Sticking points

[Biggus Piggus]

Some things that stick out...

We do not have a good wide receiver other than Marcus Monk.  Cedric Washington is seriously underperforming.

One pass to the tight end, that really is getting old.

Fred Bledsoe was missed.

Second game in a row we were behind in time of possession.

Vandy held us under 200 yards rushing.  We passed for more than we ran.

Nine penalties, 88 yards.

Peyton Hillis's official line 15 carries, 39 yards.

Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, two carries between them.

Michael Coe fumbled two punts.  He had 2 return yards.  Two.

Vandy outdid us in time of possession, 12 minutes to 3, in the fourth quarter.

We had three drives end in Vandy territory with no points.

Our drive after Vandy's missed field goal used up 24 seconds.  TWENTY-FOUR SECONDS.  Two Vandy timeouts and a run out of bounds by Robert Johnson.

MLB Clarke Moore had two unassisted tackles.

Shedrick Johnson on special teams had two unassisted tackles.

Robert Johnson took a sack on a third and 2 at the Vandy 47 in the fourth quarter.  Nutt blew another third and 2 in Vandy territory with a failed trick play.

Robert Johnson started 8-11 passing, after that was 9-17.

Fred Fairchild had consecutive sacks on the Vandy drive that ended with a missed FG.  Where was he before that?  On the sideline?

First down plays by Arkansas in the second half:

Johnson fumble.
Howard draw.
Howard inside run.
Johnson pass to Hillis.
Howard off tackle.
Hillis off tackle.
Monk trick play pass to Hillis.
Howard run (caught in backfield).
Howard off tackle.
Howard inside run.
Hillis off tackle.
Howard inside run.
Howard inside run.
Johnson pass to Monk.

Third down plays by Arkansas in the second half:

Johnson 8-yard pass to Hillis on third and 17.
Howard 4-yard inside run on third and 2.
Johnson 10-yard pass to Washington on third and 7.
Hillis trick play pass to Monk incomplete on third and 2 at the Vandy 23.  WTH?
Johnson sacked on third and 2 at the Vandy 47.
Howard run 3 yards on third and 6.  That one helped to cost us the game.  So did several of the others.

We sucked on third down, mostly.

[Biggus Piggus]

In addition, in the first half we had several more third down passes where the chosen receiver was well short of first down yardage.

Johnson threw incomplete on third downs on our last three fruitless drives of the first half, and the one before that he went 7 yards to Poole on third and 11.  Those failures were very significant in this game.  Sorry, Johnson defenders.  He ain't getting much done.

[Biggus Piggus]

Without Bledsoe on the field, our Dline looked the way it did for most of the game against Missouri State.

[idochog]

One pass to the tight end, that really is getting old.


Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, two carries between them.

We had three drives end in Vandy territory with no points.


Robert Johnson took a sack on a third and 2 at the Vandy 47 in the fourth quarter. Nutt blew another third and 2 in Vandy territory with a failed trick play.


First down plays by Arkansas in the second half:

Johnson fumble.
Howard draw.
Howard inside run.
Johnson pass to Hillis.
Howard off tackle.
Hillis off tackle.
Monk trick play pass to Hillis.
Howard run (caught in backfield).
Howard off tackle.
Howard inside run.
Hillis off tackle.
Howard inside run.
Howard inside run.
Johnson pass to Monk.

Third down plays by Arkansas in the second half:

Johnson 8-yard pass to Hillis on third and 17.
Howard 4-yard inside run on third and 2.
Johnson 10-yard pass to Washington on third and 7.
Hillis trick play pass to Monk incomplete on third and 2 at the Vandy 23. WTH?
Johnson sacked on third and 2 at the Vandy 47.
Howard run 3 yards on third and 6. That one helped to cost us the game. So did several of the others.

Let me summarize some of your quote.

HDN certainly SUCKS as OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR and as HEAD COACH.

[Vito Porkleone]

Without Bledsoe on the field, our Dline looked the way it did for most of the game against Missouri State.

I don't know what you saw, but when FB did get in he didn't do a damn thing...

[Oklahawg]

When Bledsoe hit the field in the 4th quarter we started getting some push up front. Stunning, because Cutler hit passes going down and/or backwards.

Felix Jones was magic when he touched the ball. McFadden wasn't far behind. No reps to speak of on offense.

Brackens was not on the field at WR on any passing play that I saw.

