Hogs struggle when seeing red

Scoring rate inside 20-yard line a crux through 5 games

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Nick Starkel (17) looks for a receiver during the second quarter of a football game, Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Nick Starkel (17) looks for a receiver during the second quarter of a football game, Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Another tough week in the red zone has dropped the University of Arkansas to 124th among the 130 FBS schools with a scoring rate of 65% inside its opponent's 20-yard line.

The Razorbacks scored on 2 of 4 chances in the red zone in a 31-27 loss to Texas A&M. Adding another score, or both, could have flipped the outcome for Arkansas (2-3, 0-2 SEC), which has an open date this week before resuming SEC play at Kentucky on Oct. 12.

The Razorbacks have a large array of skill players out or limited this week, as well as offensive linemen Colton Jackson and Ty Clary. But they have to keep hammering on their schemes and execution inside the 20-yard line in practice with a tough schedule ahead.

Second-year Arkansas Coach Chad Morris was asked what his offense needs to do to become a better scoring team.

"One, when we get down in the red zone, we've got to make great decisions," Morris said. "We have to be able to come away with points. That's No. 1.

"No. 2, we have to continue to execute. I thought we executed extremely well the other day. We missed a few opportunities, but overall execution I thought was much better."

The Razorbacks have nine touchdowns and four field goals in 20 red-zone trips. Their 45% touchdown rate is tied for 117th nationally.

"Obviously that's something we emphasize all the time is we want to score touchdowns and not field goals," Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. said. "We've just got to collectively, from top to bottom, all 11 guys, we've just got to execute better when we get down in that tight red zone."

The Razorbacks have been stopped on downs inside the opponent's 20 on a few occasions, and quarterback Nick Starkel has thrown three red-zone interceptions in games against Portland State, San Jose State and Texas A&M. Arkansas also bungled clock management in a two-minute drill late in the first half against Portland State and came away with no points.

In their two SEC games, Arkansas is 4 of 7 in the red zone, with three touchdowns and one field goal.

"The coordinators in this league are experienced, and they understand how to clamp down in the red zone and play good red-zone defense," Lunney said. "And obviously, you've got to combat that with executing across the board. If you don't have all 11 doing it right, then it can be problematic."

Only against Colorado State, when the Hogs went 4 for 4 in the red zone, have they scored on all their red-zone chances.

Offensive line coach Dustin Fry said red-zone production has gotten plenty of focus.

"It's not for lack of study or lack of scheme," Fry said. "We're just not executing down there. It's always something, whether it's either we miss something or somebody else misses something; we drop something or someone throws a pick.

"We're just not firing down there and sometimes we do and just don't get it done. That's definitely something we take a lot of pride in is our red zone scoring. It hasn't been what we wanted. It's something we study a lot and scheme it up every week."

The Razorbacks converted red-zone opportunities on back-to-back possessions midway through the game against the Aggies.

Mike Woods caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Ben Hicks late in the second quarter to cap a 41-yard drive, then Devwah Whaley rambled in from 11 yards out early in the third quarter to complete an 84-yard series.

But the Razorbacks wound up with a turnover on a tipped middle screen pass from the Aggies' 3 midway through the second quarter. The interception by Justin Madubuike came on Arkansas' fourth consecutive snap from the Texas A&M 5 or closer, highlighting the Hogs' struggles to stick the ball in the end zone from down close.

On those plays, Rakeem Boyd gained 1 yard on a run play from the 5; Starkel was thrown for a 2-yard loss from the 4 (though the play was wiped out by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Aggies); Boyd was stopped for no gain from the 3; then Starkel's throw for Boyd, who was being knocked down, was tipped and picked off.

The Razorbacks also lost another red-zone scoring chance on their final possession. Hicks drove the offense 56 yards to the Texas A&M 19. Because the Hogs trailed by four, they had to score a touchdown as the clock wound down. Hicks' throwback pass to tight end Cheyenne O'Grady on fourth down, after Hicks had scrambled for 17 yards on the previous play, fell incomplete to clinch the Aggies' victory.

Arkansas outgained Texas A&M 395-340 in total offense and had 26 first downs to the Aggies' 24.

"We saw flashes for four quarters of what we saw in the fourth quarter of the Colorado State game," Morris said. "That's something we're going to continue to build on. We've got to clean up some of the mistakes on the ball, off the ball. Again, that's going to come. It comes with time. Those self-inflicted wounds that kills drives, that's what we've got to correct."

ARKANSAS (2-3, 0-2 SEC)

DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT

Aug. 31 Portland State W, 20-13

Sept. 7 at Ole Miss* L, 31-17

Sept. 14 Colorado State W, 55-34

Sept. 21 San Jose State L, 31-24

Sept. 28 Texas A&M*+ L, 31-27

Oct. 12 at Kentucky* 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 Auburn* TBA

Oct. 26 at Alabama* TBA

Nov. 2 Mississippi State* TBA

Nov. 9 W. Kentucky TBA

Nov. 23 at LSU* TBA

Nov. 29 Missouri*^ 1:30 p.m.

+at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

^at War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock

Up next

ARKANSAS AT KENTUCKY

WHEN Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. Central

WHERE Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky.

TV SEC Network

Sports on 10/03/2019

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