FAYETTEVILLE -- Remember that preseason concern for the Arkansas offense after 1,190-yard rusher Jonathan Williams was lost for the season with a foot injury on Aug. 15?
The story line was the Razorbacks lacked proven playmakers beyond tailback Alex Collins, receiver Keon Hatcher, tight end Hunter Henry and quarterback Brandon Allen. And then Hatcher went down with a broken foot in the Hogs' Sept. 12 loss to Toledo, and angst over lost firepower was prevalent.
Those days are long gone, along with the following knocks on the Razorbacks:
Can't win SEC road games;
Can't succeed in down-to-the-wire games;
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Can't score in the fourth quarter.
The past six weeks -- highlighted by high-scoring victories over Auburn and at Ole Miss and LSU -- have shown Arkansas to be tough to defend for any opponent, with playmakers dotting the depth chart.
"It's awesome because it keeps defenses guessing," Allen said. "They've got to cover the whole field.
The Razorbacks, mired at No. 99 nationally in scoring at 23.8 points per game after a 27-14 loss at Alabama on Oct. 10, are now No. 34 (34.4) after averaging 50.3 points per game in their past four. The offensive outbursts -- helped by 38 points in five overtime periods -- have come against three SEC West opponents and Tennessee-Martin.
A reporter asked first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos about the Razorbacks' array of big-play weapons at his Monday news conference.
Enos grinned.
"It's funny, you just said about the explosiveness of our team, how far we've come from when I first got here and everybody told me we didn't have any explosive players, to now we've got a lot of explosive players," Enos said. "It's just kind of neat how you see things go and run its course. I'm just so happy for our players that are finding these roles."
Arkansas' established offensive weapons have improved their production and efficiency, and a new array of skill talent has emerged.
Collins has rushed for 100 yards or more in 7 of the last 8 games, including 4 in a row.
Receiver Drew Morgan caught 34 passes for 472 yards and 7 touchdowns during a six-game stretch and leads SEC receivers with nine touchdowns.
Receiver Dominique Reed has scored touchdowns in six consecutive games and emerged as a dangerous kickoff return man.
Combo back Kody Walker returned from a broken thumb to score two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the Razorbacks' 54-46 four-overtime thriller against Auburn.
Receiver Jared Cornelius came back from a double-fracture in his left arm to score touchdowns in each of the past two games, including a 69-yard run to clinch a 31-14 victory at LSU last week.
Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle scored touchdowns in consecutive victories and had a two-point conversion catch to force a fourth overtime against Auburn.
Henry has improved his blocking and has 16 catches for 204 yards in the past four games.
Allen has discarded his can't-produce-in-the-clutch label with a series of fourth quarter and overtime heroics. He passed for a career-high 442 yards and earned national player of the week honors by the Football Writers Association of America in the 53-52 road victory in overtime at Ole Miss.
The emergence of one receiver after another since the loss of Hatcher has been crucial to the Razorbacks' 5-1 record after their 1-3 start.
"It's the development of that position," receivers coach Michael Smith said. "It's the development of our team. It's the development of B.A. [Allen] and the confidence he has in those guys.
"Those guys have worked at it. It's just the maturity level that these guys have. I'm happy. I'm going to keep pushing them and try to keep getting them better."
All of the big offensive performances -- which have vaulted Arkansas to No. 25 nationally in total offense with 469 yards per game -- have come behind what is reputed as the nation's largest offensive line, which has been a force since their running game struggles in the 16-12 loss to Toledo.
The Razorbacks have started the same five players in all 10 games, with center Mitch Smothers flanked on the left side by Sebastian Tretola and Denver Kirkland and on the right side by Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper. The unit has helped Arkansas re-attain their goal of averaging 200 rushing yards per game, has allowed 11 sacks in 10 games and has produced three offensive linemen of the week -- Tretola, Smothers and Skipper -- in the past seven weeks.
Sports on 11/18/2015