Biggest Concern Saturday

[WilsonHog]

I see no reason to believe that John Chavis won't stack the box, install a run blitz package, and make us win by throwing the football. I don't care how skilled the offensive line is; when the defense puts more men in the box than can be blocked, the only way to loosen them up is to throw the football.

And now we come to the chicken-and-the-egg problem.

Here are the receiving stats of our wide-outs through the first two games:

Jonathan Nance: 6 receptions for 75 yards;

Deon Stewart: 3 receptions for 31 yards;

Jarrod Barnes: 2 receptions for 30 yards;

Jared Cornelius: 2 receptions for eight yards;

Jordan Jones: 1 reception for eight yards;

La'Michael Pettway: 1 reception for seven yards;

Brandon Martin: 0 receptions; and,

De'vion Warren: 0 receptions.

Eight wide receivers have caught 15 balls for 159 yards (10.6 per reception).

The claim so far has been that our wide receivers have been unable to get separation. Austin volunteered that the problem has been that he has not been "throwing the receivers open." Translated, that is either a lack of confidence in his receivers to catch the ball unless they are wide open, or lack of confidence in himself that he can complete a pass unless the receiver is wide open (as Nance was on the blown coverage by TCU).

So...does the problem get fixed Saturday because his receivers have spent two weeks of practice time working on getting separation? Does it get fixed because Austin has developed trust in them, himself, or both over two weeks? Can this even be fixed in two weeks?

[DoubleReedHawgCaller]

Gotta have a QB that can see the field too. AA isn't helping the situation either. If things don't turn around with AA and the receivers at what point do you give Kelley a shot?

[Dominicanhog]

AA relax.. R's get some separation and timing/trust come together.. we really need this one for a lot of reasons.. offense has got to be there and fight for 4 quarters, I really believe the defense will give us a chance if CPR has to play himself...

[jacobp]

aTm pass defense currently 122 in the nation. Good time to find out

[JohnnyJohn]

It could also be because Austin can't "see" to throw them open, i.e. he just can't do it.  I'm not sure if this is right, but you left that possibility out.  I haven't seen him do it yet anyway. 

[PonderinHog]

Just don't forget your tight ends and RB's, AA, and be willing to run when it's there.  Make them respect your wheels and hit 'em where they ain't.

[swineology]

I see no reason to believe that John Chavis won't stack the box, install a run blitz package, and make us win by throwing the football. I don't care how skilled the offensive line is; when the defense puts more men in the box than can be blocked, the only way to loosen them up is to throw the football.

And now we come to the chicken-and-the-egg problem.

Here are the receiving stats of our wide-outs through the first two games:

Jonathan Nance: 6 receptions for 75 yards;

Deon Stewart: 3 receptions for 31 yards;

Jarrod Barnes: 2 receptions for 30 yards;

Jared Cornelius: 2 receptions for eight yards;

Jordan Jones: 1 reception for eight yards;

La'Michael Pettway: 1 reception for seven yards;

Brandon Martin: 0 receptions; and,

De'vion Warren: 0 receptions.

Eight wide receivers have caught 15 balls for 159 yards (10.6 per reception).

The claim so far has been that our wide receivers have been unable to get separation. Austin volunteered that the problem has been that he has not been "throwing the receivers open." Translated, that is either a lack of confidence in his receivers to catch the ball unless they are wide open, or lack of confidence in himself that he can complete a pass unless the receiver is wide open (as Nance was on the blown coverage by TCU).

So...does the problem get fixed Saturday because his receivers have spent two weeks of practice time working on getting separation? Does it get fixed because Austin has developed trust in them, himself, or both over two weeks? Can this even be fixed in two weeks?

Enos brought a Dog crap game plan to the TCU game. Enos needs to step up his game

[WilsonHog]

It could also be because Austin can't "see" to throw them open, i.e. he just can't do it.  I'm not sure if this is right, but you left that possibility out.  I haven't seen him do it yet anyway.

I'd have to go back and look at video from last year to see. Maybe, maybe not.

[PygmalionEffect2]

I've been checking in with the board since the season started but just now able to post.

