MISSOURI AT ARKANSAS

Big targets embraced: Henry, Sprinkle ensconced in passing game

Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry is tripped up by LSU linebacker Deion Jones in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry is tripped up by LSU linebacker Deion Jones in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas is bucking the trend in college football to downplay the use of tight ends in the passing game.

might be turning into a relic in the current formulation of college offenses.

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Two tight

Arkansas juniors Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle have the best combined receiving statistics of any tight end duo in the country. A look at their numbers.

Henry;Category;Sprinkle

C-Y-TD;Opp.;C-YD-TD

2-42-0;UTEP;2-60-0

8-117-0;Toledo;1-5-0

4-32-1;Texas Tech;1-11-0

3-15-0;Texas A&M;2-15-0

3-62-0;Tennessee;0-0-0

1-18-0;Alabama;4-41

5-68-0;Auburn;1-23-1

2-55-0;UT-Martin;2-67-1

6-60-0;Ole Miss;4-39-0

3-21-0;LSU;0-0-0

7-129-2;Miss. State;6-47-3

44-619-3;Totals;23-308-5

Top tight ends Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle are featured performers in the nation's 29th-most productive passing offense, which will face Missouri, one of the nation's best defensive teams, on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Nineteen tight ends across the country have caught five or more touchdown passes this season, including Sprinkle. Henry and Sprinkle combined for five scores themselves in Arkansas' 51-50 loss to Mississippi State last Saturday.

"Those two guys are as nice a tandem as I've ever had," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said that night.

Said Sprinkle, a 6-6, 255-pound junior from White Hall: "Coach B loves using the tight ends and puts us in spots like that."

Sprinkle tied an Arkansas record held by man when catching three touchdown passes last weekend against Mississippi State. Henry had two.

"He deserves them man," Henry said of Sprinkle. "He was also wide open a bunch. It was fun to see both of us have a bunch of touchdowns."

Sprinkle had touchdown catches covering 5 yards in the second quarter and 3 yards in the third quarter to give him a 4-1 lead over Henry in this year's touchdown race.

One play after Sprinkle's second score, Arkansas defensive back Kevin Richardson made a diving interception of a tipped pass, and the Razorbacks dialed up a play to isolate Henry, their preseason All-American and Mackey Award finalist, who had gone seven games without a touchdown.

Tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr., the former Arkansas quarterback, re-introduced an old play where Henry lines up attached at right end, releases inside as if to block with Arkansas in a traditional run formation, crosses through the second level to the left edge, then runs a wheel route down the sideline.

Offensive coordinator Dan Enos broke out the play on the first snap after Richardson's interception at the Mississippi State 39 early in the second half. The offensive line provided the lengthy protection to let Henry get up the sideline and quarterback Brandon Allen delivered a perfect ball for Henry to catch inside the 10-yard line and drag a defender into the end zone to give Arkansas a 35-31 lead.

"It's something we'd done in the past and we felt it was time to pull it out and it worked out pretty good," Lunney said. "It was good timing for the call."

Henry finished with 7 catches for a career-high 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sprinkle had 6 catches for 47 yards, including the 3 touchdowns.

"We've been trying get them mixed into our offense a little more, get them more touches," Allen said. "Obviously great players, both of them. They're just a mismatch for defenses. They can do so much."

Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel, who utilized standout tight ends Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker together a few years back, said he understands the value of two productive tight ends in the passing game.

"They've got great size and can run," Pinkel said of Henry and Sprinkle. "It's hard to game plan for those guys because they can move all over the place and obviously they can run the ball with them in there.

"It's a tremendous asset I think to have guys like they have playing at the level they are. Their coordinator is obviously doing a good job of maxing out the different ways to utilize those guys to enhance their offensive schemes."

Henry was named on Tuesday as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, which is given to the nation's top tight end.

"People ask me about him a lot and I say he's just consistent," Lunney said. "He's the same guy every day. Comes to work every day. He's a learner, he's a leader. He's low maintenance. He's a coach's dream.

"He's talented, all those things. He's a competitor. I mean, you could go down the laundry list of things you could ask for in a guy and he's got them. Anything he gets in the postseason he deserves."

Henry said he's invigorated to be at his best for Friday's game because it's the last home game for seniors like Allen. Plus, there's a chance there's a chance it could Henry's final game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium as well. Henry, a junior, projects as one of the top tight ends available for the NFL Draft,

"I don't know what my plan is now," Henry said. "I'm going to get through this week and I'm going to make a decision after the season going into the bowl."

Sports on 11/26/2015

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