FAYETTEVILLE — There may be a new look on Arkansas’ first-team offensive line at some point in week three.
The Razorbacks started the same five linemen in each of the first two games and played the starters every offensive snap in Saturday’s 41-38 double-overtime win at No. 15 TCU. But a game against Sun Belt foe Texas State could give coach Bret Bielema and his staff a chance to evaluate other players in game action, presumably at right tackle, where redshirt freshman Colton Jackson has struggled at times in the first two weeks.
Against TCU, Jackson was beaten several times in pass protection on plays that resulted in quarterback Austin Allen being hit while releasing the football. He also had two false starts at crucial times and whiffed on a fourth-quarter run block on first-and-goal at the 2-yard line that resulted in a four-yard loss as the Hogs wound up settling for a field goal that Cole Hedlund missed.
Bielema mentioned all five linemen Monday when asked about the unit’s performance. Jackson was the last one mentioned.
“Colton, I know he had the offsides, but did a lot of really good things and continued to grow,” Bielema said.
He then immediately shifted to talking about how redshirt freshman Jalen Merrick and sophomores Brian Wallace and Zach Rogers could be in the mix for playing time against a Texas State team that provides a bit of breather before the Hogs head back to the Metroplex for a date with Texas A&M the following week. Merrick is listed as the backup to Jackson at right tackle and was competing for a starting spot before suffering a concussion late in fall camp, while Wallace could figure in there as well. Rogers is the backup center, but worked with the first team at right guard for a bit in fall camp in a unit that moved right guard Jake Raulerson out to tackle.
“We are not by any means settled into, ‘These are the five,’” Bielema said. “We’ve got to continue to get better.”
Arkansas’ pass protection was better in the sense that Allen was only sacked once — given up by Dan Skipper in the first half on a play Bielema said he reacted late to the snap count on — a week after Louisiana Tech sacked the sophomore four times. Skipper graded out at 90 percent, center Frank Ragnow was again superb and the guards, Raulerson and especially Hjalte Froholdt, were much-improved from the opener, but TCU was able to get consistent pressure much of the night, getting to Allen on most obvious passing downs.
“Austin was on the ground five times and that's five times too many,” Bielema said.
The offensive line did step up on the final drive in regulation and in both overtimes, giving Allen time to throw the last three times Arkansas had the football as the Hogs won the game. Given the struggles up until that point, it was an impressive transformation, especially on the final drive of regulation with the entire stadium knowing the Hogs had to throw.
“Our receivers and Austin all did a great job of getting open and finding the guys, but really I think the key was the O-Line and their ability to raise their level of play.”
Saturday, that line may feature some new faces.