I didn't see this discussed after the Florida A&M game, but I could have just missed it.

I'm not watching every presser so far this year like I usually do, but I did see the Enos presser after the first game and it was very obvious to me that when he talked about the brief performance of Cole Kelley in that game, he made a couple of odd comments that immediately gave me the impression that possibly Enos didn't think they had the right QB starting.

Comments about how much he "loved the game", "loved to play", a couple other comments about Cole's toughness and mental attitude I can't remember the exact statements.

But I thought it was a glaring omission that he didn't add something to the affect of "like Austin also has".

The way he said it sounded like he was differentiating Cole from Austin.

[JohnnyJohn]

I think Enos has routes for his WR squad this game that will get 'em open, and visibly so.  I also think we'll be able to run better, and I'm confident the play action will be a part of the game plan. 

[RazorPiggie]

It could also be because Austin can't "see" to throw them open, i.e. he just can't do it.  I'm not sure if this is right, but you left that possibility out.  I haven't seen him do it yet anyway. 

He need glasses or something?

[elksnort]

I see no reason to believe that John Chavis won't stack the box, install a run blitz package, and make us win by throwing the football. I don't care how skilled the offensive line is; when the defense puts more men in the box than can be blocked, the only way to loosen them up is to throw the football.

And now we come to the chicken-and-the-egg problem.

Here are the receiving stats of our wide-outs through the first two games:

Jonathan Nance: 6 receptions for 75 yards;

Deon Stewart: 3 receptions for 31 yards;

Jarrod Barnes: 2 receptions for 30 yards;

Jared Cornelius: 2 receptions for eight yards;

Jordan Jones: 1 reception for eight yards;

La'Michael Pettway: 1 reception for seven yards;

Brandon Martin: 0 receptions; and,

De'vion Warren: 0 receptions.

Eight wide receivers have caught 15 balls for 159 yards (10.6 per reception).

The claim so far has been that our wide receivers have been unable to get separation. Austin volunteered that the problem has been that he has not been "throwing the receivers open." Translated, that is either a lack of confidence in his receivers to catch the ball unless they are wide open, or lack of confidence in himself that he can complete a pass unless the receiver is wide open (as Nance was on the blown coverage by TCU).

So...does the problem get fixed Saturday because his receivers have spent two weeks of practice time working on getting separation? Does it get fixed because Austin has developed trust in them, himself, or both over two weeks? Can this even be fixed in two weeks?

therein lies the question. These new receivers are supposed to be the big deal

[elksnort]

Jared Cornelius needs to play well.

[Dominicanhog]

Jared Cornelius needs to play well.

[The NewEra]

I see no reason to believe that John Chavis won't stack the box, install a run blitz package, and make us win by throwing the football. I don't care how skilled the offensive line is; when the defense puts more men in the box than can be blocked, the only way to loosen them up is to throw the football.

And now we come to the chicken-and-the-egg problem.

Here are the receiving stats of our wide-outs through the first two games:

Jonathan Nance: 6 receptions for 75 yards;

Deon Stewart: 3 receptions for 31 yards;

Jarrod Barnes: 2 receptions for 30 yards;

Jared Cornelius: 2 receptions for eight yards;

Jordan Jones: 1 reception for eight yards;

La'Michael Pettway: 1 reception for seven yards;

Brandon Martin: 0 receptions; and,

De'vion Warren: 0 receptions.

Eight wide receivers have caught 15 balls for 159 yards (10.6 per reception).

The claim so far has been that our wide receivers have been unable to get separation. Austin volunteered that the problem has been that he has not been "throwing the receivers open." Translated, that is either a lack of confidence in his receivers to catch the ball unless they are wide open, or lack of confidence in himself that he can complete a pass unless the receiver is wide open (as Nance was on the blown coverage by TCU).

So...does the problem get fixed Saturday because his receivers have spent two weeks of practice time working on getting separation? Does it get fixed because Austin has developed trust in them, himself, or both over two weeks? Can this even be fixed in two weeks?

Good questions!  It will be fun to see.  I sure hope so.  It would be nice to start out 1-0 in SEC play.

