we're "down on the players." It looks like the Oline was mismanaged from March on. Somehow, Arkansas made a dramatic conversion from "we can't play Skipper at left tackle" to "Skipper is the left tackle we had dreamed of."

They did not make Wallace the starting right tackle in spring because they expected Skipper to be the starting right tackle. Wallace got a millisecond's look at left tackle before being moved to right guard, where they never committed to him.

Get this. They 100% committed to Froholdt at left guard but could not commit to any position for Wallace. What is wrong here? It's not as though anybody was earning any special treatment in practice, other than Ragnow and Skipper. What happened to choose your best and develop them?

Wallace was obviously one of the best, but he was subordinated to five or six other players for many months. Thankfully, Wallace worked harder and earned his way back up, but a lot of things had to fall into place. First one was the move of Skipper to left tackle. Second was the predictable unreadiness of Colton Jackson (though true and redshirt freshmen aren't universally unready, are they).

Jackson is likely to be a great Razorback someday, maybe soon. Nothing wrong with him. But why was he given two starting jobs that were his to lose, when Wallace - with one more year under his belt - was shunted around? Why not put Wallace in a starting role way back, then work with him until he was ready?

Otherwise, the selection of starting guards has been a strange process. Arkansas appears to have extra depth at center and a real void at guard. Rogers or Raulerson could be the center, but somebody seems to be afraid of that option. Somebody's decided that the Hogs need to be big and powerful at center, even if it means starting a right guard who isn't.

If you could suspend timing from the issue, Arkansas would have plenty of options at the guards with Froholdt, Gibson, Heinrich, Malone, Merrick, Ragnow, Ramirez, Raulerson and Rogers.

Froholdt - learning on the fly
Gibson - walk-on who has not gotten a serious look
Heinrich - had to overcome injury, behind in the weight room
Malone - undersized juco transfer
Merrick - redshirt freshman still coming on
Ragnow - starting center
Ramirez - undersized juco transfer
Raulerson - Texas transfer, also needs to catch up on strength
Rogers - he's 6-1

A lot of these guys will develop into good players, but most are not there yet. Any ranting to be done about the ability of Kurt Anderson to develop players? Probably not.

We can expect Arkansas to continue trying to improve the power running game instead of doing everything it can to get the best pass protectors onto the football field. It is unlikely that any option is going to produce great results this season. What the Hogs will do is stay true to their philosophy, hack through this season, and try to arrive in 2017 with a better-prepared, more versatile blend of players.

Weird stuff which you wouldn't expect out of a veteran staff. 

[Cinco de Hogo]

I think there are very few defenses (A&M and Bama) with a defensive front like we just faced.  RWIII went for over 130 against TCU.  I think that is a more likely outcome against even most SEC teams than what we saw last Saturday.  I actually think Froholdt is one heck of a run blocker and if anything we may try to push Ragnow out to RT and switch the guards.  I have no idea though.  I trust the coaches and that's why I believe we are putting the best we have on the field every week.

LT Skipper
LG Raulerson
C Rogers
RG Froholdt
RT Ragnow

Who knows if that would work better, but I think it would help our run game on the right side as well as leaving Skipper as the blindside tackle.

Might work since they obviously can't move Froholdt out to LT at this point in the season.  I like Rogers at center because of his height.  I don't think you need height at that position just the ability to snap the ball and stop a nose tackle from dumping you on your backside.  Haha how many teams even use the nose tackle position anymore?  I think most just plan to go around the center.

[Wi11ieBeamin]

I think spreading them out wide will only help our line. Quick passes, WR screens, then busting them deep with one of our 3 All SEC caliber Receivers.  The more defenders we can get out of the box the better.

[Wi11ieBeamin]

And our line will be fine.  I think come Florida game we will be praising how much our Oline has carried us. We just have to get our playmakers on the field. Austin is the real deal and we have the weapons around him to be a legit top ten team. We have to find ways to get them all involved. Let's line up Sprinkle out wide even. Talk about a mismatch

[Cinco de Hogo]

If we spread them out wide we better have some really quick developing plays ready to go.  The problem is we don't have a Joe Adams or Jarius Wright.  Drew Morgan is not that kind of receiver.  Do we have one, even a freshmen?  Adams and Wright played as freshmen.

[DiamondHogFan]

If we spread them out wide we better have some really quick developing plays ready to go.  The problem is we don't have a Joe Adams or Jarius Wright.  Drew Morgan is not that kind of receiver.  Do we have one, even a freshmen?  Adams and Wright played as freshmen.

Reed could be that guy.  Cornelius is quick too.  Hopefully Reed will catch fire soon like he did down the stretch last year.

[code red]

Yes, so Austin is killed from his blindside instead.

Thank goodness we had Skipper slow down Miles Garrett a little bit. He would have abused anyone else.

He is getting killed because we are using condensed formation with 9-10 folks within striking range.  I agree spread the field and wing it quicks, nows, bubbles and hitches.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Reed could be that guy.  Cornelius is quick too.  Hopefully Reed will catch fire soon like he did down the stretch last year.

Cornelius maybe but Reed is too easy to jam and I think team have figured that out, plus I don't think he could take the punishment.  Stewart?  Pettaway? 

[ricepig]

He is getting killed because we are using condensed formation with 9-10 folks within striking range.  I agree spread the field and wing it quicks, nows, bubbles and hitches.

Austin is getting killed in tight formations?? You do know that some of those "tight" formations were to have guys available to chip on the DE's, without them, he most definitely would have been in trouble. He got lit up when aTm blitzed more than we had to block them, for the most part.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Yes, so Austin is killed from his blindside instead.

Thank goodness we had Skipper slow down Miles Garrett a little bit. He would have abused anyone else.

