SharpTusk

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Overall performance seems about the same as last year. Coming into the season I was expecting improved Oline, and probably concerns at receiver and quarterback. But now it's more like some minor issues at quarterback, Receivers look great as far as a Bama O, just haven't seen the improvement on the Oline I expected.

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I've seen some, like Bobby Petrino, say that 'Bama's offensive line is Better than last year. What makes you think otherwise?

All I ask for is a click which helps to keep our site stats moving. If it matters, I don't make money from clicks or writing at all. Bobby Petrino's Preview of the Arkansas-Alabama Game

Arkansas v. Alabama Stats Offense v. Defense

This is as much of the transcript as would fit here. If you can't bring yourself to read more that 2-3 sentences, turn back now!

***********************************************

This is a transcript of Coach Petrino’s comments and answers to questions at his Monday, September 19, 2011, press conference regarding Arkansas’ game with Alabama this Saturday.

Coach Petrino’s Opening Comments:

We’re 3 & 0. That’s where we wanted to be going into the Alabama game. When you watch the video from the game the other night, it was kind of two different games for us, particularly on offense where you get the ball, you’re going at a real fast pace, we’re moving it, scoring touchdowns, everybody’s making plays. Even coming out of half-time, I thought we did a nice job on the first drive, and then we just stuttered. We had some mistakes happen and didn’t move the ball like we want to, and we’re fortunate that Joe Adams made a tremendous play there in the fourth quarter, and we ended up getting a good win. It was a good win for us. It was much better competition, much harder fought which will help us here in the long run, and something that we needed to go through. We needed to go through when things aren’t going good all the time, how you react to it, and how you get better from it. We’ll be excited for our preparation for the Alabama game. They look good on video. They are a very good defensive football team, basically the same guys we played against last year, and offensively [sic] we know we have got to stop their power run game and their ability to throw the ball deep.

Question: What did you have to say to Tyler the other night after he missed the throw on the third down? When you have a “teaching moment” like that, do you consider a player’s toughness, his mentality when you address him?

Coach Petrino: Well, I’m not exactly sure what one you are talking about. He just really blew his technique. He brought his back foot around, didn’t do what he normally does throwing the ball. He was way off balance. I was just trying to make sure that he understood that you need to set, carry the ball high, and throw the ball like you’re supposed to.

Question: Do some players react to that better than some other players do?

Coach Petrino: You always consider how you coach different guys and sometimes you coach them hard for a reason, and it helps them later on in the season.

Question: (inaudible) getting hit the last couple of games.

Coach Petrino: They are always concerning. When your quarterback’s getting hit there is always a concern with it. We have to do a better job of protecting at times. We have to get rid of the ball quicker at times. I always talk about eleven guys pass protection. It takes all eleven of us, the timing of the receivers, the timing of the quarterback, the protection. So it’s everybody’s responsibility to make sure we keep the quarterback clean.

Question: Could you assess Tyler’s play through these first three starts, and how ready is he to start a real game of this magnitude?

Coach Petrino: I think he’s ready. He’s ready. I think when you look at his first three games, he came out and executed well. With the exception of really parts of the second half of the game the other night. When you look at his stats and his percentage of completions, his ways of throwing the ball, taking care of it, the yards he’s producing. The one thing we understand here is that our standards are very high. Our expectations are very high. We expect to go score every time we get the ball. I think overall he’s done a nice job.

Question: Do you expect to have those three guys back this week and were there any new injuries?

Coach Petrino: I think we came out alright from the game. Definitely Greg Childs will be back. Jarius Wright got some work in the other night, and Jake Bequette has made tremendous improvement. I’m not sure what his availability is for practice tomorrow yet.

Question: You talked about the line a little bit. After three games where do you think they are as a unit in meshing together and getting on the same page.

Coach Petrino: We’re getting closer. We’re getting closer to where we need to be. We’re not there yet. Our run blocking was much better the other night. We’re working together. We had a better understanding of our technique throughout the play, how to work your fundamentals throughout the play, so certainly there was improvement there. Pass protection wise our assignments are getting better. We still got to continue to improve on our technique and fundamentals and our finish. I think the number on thing that we’ve got to do better on the offensive line, run and pass is finish the play.

Question: This is your fourth trip through the SEC. Traditionally when you’re preparing for an Alabama, Nick Saban-coached defense, is that kind of as challenging as it gets in this game?