[The NewEra]

AA relax.. R's get some separation and timing/trust come together.. we really need this one for a lot of reasons.. offense has got to be there and fight for 4 quarters, I really believe the defense will give us a chance if CPR has to play himself...

I agree.  I think our defense is legit.

[The NewEra]

Just don't forget your tight ends and RB's, AA, and be willing to run when it's there.  Make them respect your wheels and hit 'em where they ain't.

Our tight ends need to get a lot of opportunities.

[farmhawg]

It could also be because Austin can't "see" to throw them open, i.e. he just can't do it.  I'm not sure if this is right, but you left that possibility out.  I haven't seen him do it yet anyway. 

5 years.

[longpig]

aTm pass defense currently 122 in the nation. Good time to find out

In the 3rd week of football after having played Josh Rosen.  We can expect the aTm pass coverage to be as good or better than TCU's. 

[Rayzback]

I see no reason to believe that John Chavis won't stack the box, install a run blitz package, and make us win by throwing the football. I don't care how skilled the offensive line is; when the defense puts more men in the box than can be blocked, the only way to loosen them up is to throw the football.

Worry? For me, it's just a wait and see with pretty much the entire offense. I think Williams had some hard earned yards? Defensively, I expected TCU to pass a bit more,  big plays against the secondary. Not so worried against TAMU. I didn't like that second scoring drive they had.  Again, I expected trouble in containing Hill, but they we're moving the ball on the ground pretty well without him. So, I guess I'm still worried about stopping the run also.

[jgphillips3]

I know you don't scrap a senior QB third game.  However, inexperienced or not, Kelley's big arm and big frame would make him a better QB for this offense. He can rocket the ball to a spot far better than Austin and he can hit a tighter window in less time.  Now, his inexperience might get him picked or just result in missed reads.  However, from a purely physical perspective and skill set perspective, he would fit better than Austin does right now.

[farmhawg]

I know you don't scrap a senior QB third game.  However, inexperienced or not, Kelley's big arm and big frame would make him a better QB for this offense. He can rocket the ball to a spot far better than Austin and he can hit a tighter window in less time.  Now, his inexperience might get him picked or just result in missed reads.  However, from a purely physical perspective and skill set perspective, he would fit better than Austin does right now.

He wouldn't be the bus driver that Houston requires.

[ErieHog]

Turnovers;  the A&M offense has struggled against any defense with a pulse (and at times, those without one), when they don't have excellent field position. Avoid turnovers and the A&M offense is likely to struggle for prolonged stretches.

[longpig]

The Bielema/Sumlin matchup is most concerning, as was the Bielema/Patterson matchup. 

[moses_007]

AA needs to be throwing a lot to our new running back, David Williams, who is a very good receiver out of the backfield.  That will help loosen up the A&M defense.  And we need some down the middle passes.  I haven't seen that in the first two games.

[presidenthog]

My biggest concern is more with things off the field than on it.

We heard rumors of locker room problems, and in fighting amongst seniors after last season. I'm afraid that has carried over to this season. This latest incident has me concerned there are bigger problems than our play on the field. I'm afraid there are cracks in the foundation Bert has built.

[bphi11ips]

Saturday will be the nineteenth time John Chavis will coordinate a defense against Arkansas.  Four more times he's coached the defensive line and linebackers, going back to the 1990 Cotton Bowl.  Can anyone remember a time when Chavis didn't stack the box against us?

What worries me more is A&M's running game.  Sumlin will try and flip the script on Arkansas and beat us at our own game.  We did not set an edge well against TCU.  We didn't give up the big play, either, but we allowed TCU too many 4 and 5 yard off tackle runs giving them third and short.  We're going to have to stack the box ourselves. 

[Tick Hog]

Saturday will be the nineteenth time John Chavis will coordinate a defense against Arkansas.  Four more times he's coached the defensive line and linebackers, going back to the 1990 Cotton Bowl.  Can anyone remember a time when Chavis didn't stack the box against us?

What worries me more is A&M's running game.  Sumlin will try and flip the script on Arkansas and beat us at our own game.  We did not set an edge well against TCU.  We didn't give up the big play, either, but we allowed TCU too many 4 and 5 yard off tackle runs giving them third and short.  We're going to have to stack the box ourselves. 

