Midseason Report Card: QB, receivers prop up Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas, which started the season unranked, was an underdog in half of its first six games.

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The Razorbacks reached the midway point of the regular season ranked No. 22, and they pulled an upset in one of those games they were not favored, a 41-38 victory in double overtime at No. 15 TCU.

The Razorbacks have gained ground in national prestige through the first six weeks, but they still lack an SEC victory. Arkansas (4-2, 0-2 SEC) will give it another run at 6 p.m. Saturday against No. 12 Ole Miss at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

On the worrisome side for Coach Bret Bielema and his staff, Arkansas has allowed 500 or more yards and 38 or more points in all three of its games against Power Five competition.

Bielema said Wednesday that the Razorbacks cannot be down on themselves if they want to power through the second half of the season as they did with a 6-1 finish in 2015.

"Right now, because we have given up some yardage and points, we really want to try and make sure our guys know that they are good football players and they are a good football team," Bielema said. "We're ranked now more than any team since I've been here consecutively. We've lost two games against ranked opponents. We've got to get ourselves right, but those things are kind of out of their control."

Offensively, the Razorbacks have shown resiliency under first-year starting quarterback Austin Allen, but there are troubling issues. Arkansas committed eight turnovers and allowed seven sacks in losses to Texas A&M and Alabama.

Arkansas hasn't been able to contain the run nor run the ball dominantly. Improvements in both areas are key during the second half as the Razorbacks battle for a bowl berth.

Now, onto the midseason grades.

Offensive Line

The Razorbacks have gotten pretty consistent work from left tackle Dan Skipper and center Frank Ragnow. The other starting spots have been hit and miss for first-year assistant Kurt Anderson, who inherited a group that isn't as deep or top-end talented as expected in Bielema's fourth year. The Razorbacks have shuffled through Colton Jackson and Brian Wallace at right tackle. Wallace is finding his stride, and his physicality is unquestioned. He's had a few errors but is beginning to solidify what should be a long-term starting role. The starting guards, Hjalte Froholdt and Jake Raulerson, are powerful, but they are not as quick as some of the blue-chip defensive tackles they've faced, which has led to some problems.

GRADE C-minus

Receivers/Tight Ends

It's hard to identify a blatant dropped pass since Cody Hollister muffed a pair in the opener. Drew Morgan's 33 catches (33-344, 1 TD) lead the unit, and he's doing all the scrappy things Razorback fans have come to appreciate. Keon Hatcher (18-320, 5) showed his physical ability and savvy last week with two touchdowns while coming off a sore hamstring. Jared Cornelius (19-408, 4) has taken over the team lead in receiving yards with three 100-yard games in a row. Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle (18-194, 4) is as good as ever in the passing game, but he's had a couple of issues in protection. Hollister (8-120) has played well since the opener. The Hogs are waiting for Dominique Reed (5-73) to fill the breakaway threat role he occupied the second half of 2015.

GRADE A

Running Backs

The tandem of Rawleigh Williams (113 carries, 605 yards, 5 TDs) and Devwah Whaley (38-241, 1) should reach the same threat level, in time, of the last great tandem -- Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. They can improve in vision, following blocks and pass protection. Both have good acceleration and are improving at charging through tackles. Sixth-year senior Kody Walker (31-110, 1) is a fine mentor and a good hammering option. Fullback play is understated and solid with Hayden Johnson, Kendrick Jackson and roving tight end Austin Cantrell.

GRADE B-minus

Quarterbacks

Austin Allen's cool operation during the finish at TCU turned heads, then the junior stood strong in the pocket in his first two SEC starts vs. premier pass rushers. The fact that Allen already has a 146-pass streak without an interception, has two or more touchdown passes in all six games, and has accumulated 1,632 passing yards and 15 touchdowns puts him in select company at Arkansas. He played four consecutive games without throwing an interception before Alabama pressured him into some back-foot deliveries and forced three picks. He leads the SEC in touchdown passes and is second in efficiency. He is playing like a veteran for a top-25 team.

GRADE A-minus

Defensive Line

The backbone of the defense got its sacks early, but it has not been as strong against the run. Deatrich Wise has been hampered by a hand injury. Taiwan Johnson and Jeremiah Ledbetter have been stout on the interior. A bunch of guys have sacks from the edges, but no one is dominating as Wise did down the stretch in 2015. Generating a pass rush and being more forceful against the run are areas to improve.

GRADE B-minus

Linebackers

Life just got a little tougher for this unit, with Dre Greenlaw sidelined for at least a month with a broken foot. Brooks Ellis has made big strides in pass coverage, but he's been targeted and beaten on a few throws to backs, and he was occupied by blockers often against SEC opponents. Dwayne Eugene, De'Jon Harris and Khalia Hackett will get shots to occupy the second linebacker spot in the coming games against offenses that try to attack linebackers.

GRADE C-plus

Secondary

Lack of depth at cornerback and safety has been costly. The coverage from corners Jared Collins and Ryan Pulley has been much better than at this stage last year. DJ Dean has bounced back from allowing a 92-yard pass against Texas A&M. Safeties Josh Liddell and De'Andre Coley had to play too many snaps last week with Santos Ramirez limited, and they had missed tackles. Coley, the team's hardest hitter, forced two fumbles vs. Alabama. The secondary has tough jobs the next two weeks before the open date.

GRADE C

Special Teams

There has been very good work by punter Toby Baker and the punt coverage team, as well as Dan Skipper -- designated kick blocker -- and the two ramrods -- Deatrich Wise and Austin Capps -- who clear him space to jump. Kickoff return, kickoffs and coverage, and field goal kicking have been pretty mediocre to subpar. The punt return unit has shown promise, but it has had a touchdown return nullified by penalty. Lots of room for improvement across the board.

GRADE C-minus

Coaching

One of Bret Bielema's greatest assets is his ability to build up players more than tear them down. He's working hard in that department this week. The struggles to slow Power Five running games and quarterback runs have been a much bigger issue than most analysts predicted. Some of it is misalignments and missed tackles, but some of it is schemes. The coaches have been upbeat with the growing pains from the less experienced starters on the offensive front, yet the short-yardage run problems and pass protection failures in several games are frustrating. Directing this team to a 4-2 second half and an 8-4 mark will require tremendous coaching.

GRADE B-minus

Sports on 10/13/2016