Coach Petrino: That, it’s challenging. They are very good at what they do. First and foremost they are very well-coached technically. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They know what they are doing in their press coverage, in their off coverage and their linebackers understand where they are supposed to be. You have to go earn everything. You have to go execute, block them, throw the ball, catch it and take care of yourself, execute yourself because they’re not going to give you any cheap ones.

Question: Coach, after you guys played Alabama two years ago you said that your team didn’t believe that your team believe they could win. Two years later, what makes you think it will be any different this time?

Coach Petrino: Well, I really felt like we learned a lot from that game. Even though we were hyped up, emotionally ready and excited about the opportunity, I think deep down we didn’t believe that we would win the game. What happens then is… you see a lot of people do the same thing against Alabama. You don’t execute and do the same things you normally do. You drop passes. You overthrow a guy wide open. You trip on a line. You’re out of your comfort zone and you don’t play football the way you can. I think last year’s game has to help us some in our confidence and certainly the way we came out in that game, but this is a new team. We’ve got to go show and prove it to each other that we believe that we can win the game.

Continued at... Bobby Petrino's Preview of the Arkansas-Alabama Game

"We are playing in T-Town."

In knew there HAD to be a reason that Richardson, McCarron, Ingram and all the others went in that store. There's a football field in there!!

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I'll eat crow if I'm wrong, but I will be absolutely SHOCKED if the refs don't play a significant role in this game. Remember, this doesn't necessarily have to mean a weird late-game crucial call. The refs could hammer us early with strange penalties, forcing us to play apprehensive... afraid of the flag. No one can win a game like this if they are afraid to even touch their opponent.

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If you see pass interference calls early or the failure to call plain holds, the handwriting will be on the wall.

The Auburn Phantom Touchdown call came in the second quarter.

The purported fumble by Broderick Green came in the third.

They'll spread it out enough.

I'm resigned to the fact that the "unfavored" team has to beat the opponent AND the officials.

It's tough enough to beat just one.

I'm an Arkansas fan but was born in New Orleans and have much of my family around Baton Rouge.

This is my post on The Bleacher Report. Replay doesn't help. Auburn or Arkansas fans can complain about officiating for themselves but it's not about any particular team. We must get a handle on officiating for the good of the Conference.

It's LSU's turn this week to be in the cross hairs of the situation.

Official Disaster

:geauxtigers:

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Ark didn't average more than 111 YPG rushing last year until us. Ark places more emphasis on this game than we normally do but this year we are focusing on them as they only have 1 loss and drummed us last year for the most part. We have to get to Mallet early and often, we must shut down their running game. Contain their passing game and limit big plays. Offensively we won't go into the lull like we did last year but we are physically beaten up, we've played MSU and gotten their best, Clemson gave us their best, USC had a bye week before the game and due to 3 horrible calls and an interception Kentucky game came down to the wire. Our freshmen are stepping up very well in most cases, we will have Sanders back on kickoff coverage but the question is will we have the legs late in the game to win it, that will be hard to do. On a good note Ark played Alabama then aTm so they are on a 3 game stretch even if they already had a bye week.

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I was about to give up on this thread until I at least read your comments that didn't sound like they were coming from a bunch of porn-addled sixteen year olds.

The mantra has been that the Hogs' defense is terrible. Since 'Bama in 2009, the defense itself (not special teams, not a pick 6, etc.) has allowed net points (giving them credit for scoring points) through four quarters of more than 24 points in only one game (Ole Miss... against LSU special teams gave up a touchdown to TH and 3 points were OT).

The Hogs gave up 61 20+ yard plays last year and still held on points. This year, the long plays are few and far between against them. The biggest thing is that the Razorbacks are not doing anything flashy on defense. The D linemen are holding their gaps. Players are swarming to tackle. There aren't as many missed tackles, etc. It's basic stuff.

The biggest weakness of Malzahn's offense, unless he's changed it, has been its direction. So much of it is an east-west game.

I would never put a big game past Malzahn, but for whatever reason, the spread offense has been one of the few things which Willy Robinson seems to coach well against. The Hogs won't do anything fancy on defense. I think Arkansas will try to shut down Auburn's passing game first because Arkansas has been alright against the run.

The Hogs actually ran for 173 yards before the lost yardage through sacks was deducted. Texas A&M was third in the country in rushing defense, allowing an average of 68 yards per game.

