If the spring game was any indication, Arkansas' offense and defense are about even as the first spring season under head coach Chad Morris comes to a close.
The Razorbacks' offense outscored the defense 27-25 in the team's annual Red-White Game on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. Points were awarded traditionally for the offense and based on defensive objectives such as turnovers and tackles for loss.
The defense nearly won. JaMario Bell stripped quarterback Ty Storey on a sack and Michael Taylor returned the fumble 38 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the second quarter, but officials later ruled Taylor stepped out of bounds at the 3-yard line. Had the touchdown been allowed to stand, the defense would have outscored the offense 31-27.
It was the fourth consecutive year that Morris' offense was the winner of his spring game format. He previously was head coach at SMU for three seasons.
An announced crowd of 7,000 watched the Razorbacks' first off-campus spring game in 29 years. It felt far from a spring day, however, with a temperature of 35 degrees at kickoff and with falling snow and sleet throughout the early part of the scrimmage.
In the most high-profile position battle, neither quarterback Ty Storey nor Cole Kelley set themselves apart. Both passed for 126 yards and 1 touchdown. Kelley completed 10 of 19 passes and Storey was 7-for-14.
Daulton Hyatt, a redshirt freshman backup, also led a scoring drive in the third quarter. Maleek Williams' 2-yard touchdown run capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive in which Hyatt completed both of his pass attempts for 24 yards and also rushed for 21 yards on five carries, including a long of 17 yards.
The defense was credited with a 9-yard sack on the drive against Hyatt, who was off limits from contact. It was the only drive in which Hyatt played.
Storey and Kelley took all of the snaps before halftime, but neither played in the second half when the 12-minute quarters had a running clock. Storey led six possessions in the first half to Kelley's five.
Storey led two scoring drives. He threw a 53-yard touchdown pass off a play-action bootleg to tight end Cheyenne O'Grady in the first quarter. O'Grady ran about 40 yards after the catch and broke two tackles inside the 15.
Storey also led a 9-play, 60-yard drive that lasted 2:22 and ended with Chris Lopez's 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Lopez, a walk-on from Rogers, also made a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter when the ball bounced off the upright and over the crossbar.
Kelley's touchdown pass was 5 yards to O'Grady in the second quarter and capped a 9-play, 71-yard drive that took 2:23. Kelley had moved the offense into scoring position in the first quarter, but Connor Limpert missed a 32-yard field goal attempt.
Storey and Kelley both looked most comfortable on shorter routes. Both had multiple overthrows on passes deep downfield, although Kelley completed the game's longest pass in the air, a 34-yard strike to La'Michael Pettway to set up his short touchdown pass two plays later.
Pettway was the game's top receiver, finishing with 91 yards on six receptions. Tyson Morris had 58 yards on four receptions.
Devwah Whaley led all rushers with 62 yards on 8 carries, including a 17-yard run early in the scrimmage. Williams finished with 61 yards on 15 carries, including several in which he broke tackles or earned yards after contact.
Bell and Randy Ramsey each had two sacks for a defensive line that was missing two potential starters, McTelvin Agim and Austin Capps. The defense was credited with seven sacks and two quarterback hurries.
Arkansas' secondary had nine pass breakups on 45 pass attempts, led by cornerback Ryan Pulley's three.