Scientific approach to victory

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' game-saving lateral play in overtime in its 53-52 victory at Ole Miss received the ESPN Sports Science treatment this week by John Brenkus.

The segment, called the Sports Science Play of the Week, provided details like the fact that Ole Miss defender Tony Bridges hit tight end Hunter Henry 31 feet from the first down line with 597 pounds of force just 0.53 seconds after Henry's catch from Brandon Allen on the Rebels' sideline.

Brenkus added that because Henry outweighed Bridges by 70 pounds (253 to 183) he was able to twist and stay on his feet for 1.2 seconds before launching the ball 61 feet toward the middle of the field. Brenkus noted that Dan Skipper was the tallest player on the field at 6-10 when he outjumped Mississippi's Marquis Haynes to tip it away from the Rebels' C.J. Johnson and toward Arkansas back Alex Collins.

The most improbable part of the play, Brenkus said, was the football bouncing at a nearly 90-degree angle from the turf, a perfect position for Collins to grab it in stride.

"I'm a science guy and I love physics," Skipper said. "The tip, he said, was roughly a 30-to-1 odd of it bouncing how it did off the ground."

The segment went on to show how three Ole Miss players had an angle on Collins 5 yards shy of the first-down marker, but because the running back used a stutter-step, he caused all three of them to hesitate for about one-half a second, giving him space to make the first down distance after traveling 151 feet, just more than 50 yards, with the ball.

"That was kind of crazy," said Henry, who has watched the segment as well.

Skipper said he was trying to tip the ball away from Haynes to keep it alive.

"I was trying to hit it back to our left because I knew there would at least be other O-linemen there, maybe B.A., and just kind of see where it would go from there," he said.

Key stop

Arkansas stopped Ole Miss from scoring on four of 12 possessions Saturday, but one of those stops loomed larger than the others.

The Razorbacks forced an incomplete pass on fourth and 6 from the Arkansas 49 with nine seconds left in a 45-45 game as the Rebels tried to drive for a winning field goal. The series included a 7-yard sack of Chad Kelly by Deatrich Wise after a bad snap on second and 6, the Hogs' only sack of the game.

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who pointed out Ole Miss' successful field goal drive in a two-minute drill in the first half, said the Razorbacks were gaining some comfort in those situations.

Smith also noted that Jeremiah Ledbetter flushed Kelly out of the pocket on fourth down.

" And that really helps our coverage," Smith said.

Up an down

Arkansas moved into first place in scoring in SEC games with an average of 33.2 points per game, aided by its last two conference games, a 54-46 victory over Auburn in four overtimes and last Saturday's 53-52 victory at Ole Miss in overtime.

The Razorbacks are last in points allowed, giving up an average of 34.6 points in SEC action.

Arkansas is second in the SEC behind Ole Miss with 446.6 total yards per game and second-to-last with 438 yards allowed per game.

The Razorbacks top the conference in passing efficiency in SEC games and rank second behind Tennessee in third-down conversion rate at 45.7 percent.

Gamer

Receiver Drew Morgan has seven touchdown catches in conference games.

Morgan's 91.6 receiving yards per game ranks second to Ole Miss junior Laquon Treadwell (100.8). Morgan ranks third with 6.4 receptions per game, behind Mississippi State's Fred Ross (8.0) and Alabama's Calvin Ridley (6.8).

Morgan's seven touchdowns ranks behind only running backs Leonard Fournette of LSU and Derrick Henry of Alabama, who have scored 10 each.

Hodge's turn

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema choked up for a moment Monday when he announced defensive lineman DeMarcus Hodge would join captains Brandon Allen, Brooks Ellis and JaMichael Winston for the coin toss Saturday at LSU. Hodge, a fifth-year senior, is a native of Monroe, La., who will be playing his last college game in his home state.

12 for 12

Arkansas and Ole Miss combined to go 12 for 12, with 11 touchdowns, in red-zone scoring.

The Razorbacks were 5 for 5 on scoring touchdowns in the red zone, and Ole Miss cashed in six touchdowns of its seven possessions and kicked a field goal on its other, which came on the final play of the first half.

Arkansas, which started slowly in red-zone scoring this season, improved to 78 percent and is ranked No. 102 in the nation. Arkansas' red-zone defense has allowed scores on 86.8 percent of possessions inside its 20 and ranks No. 90 in that department.

Three down

Three Arkansas players stayed down momentarily after the 29-yard gain on the lateral play in overtime.

Drew Morgan was shoved down hard after his key block on Zedrick Woods. Jeremy Sprinkle was slow to get up and had to stretch his leg after being involved in the final pile-up, and tailback Alex Collins stayed down for a moment after he was tackled at the Ole Miss 9.

Officials ruled Sprinkle had to sit out one play, a decision the Arkansas coaching staff disputed, claiming Morgan, who aggravated a shoulder injury, had been the Arkansas player who was down long enough for the play clock to be stopped.

Morgan stayed in the game and caught his third touchdown pass of the day two plays later to pull Arkansas within 52-51 in overtime.

Man down

LSU lost fullback John David Moore for the rest of the season with a left knee injury suffered during last week's 30-16 loss at Alabama. Coach Les Miles said freshman Bry'Kieton Mouton would take first-team fullback reps.

Holding on

Arkansas dominated time of possession against the Rebels, 41:03 to 18:57. The lopsided margin moved Arkansas to No. 2 in the nation with an average possession time of 34:09. Stanford leads the country with an average time of 35:16 per game.

Stat weirdness

Alex Collins' advancement of the long-distance lateral from Hunter Henry counted as receiving yardage on the stat sheet because the play was a pass, but he did not get credit for a catch. Henry was given a 14-yard reception on the play. Collins, who had a 4-yard catch on a screen play earlier in the game, wound up with one catch for 35 yards. Henry had six catches for 60 yards.

Sports on 11/11/2015