HDN cost us two timeouts by switching plays in the first half.

First and goal, second drive of the game. Six yards out. Four straight dive plays. Summarizes the night for me.

I admire the play call where RJ ran out of bounds on the next to last series. If he throws early he can hit either of two receivers for good yardage.

RJ has no touch. It led to two blocks trying to throw from the pocket, and is why he can't throw across the middle without being on the move. He is marginally competent when he can rifle it.

Folks in my section were wondering when Monk gets a shot at QB, based on the touch he showed on the gimmick play.

[Biggus Piggus]

I wonder if HDN knows there's no way out now.

[idochog]

I wonder if HDN knows there's no way out now.

Im still concerned he has some big booster in Lindsey in his back pocket.  HDN plays the political game very well but is a sorry ass football coach.

[Oklahawg]

That was what made this such a hollow experience--we now get to wait around for D-Day, dismissal day. Nothing, short of (a) a miraculous recovery to an 8-3 record, and (b) Vandy making it to a bowl because they are that good will salvage this.

Robert Johnson did not play a great game--and he had two absolutely bone-headed plays that cost us in a major way--but I think there are some serviceable skills there. Not with whatever combination of Wittke/HDN/Markuson is running the offensive side of things, but its there.

There were a couple of Hillis/Howard runs where they didn't have the speed to clear the hole and go. McFadden or Jones either one would have scored. The telling play was the sweep to the west side in the 3rd quarter--first down play and Howard gets 3. He should have scored from 50 yards out. Stunning mismanagement of bigtime talent. Jones was a spark as punt returner. May Coe never return another punt.

[Oklahawg]

That failed 1st and goal from the six with four dive plays had my section screaming. Some guys started a "we want butch" chant. It was great. How you can try to force that dive play instead of taking what was given (could we see a waggle bootleg? we saw it elsewhere tonight).

[The Max Swineberg 7]

Some things that stick out...

Second game in a row we were behind in time of possession.

Vandy held us under 200 yards rushing. We passed for more than we ran.

If you just listened to our first drive of the game, you would say these two are a lie.

[Biggus Piggus]

That failed 1st and goal from the six with four dive plays had my section screaming. Some guys started a "we want butch" chant. It was great. How you can try to force that dive play instead of taking what was given (could we see a waggle bootleg? we saw it elsewhere tonight).

Still stuns me that we couldn't run on them in the fourth quarter.  We ended up where we ran when they expected us to and they stopped us.  We passed when they expected us to and they stopped us.  Wake Forest ran on Vanderbilt.  We got stuffed.  We relied on essentially the same running back, Howard/Hillis, for the vast majority of our rushes.  Did Nutt decide that because Howard broke one on Missouri State, now he's a breakaway threat?

[Oklahawg]

Worst thing that may have happened was Howard breaking that long TD to start things off. Put him in position to get too many carries at the expense of the speed backs. Gave the coaches the illusion he had enough zip to matter.

What seventh level of carnival burlesque inspired the series with TWO trick plays? We've gone months without two trick plays; tonight--two in one series.

[mikeirwin]

I wonder if HDN knows there's no way out now.

Im still concerned he has some big booster in Lindsey in his back pocket. HDN plays the political game very well but is a sorry ass football coach.

Lindsey is first and foremost an Arkansas fan. He's not gonna keep Nutt propped up after this.

[idochog]

I wonder if HDN knows there's no way out now.

Im still concerned he has some big booster in Lindsey in his back pocket. HDN plays the political game very well but is a sorry ass football coach.

Lindsey is first and foremost an Arkansas fan. He's not gonna keep Nutt propped up after this.

Well if HDN doesnt have Lindsey then he is screwed.

[Oklahawg]

I found myself complimenting the kicking game. The rather ordinary job done on punts and kickoffs seemed incredible compared to what we normally experience. The key to knowing its still not good is we have a rather fast bunch on the field and they are meeting the wedge about the 25. Should be about the 15.

[Biggus Piggus]

The punting tonight was impressive.  How about that.  We punt well at last and still lose.

[Oklahawg]

Skinner had good hangtime. What did he average, right at 40? That, with a couple of inside-the-20 kicks. Yeah, I should have noted the performance was better and STILL we lose. What will we do if he ever averages 45 a game?

We had one touchback and several almost-TDs on kickoffs. Dangit, that means you CAN do it, but just don't very often. Maybe Kendall Trainor can hang out for a few days...