Hog Calls

Razorbacks build their own reputation

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema celebrates following a fourth quarter touchdown during the Razorbacks' game against Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema celebrates following a fourth quarter touchdown during the Razorbacks' game against Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Northern Illinois University Huskies have much that the Arkansas Razorbacks want going into their nonconference game tonight at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Oddsmakers deem Arkansas a 14-point favorite playing at home and representing the SEC, which is nationally acknowledged as college football's toughest league.

Yet the Razorbacks cast an envious eye. NIU brings a nationally leading 17-game road winning streak into Fayetteville that began Oct. 22, 2011. While the Mid-American Conference that NIU dominates is no SEC, winning 25 consecutive regular-season conference games marks an achievement to behold in anyone's league.

Certainly the Razorbacks (2-1), or any team from anywhere, envy the road and conference winning streaks that NIU possesses.

But it is NIU's reputation more than its numbers that Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema covets most.

Starting with Coach Jerry Kill in 2010 mushing the Huskies toward the MAC Championship Game and accelerating in 2011 and 2012 under Dave Doeren, the current North Carolina State head coach and former defensive coordinator under Bielema at Wisconsin, and Coach Rod Carey's 12-2 season in 2012 and current 3-0 start, the Huskies are renowned for running the ball and stopping the run.

NIU ranks seventh nationally in rushing offense and 13th in rushing defense.

Bielema's Wisconsin teams ran and stopped the run with similar success from 2006-2012. Over time, Bielema says, running the ball and stopping the run runs hand in hand like it does at NIU.

"I know this, they can run the ball very, very well," Bielema said. "And it's been my experience in coaching that if you have a team that runs the ball effectively, they usually can defend it effectively. That's what I would like our team to be signatured as."

The Hogs have mounted some impressive rushing stats under Bielema, even in his debut season at Arkansas when the Razorbacks went 3-9 overall and 0-8 SEC play after inheriting a program in 2013 that had crashed to 4-8 in 2012.

Running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams netted 1,026 and 900 rushing yards last year. This season Collins (212 rushing yards last week against Texas Tech) and Williams (four touchdowns against Texas Tech) are running better than ever. Reserve Korliss Marshall is faster than both of them, and the line is bigger, better and more seasoned.

Arkansas' defense decidedly lags behind the offense in overall talent and recent tradition, but practicing daily against that offensive power is improving the defense, Bielema and Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith assert.

"No question I think there's a mentality on our football team of playing physical football," Smith said. "Coach B does a great job. We do good on good every day, whether it's running the ball or throwing the football, and that kind of permeates throughout the program.

"If we can keep improving on a daily basis, take one day, one play, one series at a time, that's when you really get better as a defense."

Sports on 09/20/2014

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