So he can get killed from the other side right?  One strong side is better than none.  We couldn't go left because Skipper couldn't contain Garrett only slow down his progress to the QB.  If we went left Garrett would have released and left Skipper grabbing air.

So now we can't go either direction and ya'll don't understand the problem.  Maybe it will get better on the right side and maybe other teams won't have the talent aTm had.

Bama, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU for sure all have the horses.  Missouri has had one of the best D-lines in the conference, don't know if it's that good this year.  MSU?

[code red]

Austin is getting killed in tight formations?? You do know that some of those "tight" formations were to have guys available to chip on the DE's, without them, he most definitely would have been in trouble. He got lit up when aTm blitzed more than we had to block them, for the most part.

We never truly spread the field....lots of the short trips look.  I am a referring to putting folks on the boundary.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Austin is getting killed in tight formations?? You do know that some of those "tight" formations were to have guys available to chip on the DE's, without them, he most definitely would have been in trouble. He got lit up when aTm blitzed more than we had to block them, for the most part.
[/quote

Blitzing players leave a gap somewhere.  If we can't run out of those formations coaches have to scheme to get the ball somewhere quick. 

What's your answer?

[DiamondHogFan]

Blitzing players leave a gap somewhere.  If we can't run out of those formations coaches have to scheme to get the ball somewhere quick. 

What's your answer?

I know your question wasn't directed to me but it brought up a thought.  How about very well executed screens?  I don't know if we just aren't comfortable with them or if we thought we just didn't have enough time to pull it off.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I know your question wasn't directed to me but it brought up a thought.  How about very well executed screens?  I don't know if we just aren't comfortable with them or if we thought we just didn't have enough time to pull it off.

It's weird,

Isn't a qb count of 1,2,3 pass the norm if your going quick?  Seems with a worse o-line(according to HV) Mallett managed to get almost all his passes away.  So something, scheme or lack of the type receivers I've already mentioned is stopping us from employing that type offense,

If it's not that it's the coaches play calling. 

[ricepig]

It's weird,

Isn't a qb count of 1,2,3 pass the norm if your going quick?  Seems with a worse o-line(according to HV) Mallett managed to get almost all his passes away.  So something, scheme or lack of the type receivers I've already mentioned is stopping us from employing that type offense,

If it's not that it's the coaches play calling. 

How many sacks did Mallett have compared to the two previous seasons per/attempt? I don't have any idea, just wondering??

[Cinco de Hogo]

How many sacks did Mallett have compared to the two previous seasons per/attempt? I don't have any idea, just wondering??

Sorry I have to go off memory that's a job for Factchecker.  I don't remember Mallett getting sacked/hit near as often as Wilson or Brandon did so maybe the credit for that just goes to Mallett himself.

I just don't know if we have the personal to dial up that type game even if it is the answer for now to the tight formations.  It's a nice thought to force the defense to spread out but it's the offenses first move.  Can we make the first move?

[factchecker]

Sorry I have to go off memory that's a job for Factchecker.  I don't remember Mallett getting sacked/hit near as often as Wilson or Brandon did so maybe the credit for that just goes to Mallett himself.

Season- Pass Attempts/Sacks Allowed/PassesPerSack (how many passes did we throw per sack allowed)

2008 - 443/42/10.55
2009 - 439/25/17.56
2010 - 465/28/16.61
2011 - 471/28/16.82
2012 - 459/18/25.5
2013 - 301/08/37.63 (crazy, that was our best season but Brandon also threw the ball in the stands quite a bit)
2014 - 359/14/25.64
2015 - 374/14/26.71
2016 - 122/07/17.43

ADD- 

Pittman's line at Georgia (2016) - 135 passes/12 sacks allowed/11.25 passes per sack

[DiamondHogFan]

Season- Pass Attempts/Sacks Allowed/PassesPerSack (how many passes did we throw per sack allowed)

2008 - 443/42/10.55
2009 - 439/25/17.56
2010 - 465/28/16.61
2011 - 471/28/16.82
2012 - 459/18/25.5
2013 - 301/08/37.63 (crazy, that was our best season but Brandon also threw the ball in the stands quite a bit)
2014 - 359/14/25.64
2015 - 374/14/26.71
2016 - 122/07/17.43

ADD- 

Pittman's line at Georgia (2016) - 135 passes/12 sacks allowed/11.25 passes per sack

Actually that is Richt's (or their previous O-line coach?) line being coached by Pittman.  I think Pittman is a good coach, but not the best recruiter.  I expect their line to go down in the future seasons.  I also don't think Kirby Smart lasts very long.  Kind of like the next coach for LSU.  When you are tired of winning an average of ONLY 9 games a year, it's hard for a new guy to come in and be popular.

[Wi11ieBeamin]

You think teams like Texas Tech have better a better line than us??? No way. But they spread them out enough to either get off quick passes or allow your line to not be over matched by numbers. It levels the playing field. It's why Bama has such a hard time with spread teams. It makes their front seven worry about receivers instead of pinning their ears back

[Youngsta71701]

I think we will see a more wide open pro-style offense from now on. Austin Allen has proven himself and believe it or not the O-line has gotten better pass blocking since game one. Texas A&M just has some beasty D-linemen. The best we will see this year when it comes to rushing the passer. Alabama will probably be better at stopping the run.

[Danny J]

Austin is getting killed in tight formations?? You do know that some of those "tight" formations were to have guys available to chip on the DE's, without them, he most definitely would have been in trouble. He got lit up when aTm blitzed more than we had to block them, for the most part.

AND he is more willing to stand in the pocket and take a hit. He is a warrior no doubt but I seriously worry about his safety against Bama and UF if he keeps standing tall in the pocket waiting on time developing routes behind our O line