I think you'll see a more balanced attack but I'm at a loss to explain why. It looks like the Hogs should throw early and often.

Arkansas Razorbacks v. Texas A&M Aggies: 50 Cool and Enlightening Facts

Above is my latest effort on The Bleacher Report and is also found on Hog Database below.

Arkansas Razorbacks v. Texas A&M Aggies: 50 Cool and Enlightening Facts

8. Not only is Texas A&M one of the worst teams in major college football in terms of sacks allowed, it is one of the poorest teams in procuring sacks (95th) with 1.25 per game.

9. If sacks were not good for A&M’s offense coming into this game, the Hogs bowl over opponents to get to the quarterback at one of the best rates in the country at 3.75 times per game. Usually the combination of allowing one of the highest rates of anything while your opponent does that particular thing really well is a big enough of a red flag that an Aggie can figure out what color it is by the time he’s finished examining it. The Arkansas Headhunters should rule Jerry’s World.

29. Only South Florida has taken fewer 3rd down attempts at 38 than Arkansas and Nebraska who both have 44. Only eight teams have made fewer third downs than Arkansas’s 17. On the other end of the spectrum only 11 teams have made more third down conversions than Texas A&M’s 36. The Aggies have had 70 3rd down attempts this year and converted just over 50% of them.

30. The last stat begs tons of questions and leads to much more information. Just how many drives has each team had this year to have had 44 and 70 third down conversion attempts?....

36. When Arkansas’ offense has scored touchdowns its average starting place is the 35 yard line. The average starting yard line for Texas A&M touchdowns is their 36. There is no significant difference when field goals are added to the mix.

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Second post too long

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K

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So, how many games have been blowouts, meaning more than 14 points, and what's the winning and losing percentages of those games?

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345 Blowouts in regular-season, conference play since 1993, by your definition of more than 14 points. In blowout games, here's how teams have done.

Team Won Lost
AL 33 12
AR 26 28
Aub 35 19
FL 70 3
GA 31 19
KY 11 48
LSU 35 24
Miss. 17 32
MS St. 16 47
S.C. 19 41
TN 50 13
Vb 2 59


