Hogs' defense searching for answers in bye week

Arkansas defensive linemen Deatrich Wise (left), Jeremiah Ledbetter (middle) and Tevin Beanum converge to sack Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly during a game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas defensive linemen Deatrich Wise (left), Jeremiah Ledbetter (middle) and Tevin Beanum converge to sack Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly during a game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith channeled his inner Sam Hinkie on Wednesday.

Hinkie, the former general manager of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, earned widespread attention throughout the basketball world by terming his unique rebuilding plan “The Process.” Smith speaks frequently of the Razorback defensive staff’s own process, how they go about their business, their scheme and their principles.

Wednesday, it came up a lot. Smith mentioned “The Process” nine times in less than eight minutes during his weekly press conference.

“We’ve got to go back to work and fine-tune and enhance that process where it’s worked well and certainly eliminate and address where the process hasn’t worked,” Smith said. “That’s where your focus is.”

The process is under the coaching staff's microscope as the Razorbacks go through a bye week on the heels of an embarrassing 56-3 loss at Auburn, a defeat in which the defense allowed 632 yards of offense and a school-record 543 rushing yards. Arkansas is allowing 6.38 yards per carry this season, dead last in the nation.

“After a performance like that, you’ve got to evaluate everything A-to-Z,” Smith said. “We’ve got to find ways to get guys in better spots. That starts with what position they line up in, not even by scheme. So we’re going to use the bye week to take a look at that, especially in our front seven, see if we can address some of the concerns in the run game.”

Both Smith and coach Bret Bielema hinted at potential changes in the front seven. Bielema wouldn’t go into specifics, but used a defensive tackle moving out to defensive end or a weak side linebacker moving to the strong side as examples.

Senior Jeremiah Ledbetter could be a potential candidate for a position change. The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder made the move inside during the offseason, shifting from defensive end to defensive tackle to fill the “three technique” role Darius Philon excelled in two years ago.

The hope was Ledbetter would provide a similar explosive presence inside, but in the three worst run-defense performances this year — Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn — Ledbetter recorded eight tackles, two solo. In those three games, he has zero tackles-for-loss at a position designed for a playmaker. Philon was undersized but able to provide a presence inside. Ledbetter is also undersized by SEC standards, but has been swallowed up against more physical offensive lines. A playmaker at defensive end last year, Ledbetter recorded 15 tackles (eight solo), 4.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack against the same three opponents a year ago.

Ledbetter is talented. If the coaches did decide he fits better at end, his presence could provide a boost opposite Deatrich Wise, where, in that same trio of games, Tevin Beanum has recorded eight tackles (three solo), also with no tackles-for-loss.

If Ledbetter did shift outside, true freshman McTelvin “Sosa” Agim would likely assume a bigger role inside at the “three technique.” Taiwan Johnson, the starter at nose guard, was the “three technique” a year ago. There’s depth behind him at nose guard with Bijhon Jackson and Austin Capps.

It’s clear the staff has decided to try to shake up the status quo in an effort to revitalize a run defense that slipped from No. 15 in the nation in yards allowed last year to No. 111 this season (221.8 per game) despite returning nine starters. Auburn was the tipping point, with the Tigers breaking an eye-popping seven runs of 20 or more yards.

“They were able to run the ball without any obstruction at times,” Bielema said. “We have to secure edges (with) a variety of different techniques. We have to look at the guys that are setting those and how we’re asking them to play it. That’s really been the main points of discussion moving forward.”

Auburn’s offensive line got to the second and third levels with regularity Saturday, but there were prevalent assignment busts that played a role in the run-defense struggles, too. Not being on the same page led to breakdowns in gap responsibility, creating running lanes that led to big plays.

While the staff will experiment with their linebacking corps, they don’t have a ton of options. Senior Brooks Ellis is the mainstay at middle linebacker and the only player with substantial game experience until Dre Greenlaw returns from a broken foot.

True freshman De’Jon Harris is being brought along slower, leaving junior Dwayne Eugene as the alternative at weakside linebacker. Eugene appeared to struggle, along with the rest of the defense, reading plays, filling the correct gap and getting off blocks Saturday. Khalia Hackett was the main option at strong side linebacker, a position finally used for the first time this season against the Tigers.

Smith is charged with trying to fast track the development for the largely inexperienced group.

“We’ve got to continue to find ways to make the picture simpler and easier for those guys,” Smith said. “That couples with how we align them and how we do things in certain positions.”

The bye week leaves plenty of time for soul searching on both sides of the ball. On offense, the line’s inconsistency has weighed down an otherwise skilled unit. Defensively, the widespread problems may not have an easy fix. But the staff will mix and match personnel this week in an effort to find a combination that gives the defense a better chance heading into the homestretch. Everyone is getting an audition with the defensive staff looking for answers.

“We’re going to look at guys that maybe haven’t had as much of an opportunity to this point in the season to see what they can do in this bye week,” Smith said. “And then try to find some other opportunities for guys that have already played consistently in other spots and get our best 11 out there at all times.”

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