ALCORN STATE VS. NO. 20 ARKANSAS

Hogs use 12 plays as teaching points

Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams sits in the end zone after losing a fumble during the second quarter of a game against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.
Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams sits in the end zone after losing a fumble during the second quarter of a game against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema screened a 12-play presentation on Sunday night to show the Razorbacks what he called "the good, the bad and the ugly" from his team's 45-24 loss to Texas A&M.

Lack of execution on the goal line, breakdowns on Trevor Knight's quarterback runs, hustle plays by safety Santos Ramirez, a Rawleigh Williams fumble at the 1, a couple of missed plays by receiver Drew Morgan, and the late hit that got safety De'Andre Coley ejected for a targeting foul were all part of the show.

Bielema and coordinators Dan Enos and Robb Smith called Sunday a big day for learning after the No. 20 Razorbacks (3-1, 0-1 SEC) dropped their SEC opener for the sixth year in a row while losing for the second time in their past 11 games.

Bielema said he reminded his staff and players that the sun came up on Sunday and that there was still plenty to play for this season.

"We have a tremendous amount of football left in front of us," Bielema said at his weekly news conference. "I thought a lot of guys played really, really well.

"For three quarters we played a good football game, but didn't finish the way we wanted to. Because of that, we had a setback. ... We're still ranked in both polls. We have an opportunity for a lot of the things that we felt, hopping on the plane on Friday, to still accomplish and be able to get done."

Arkansas' biggest issues against Texas A&M were three lost fumbles, inability to score on nine snaps from the 2 or closer, and run defense.

Texas A&M ran for 366 yards, its highest rushing total as an SEC member, and 301 more than the Aggies had against Arkansas last year. It was the most rushing yards allowed by a Bielema-coached team at Arkansas and the most allowed by the Razorbacks since Texas A&M had 381 rushing yards in a 42-38 loss to the Hogs in 2011.

"Obviously we made some mistakes," said Smith, whose unit fell from No. 21 to No. 76 in rushing defense. "I thought our guys came in and had a great Sunday. I believe we are a good defense. I thought we had a bad night and that has to be an aberration for us."

Knight had 157 rushing yards and freshman tailback Trayveon Williams added 153 yards. It was the first time two Aggies runners had rushed for 150-plus yards in a game since 1990. The Razorbacks have not allowed two 150-yard rushers in the same game in at least the last 20 years.

Arkansas played the game at its preferred tempo for most of the first three quarters, much like it did in its 41-38 double overtime victory at No. 15 TCU two weeks ago. However, a stall at the goal line early in the second quarter turned what could have been a touchdown into a field goal. Williams had the ball stripped away at the Texas A&M 1 when he appeared to be heading for a stand-up 9-yard touchdown run that could have given Arkansas a 17-7 lead midway through the second period.

The goal line issues were compounded late in the third quarter with Arkansas in position to break a 17-17 tie. The Razorbacks drove 93 yards to the Texas A&M 2, but the Aggies repelled four consecutive running plays, three between the tackles and an end around to Keon Hatcher on fourth down.

"Their defensive line is probably one of the best in the country and they made it very difficult," Enos said. "The other two times we got it down there, we scored once and then we fumbled on the 1 when we actually had a play blocked perfectly.

"So a little bit of everything. A little bit of them being good, a little bit of us missing reads, a little bit of us not executing. You put all that together and you've got to take your hat off to them and give them credit, because they did a great job."

Texas A&M changed up its defensive fronts, using one particular look that the Razorbacks had not practiced against as much as its had the Aggies' standard front.

"You're up against a team that I think was trying to make us throw," Bielema said. "So the box was loaded.

"I'll give a lot of credit to them, but we've got to get better as well. We're not as stout as I'd like to be, especially on the goal line. You'd like to feel that you can move them. Up front you'd like to get a bigger push, from tackle to tackle. Right now we just don't have it. We can and we will and we'll continue to develop it. But right now we don't."

Sports on 09/27/2016

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