ARLINGTON, Texas -- Patience is a tough message to hear, but it seems appropriate after the second straight week of seeing lots of fight in an Arkansas team clearly wearing the underdog role in the SEC West.
No doubt, it seems really appropriate as the Razorbacks welcome to town No. 1 Alabama, the defending national champion looking like the nation's best again.
The Hogs are a 1-4 team that does look to be improving, even if they still don't have all cylinders clicking just ahead of the halfway mark in Chad Morris' first season as coach.
But, it doesn't seem so daunting after the Arkansas defense played up to the competition for the second straight week, this time giving the offense the ball in the final two minutes with a chance to flip the script against Texas A&M in the Southwest Classic.
The Razorbacks lost their seventh straight to the Aggies, but this 24-17 decision was far different than many of the others. This time it was A&M sliding at the end, as Arkansas fought back from a 17-0 deficit.
The Aggies were almost apologetic in winning and the Hogs upset that they were saddled for their fourth straight defeat. The outcome seemed in doubt after the Hogs got the ball back at their 26 on a punt with 1:51 left. The upset bid vanished after one first down when quarterback Ty Storey was intercepted on a deep corner route at the 1:11 mark.
It's clear that the Hogs are sorting out problems, patching a defense that was so porous the last three seasons, so whipped by the likes of A&M and others in the SEC West.
There are still issues in special teams. On the opening play, the Hogs gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown for the second straight week, and it should have been something that demoralized the entire team.
Not only did it not, but the Hogs seemed to gain traction as the game progressed. Morris promised Monday that the special teams gaffes from the previous two weeks were fixable and true to his word, some of that was obvious.
Bell cow linebacker De'Jon Harris was added to punt coverage teams and made three of his game-high 16 tackles on that unit. He said he all but asked to join that coverage.
Protection improved, and true freshman punter Reid Bauer was almost flawless with no one bearing down on him like happened at Auburn. He boomed seven good ones, with one not-so-good bleeder. He averaged 43.2 yards with a long of 50.
Offensive line protection is missing, and it's tough to watch center snaps dribble or sail high. There was a lot of that from sophomore Ty Clary, starting for the second straight week. Storey, gaining a reputation for his grit, was running for his life too much again and was sacked five times.
But Storey appears to have the intangibles to play the quarterback position in the SEC and lead his team. He makes a few more plays with his arm each week. He can dash inside on counters and is tough on scrambles, too. He just needs more time.
The center snap was a problem even on some positive plays. Cole Kelley, subbing for Storey in a short-yardage package, had to stretch all of his 6-7 frame to track down a high snap before lunging ahead on a 1-yard run for a touchdown in the first half.
Morris was asked if it would have been tough for Storey, only 6-2, to have grabbed that high snap?
"I do. I do," Morris said. "We've got to continue to work that (center) position. You know, as a quarterback, it's hard enough to play the game getting a regular snap. When the bull dribbles back to you, it's even a little bit more difficult because you have to take your eyes off your initial read.
"We'll continue to work on that and continue to fix those problems. But the one thing about it is that they'll definitely -- they recognize it and they understand."
Ah, it's that patience thing again. It's no fun to preach, but Morris sounded right in his post-game message in the interview room.
"These guys have continued to show up every day and continue to hit that tree in the same spot," Morris said. "As I shared with them in that locker room, if you'll continue to do that, it's going to fall. It's going to fall."
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw made 13 tackles in support of Harris. Together they make a formidable tandem in the John Chavis defense.
It's obvious Chavis, the linebackers coach and coordinator, has them playing at top efficiency behind a defensive line that is penetrating and causing problems, a change from the recent past.
"The thing is, we can't settle," Greenlaw said. "We can't accept losing. We are going to keep chopping wood, and the wins are going to come."
Greenlaw said the defense felt comfortable throughout the game. He knows they have a unit that's going to compete and win lots of plays. And, he likes the way Storey is competing at quarterback.
"I think (Storey) is doing phenomenal," Greenlaw said. "He's doing anything he can to help us improve. If he'll keep doing that, we are going to get there. You see him getting better because we are practicing against him."
Morris talked about the care factor and the way the team is coming together, slowly but surely.
"The effort, the care, the love that they have in that locker room for each other was very apparent today, especially after you took a huge punch on the first play of the game, on the kickoff," Morris said. "And we got guys in position, and a guy fell down.
"But the thing that you saw was the guys that rallied back. And they fought back. But to be able to put a defense on the field that held one of the top offenses in the country to well under their average, 370-something yards, and the play of Dre Greenlaw and Scoota Harris and Santos Ramirez, and all those guys, they keep stepping up, like they have all year long. And creating turnovers. I know that was a big thing that we emphasized. But these guys did a great job."
Greenlaw, a senior, said it's easy to get the buy-in, because it's a now-or-never attitude.
"A lot of guys are realizing there isn't too much more after this," Greenlaw said. "From the start of the season we've been doing some really good things. If we can continue to get better and push ourselves and push the offense and continue the good work at quarterback, I think one of these games we're going to find a way to get a (win). We're not going to stop until we get that W. We just got to keep fighting."
Greenlaw was one of many defensive players who encouraged Storey during the game.
"I went to talk to him," Greenlaw said. "I think others did, too."
Harris said, "Our offense is going to get there. When it happens, it happens."
You wouldn't think it would be next weekend against Alabama, but Harris wasn't taking that approach.
"I think we are going to keep getting better," Harris said. "The winning is going to come. We have the attitude that we are going to all do what it takes to get there."
That goes for accepting a bigger role to help special teams. Barry Lunney Jr. works with the punt unit. He mentioned to Harris in preseason that he might be needed in a cover role.
"I told him Sunday that I was ready," Harris said. "I'd been studying what we were doing, some of the finer points. I told him it's SEC, and I can help there. I told him if he ever needed me, and he said this was the week. That's fine with me. I'd been practicing (punt cover) a little bit."
Morris said he wasn't surprised with Bauer's improvement. There had been solid work in practice.
"He just needed some confidence, and the way the guys protected him up front gave him that confidence," Morris said.
That seems to be what's spreading through the team, a little more confidence. Morris hopes it spreads to the fan base. He complimented those who came to AT&T Stadium. It wasn't a big contingent on either side, the smallest since the game was moved to Arlington.
Attendance was announced at 55,383. The previous low was 64,668. An official associated with the venue said the paid total was just over 44,000. He said Arkansas fans bought a little more than 19,000 tickets.
Either way, Morris wants to keep playing in the stadium. He believes Dallas-area recruiting is vital and thinks it's vital to maintain a presence in the area with the game.
"Absolutely. I love it," he said. "I thought the environment was incredible. I thought our fans that traveled, I want to commend them. It was awesome to see. And I know that this season hasn't been what everybody wanted. But the one thing you love about it is you love the passionate Hog fans that we have following this team.
"And to see that environment today and them cheering right here at the end all the way up to the bitter end, I absolutely love it.
"It's a great venue, incredible recruiting base. I absolutely love the environment and love the fan base that we have in this area and, obviously, a major footprint in our recruiting."
Better recruiting is the answer, but in the meantime it's right to push for patience. It looks like something good is coming.
"We just have to keep fighting," Morris said. "I thought we were about to get it today at the end. We got the ball back down one score, and I thought we were either going to tie it or win it with a two-point play."
Sports on 09/30/2018