This is exactly what I was about to post. The Ags can run the ball and if we don't even touch them until they get 3-4 yards upfield it's going to be a long day. If it's stack the box, run blitzes, or whatever we're going to have to put their young QB in obvious passing situations on 3rd down.

[Tejano Jawg]

We're going to have to stack the box ourselves. 

Sure, I'd absolutely sell out to stop the run. Whatever quarterback they put out there—maybe the freshman—has to be popped a few times early. What cannot happen, Mond hits a couple passes and starts feeling a little confident. We'll need an early turnover too.

[presidenthog]

I'm pretty sure hubenak was injured vs the cajuns

[JaketheSnake]

I've been checking in with the board since the season started but just now able to post.

I didn't see this discussed after the Florida A&M game, but I could have just missed it.

I'm not watching every presser so far this year like I usually do, but I did see the Enos presser after the first game and it was very obvious to me that when he talked about the brief performance of Cole Kelley in that game, he made a couple of odd comments that immediately gave me the impression that possibly Enos didn't think they had the right QB starting.

Comments about how much he "loved the game", "loved to play", a couple other comments about Cole's toughness and mental attitude I can't remember the exact statements.

But I thought it was a glaring omission that he didn't add something to the affect of "like Austin also has".

The way he said it sounded like he was differentiating Cole from Austin.

No

[PORKULATOR]

Biggest concern? Losing, and the aftermath

[Al Boarland]

I agree.  I think our defense is legit.

Based on?

[King Kong]

Biggest concern? trayveon williams followed by Kirk.

I do also expect the A&M d to play well

[007 License To Squeal]

I highly doubt the wide receivers can fix the lack of speed and lack of skills I saw during the TCU game.  I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not optimistic.

[jst01]

Turnovers;  the A&M offense has struggled against any defense with a pulse (and at times, those without one), when they don't have excellent field position. Avoid turnovers and the A&M offense is likely to struggle for prolonged stretches.

Sounds like the scouting against our O too. I think the key will be the O line..shocker. But really. Just freaking block well and Hogs win by 10+

[bvillepig]

Gotta have a QB that can see the field too. AA isn't helping the situation either. If things don't turn around with AA and the receivers at what point do you give Kelley a shot?

This is so true.
I think the model for beating Arkansas has been to blitz the heck out of him. Sell out on the run and gamble with a lot of blitzes in passing situations.

What this has done with Austin especially since the Auburn game is he has let his eyes drift from downfield to the rush.

It only takes a split second of not standing in there to throw timing off. Most of our play action are deep drops that are taking a lot of time. I also see happy feet that I didn't see earlier last year.  I understand why. He has taken one heck of a beating last year and this year.
I would like to see some quick 3 step drops and some swing passes to backs going forward. He has the ability he just has to get his focus back and keep his eyes where they belong, downfield.

[navyhog24]

Gotta have a QB that can see the field too. AA isn't helping the situation either. If things don't turn around with AA and the receivers at what point do you give Kelley a shot?

Won't happen with BB at the helm, Austin would have to be in a wheelchair with a right arm cast for him not to play. BB has hitched his ride onto AA. You might get to see Cole against Coastal Carolina and that'll probably be it.

[BigE_23]

Saturday will be the nineteenth time John Chavis will coordinate a defense against Arkansas.  Four more times he's coached the defensive line and linebackers, going back to the 1990 Cotton Bowl.  Can anyone remember a time when Chavis didn't stack the box against us?

What worries me more is A&M's running game.  Sumlin will try and flip the script on Arkansas and beat us at our own game.  We did not set an edge well against TCU.  We didn't give up the big play, either, but we allowed TCU too many 4 and 5 yard off tackle runs giving them third and short.  We're going to have to stack the box ourselves. 

This is spot on...it's exactly what happened against TCU, and aTm is better at running the ball than they were.

As with most football games, the team who controls the LOS will win the game. This is why I don't have high hopes for a win.

