Razorbacks Report

Missouri impressed with Allen

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen looks to pass to tight end Jeremy Sprinkle on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, during the fourth quarter against Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen looks to pass to tight end Jeremy Sprinkle on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, during the fourth quarter against Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The scouting report on Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen has come a long way in one calendar year.

Allen, who entered last year's game against Missouri with a sore oblique muscle, completed 13 of 30 passes for 133 yards in a 21-14 loss to the Tigers. Allen struggled in the second half after the Razorbacks led 14-6 at halftime.

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Allen enters Friday's game after completing 30 of 43 passes for 406 yards and 7 touchdowns in a 51-50 loss against Mississippi State. The senior has thrown 14 touchdown passes in the past three games and moved up to No. 6 in FBS passing efficiency.

"With the throws he's made over the last couple weeks, they're as good as there is in the country right now playing offensive football," Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom said.

"Brandon Allen is a guy, if you looked at him last year and look at him now, he's two different players," Missouri defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski said. "Now, he was hurt when we played them last year. I know that. But he's become such a better, more complete quarterback."

Broyles nominees

Arkansas offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dan Enos and Arkansas State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Cauthen are among the 34 nominees for the Broyles Award announced Wednesday by the Rotary Club of Little Rock.

The award, given to college football’s top assistant coach, will be announced during a banquet at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Little Rock. The five finalists will be announced Monday.

Tom Herman won the award last season when he served as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Herman is in his first year as head coach at Houston.

Turnover take

Arkansas had its third turnover-free game in its past four outings in last week's 51-50 loss to Mississippi State.

The Razorbacks have committed a total of two turnovers in their past four games and have lost only three fumbles all season. Alex Collins lost fumbles against Texas Tech and LSU, and quarterback Brandon Allen had one taken away against Texas A&M.

Only one team, Ohio, with two lost fumbles, has lost fewer than the Hogs. Arkansas, South Carolina, TCU and Toledo are tied at No. 2 nationally with three lost fumbles apiece.

The Razorbacks' turnover margin of plus 0.7 per game is second behind Florida (0.91) in the SEC and is tied for 20th nationally.

One flag

Arkansas was penalized a season-low once against Mississippi State, a 9-yard personal foul against safety Santos Ramirez early in the second quarter that moved the ball to the Arkansas 10.

The Razorbacks have gone seven consecutive games with penalties equal to or less than their opponents and rank No. 12 in the FBS with 4.7 penalties per game and No. 14 with 41.1 penalty yards per game.

High and low

Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman said Saturday's loss to Mississippi State, which was made more painful because the offense had driven 70 yards to reach field-goal range with a chance to win in the final minute, was another wild installment in a season full of emotional swings.

"There's been outstanding highs and outstanding lows," Pittman said. "If you could imagine how high you might have been after Auburn, possibly LSU, possibly Ole Miss, to take that to the low side on Saturday, that's what it was. We'll try not to feel that feeling anymore."

Dandy dozen

Seven offensive players and five defensive players have the opportunity to start all 12 regular-season games for Arkansas on Friday.

The 11-game offensive starters to this point are the five linemen -- Denver Kirkland, Frank Ragnow, Dan Skipper, Mitch Smothers and Sebastian Tretola -- along with quarterback Brandon Allen and tight end Hunter Henry. On defense, safety Rohan Gaines, cornerback Jared Collins, linebacker Brooks Ellis and tackles DeMarcus Hodge and Taiwan Johnson have started all 11 games.

Oh, Brothers

Missouri senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers leads the nation with 140 tackles, including 4 games with 15 or more stops. Brothers, a 6-1 senior from Guthrie, Okla., also has two interceptions and three blocked kicks.

"He's a very instinctive player," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. "He's quick, he's explosive. He really diagnoses things well."

Locked in

Missouri true freshman quarterback Drew Lock will make his eighth consecutive start in place of suspended junior Maty Mauk.

"It was thrown on him," Coach Gary Pinkel said. "He's handled it really well."

Lock has completed 120 of 237 passes for 1,249 yards and 4 touchdowns with 7 interceptions.

"His mind-set's good," Pinkel said. "He's a great competitor. I think he'll be an exceptional player."

Wild West

Arkansas is one of five SEC teams with a 4-3 conference record entering this week's regular-season finales.

The Razorbacks are tied with LSU, Mississippi State and Texas A&M in the SEC West and with Tennessee from the SEC East. They have a 2-2 record against those teams, with both of the victories coming on the road.

Had Arkansas managed to beat Mississippi State, the Hogs would have been tied with Ole Miss at 5-2 in the SEC for third in the overall standings behind Florida (7-1) and Alabama (6-1), with a head-to-head victory over the Rebels.

Stat chat

Arkansas is No. 26 in total offense with 470.2 yards per game and No. 92 in total defense (425.3) heading into the regular-season finale.

The Razorbacks are tied for No. 23 with 35.8 points per game and No. 87 with 30 points allowed per game.

Arkansas' top 20 national rankings are No. 6 in team passing efficiency, No. 7 in punt returns (20.5) and time of possession (33:34), No. 12 with 4.7 penalties per game, No. 14 with 41.09 penalty yards per game, No. 19 in rushing defense (122.5) and No. 20 in turnover margin (plus 0.64 per game) and third-down conversion percentage (.463).

Extra points

Arkansas has improved to No. 6 in the nation, tops in the SEC, in team passing efficiency.

The Razorbacks ate a Thanksgiving-style meal together as a 120-man roster after Wednesday's afternoon practice before 50 team members not on the travel roster were allowed to return home for Thanksgiving. The 70-man roster for the Missouri game will head to the team hotel today to begin normal game preparations.

Missouri will be without freshman nose guard Terry Beckner Jr., a five-star signee who had 27 tackles and 3 sacks with 5 starts. Beckner injured his knee early in the Tigers' 20-16 victory over BYU on Nov. 14.

Mitch Hall, a senior from Russellville, has started every game at right guard for Missouri this season. Hall, the brother of former Arkansas and Ole Miss lineman Matt Hall, began his college career at Ole Miss, where he redshirted as a freshman in 2011, and transferred to Missouri after Houston Nutt was fired.

Sports on 11/26/2015

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