[woodrow hog call]

The other thing a blitzing D can do is plug up the lanes and make it harder for the QB to see, (AA is not seeing over the line) so it's not just about the receivers getting open, it's where are they open at and how quickly after the snap of the ball.

It does no good to have them running free at the 3.5 to 4 second count, when AA is having to be rid of the ball by 2.5 to 3 second count.

We must have hot receivers that can and will fight for the ball and position themselves to be a target for AA to hit quickly.

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

After all the gnashing of teeth and finger pointing over the last couple of weeks... I think maybe the solution here is that the Hogs just need to play better. 

Phew.  That was a lot off my chest.

[HotlantaHog]

Last year, AA had Drew Morgan who he evidently had great chemistry with, as well as Keon Hatcher and Jeremy Sprinkle. There really is no go-to receiver right now. Someone has to step up as I imagine the A&M plan will be very much what the OP outlined: stop the run.

BTW, if it works for A&M, you would expect basically the same game plan to be repeated during the rest of the SEC season.

[The NewEra]

Based on?

Based on their current rankings.

[redneckfriend]

So...does the problem get fixed Saturday because his receivers have spent two weeks of practice time working on getting separation? Does it get fixed because Austin has developed trust in them, himself, or both over two weeks? Can this even be fixed in two weeks?

No, I see no reason to hope that Austin Allen and his receivers are suddenly going to start clicking and, yes, stacking the box is what any reasonable DC would do against this team. Arkansas doesn't have the O-line talent to ram the ball down their throats and, with blitz packages, A&M will magnify the problems Allen is having getting rid of the ball and further undermine his confidence. Unless the OC has come up with some new, quickly developing, tight end passes it really doesn't seem very hopeful for Allen. If A&M is able to execute that strategy it will be a very long day for Arkansas.

[HeathWimp]

Gotta have a QB that can see the field too. AA isn't helping the situation either. If things don't turn around with AA and the receivers at what point do you give Kelley a shot?

Based on BB's history, I think it is unlikely we'll see Kelley much this season.  Maybe in mop-up situations against Coastal Carolina or NMSU.  I'd be willing to bet that Cole has less than 10 snaps in SEC games this season, barring injury to AA.

[go hogues]

What worries me more is A&M's running game.  Sumlin will try and flip the script on Arkansas and beat us at our own game.  We did not set an edge well against TCU.  We didn't give up the big play, either, but we allowed TCU too many 4 and 5 yard off tackle runs giving them third and short.  We're going to have to stack the box ourselves. 

For the first time in a while, we won't get beat late by the 80yd TD pass. ^^This will be why we lose in 2017.

[Hogwild]

This is so true.
I think the model for beating Arkansas has been to blitz the heck out of him. Sell out on the run and gamble with a lot of blitzes in passing situations.

What this has done with Austin especially since the Auburn game is he has let his eyes drift from downfield to the rush.

TCU only rushed 3 and got to Allen. A&M with their poor pass D, might do the same and drop 8 into coverage.

[DeltaBoy]

One of the TE's  needs to have big game .

[EastexHawg]

Turnovers;  the A&M offense has struggled against any defense with a pulse (and at times, those without one), when they don't have excellent field position. Avoid turnovers and the A&M offense is likely to struggle for prolonged stretches.

Exactly.  Avoid turnovers and a kick or punt return for a TD and A&M may not score more than 10 points.  They have no quarterback.  Oh, they have a guy with "QB" beside his name on the roster and who takes snaps from center, but he is not a viable QB.  He is not a threat to complete more than a handful of passes unless he has receivers who are stationary targets and wide open or he dumps short throws near the line of scrimmage.  If we allow this offense to score enough points to beat us it will be a very bad and thoroughly deserved loss.

[hogcard1964]

+1000   Good post

But I think this starts with the ground and pound rushing attack.  We need to pound that defensive front with hard nosed runs.  The receivers will get open eventually as the corners start pinching into the middle and the safeties start moving toward the line to stop Whaley, Williams and Hayden.   Run, run, run...

There's no need to mention Cole as a possible starter.  Allen was the best QB in the league last year and will be again.  He needs his receivers to get open.

Oh and Cornelius doesn't look right.  Is he still hurt?