Year Team#1 T#1 T#2 Team#2
2009 AL 35 7 *AR
2009 AL 38 20 *KY
2009 AL 22 3 *Miss.
2009 AL 31 3 *MS St.
2009 AR 44 23 *Aub
2009 AR 42 21 *MS St.
2009 AR 33 16 *S.C.
2009 Aub 49 24 *MS St.
2009 FL 41 17 *GA
2009 FL 41 7 *KY
2009 FL 27 3 *Vb
2009 GA 34 10 *Vb
2009 LSU 31 10 *Aub
2009 Miss. 42 17 *TN
2009 Miss. 23 7 *Vb
2009 TN 45 19 *GA
2009 TN 31 13 *S.C.
2009 TN 31 16 *Vb
2008 AL 49 14 *AR
2008 AL 36 0 *Aub
2008 AL 32 7 *MS St.
2008 AL 29 9 *TN
2008 FL 38 7 *AR
2008 FL 49 10 *GA
2008 FL 63 5 *KY
2008 FL 51 21 *LSU
2008 FL 56 6 *S.C.
2008 FL 30 6 *TN
2008 FL 42 14 *Vb
2008 Miss. 31 13 *LSU
2008 Miss. 45 0 *MS St.
2008 S.C. 27 6 *TN
2008 TN 28 10 *KY
2008 TN 34 3 *MS St.
2007 AL 41 17 *TN
2007 AR 44 8 *Miss.
2007 Aub 35 7 *Vb
2007 FL 51 31 *S.C.
2007 FL 59 20 *TN
2007 FL 49 22 *Vb
2007 GA 45 20 *Aub
2007 GA 45 17 *Miss.
2007 LSU 41 24 *Miss.
2007 LSU 45 0 *MS St.
2007 MS St. 31 14 *KY
2007 S.C. 38 23 *KY
2007 S.C. 38 21 *MS St.
2007 TN 34 13 *AR
2007 TN 35 14 *GA
2006 AR 27 10 *Aub
2006 AR 38 3 *Miss.
2006 AR 31 14 *TN
2006 Aub 34 0 *MS St.
2006 FL 28 13 *AL
2006 FL 26 7 *KY
2006 FL 17 1 *S.C.
2006 GA 37 15 *Aub
2006 GA 18 0 *S.C.
2006 KY 31 14 *Miss.
2006 LSU 49 0 *KY
2006 LSU 48 17 *MS St.
2006 S.C. 15 0 *MS St.
2006 S.C. 31 13 *Vb
2006 TN 51 33 *GA
2006 TN 39 10 *Vb
2005 AL 31 3 *FL
2005 AL 17 0 *MS St.
2005 AL 37 14 *S.C.
2005 AR 44 10 *MS St.
2005 Aub 34 17 *AR
2005 Aub 49 27 *KY
2005 Aub 27 3 *Miss.
2005 Aub 28 0 *MS St.
2005 Aub 48 7 *S.C.
2005 FL 49 28 *KY
2005 FL 35 9 *MS St.
2005 GA 45 13 *KY
2005 GA 34 17 *Vb
2005 LSU 40 7 *Miss.
2005 LSU 37 7 *MS St.
2005 LSU 34 6 *Vb
2005 MS St. 35 14 *Miss.
2005 S.C. 44 16 *KY
2005 TN 27 8 *KY
2005 TN 27 10 *Miss.
2004 AL 45 17 *KY
2004 AL 28 7 *Miss.
2004 AL 30 14 *MS St.
2004 AR 27 10 *AL
2004 AR 35 3 *Miss.
2004 Aub 38 20 *AR
2004 Aub 24 6 *GA
2004 Aub 42 10 *KY
2004 Aub 35 14 *Miss.
2004 Aub 43 14 *MS St.
2004 Aub 34 10 *TN
2004 FL 45 30 *AR
2004 FL 20 3 *KY
2004 FL 48 14 *S.C.
2004 FL 34 17 *Vb
2004 GA 62 17 *KY
2004 GA 45 16 *LSU
2004 GA 33 3 *Vb
2004 LSU 26 10 *AL
2004 LSU 43 14 *AR
2004 LSU 51 0 *MS St.
2004 LSU 24 7 *Vb
2004 Miss. 20 3 *MS St.
2004 MS St. 22 7 *KY
2004 S.C. 20 3 *AL
2004 S.C. 31 6 *Vb
2004 Vb 31 13 *MS St.
2003 AL 38 0 *MS St.
2003 AR 52 6 *MS St.
2003 AR 28 6 *S.C.
2003 Aub 45 13 *MS St.
2003 Aub 45 7 *Vb
2003 FL 35 17 *Vb
2003 GA 26 7 *Aub
2003 GA 30 10 *KY
2003 GA 31 7 *S.C.
2003 GA 41 14 *TN
2003 GA 27 8 *Vb
2003 KY 42 17 *MS St.
2003 LSU 27 3 *AL
2003 LSU 55 24 *AR
2003 LSU 31 7 *Aub
2003 LSU 41 6 *MS St.
2003 LSU 33 7 *S.C.
2003 Miss. 43 28 *AL
2003 Miss. 31 0 *MS St.
2003 TN 59 21 *MS St.
2003 TN 48 0 *Vb
2002 AL 30 12 *AR
2002 AL 31 0 *LSU
2002 AL 42 7 *Miss.
2002 AL 34 14 *TN
2002 AL 30 8 *Vb
2002 AR 38 17 *Aub
2002 AR 48 28 *Miss.
2002 AR 23 0 *S.C.
2002 Aub 31 7 *LSU
2002 Aub 42 14 *MS St.
2002 Aub 31 6 *Vb
2002 FL 28 7 *S.C.
2002 FL 30 13 *TN
2002 GA 52 24 *KY
2002 GA 48 17 *Vb
2002 KY 45 24 *MS St.
2002 KY 41 21 *Vb
2002 LSU 36 7 *FL
2002 LSU 31 13 *MS St.
2002 LSU 38 14 *S.C.
2002 S.C. 34 10 *MS St.
2002 TN 24 0 *KY
2002 TN 35 17 *MS St.
2002 TN 24 0 *Vb
2001 AL 31 10 *AR
2001 AL 31 7 *Aub
2001 AR 42 17 *Aub
2001 FL 44 10 *KY
2001 FL 44 15 *LSU
2001 FL 52 0 *MS St.
2001 FL 54 17 *S.C.
2001 FL 71 13 *Vb
2001 GA 35 15 *Miss.
2001 GA 30 14 *Vb
2001 KY 56 30 *Vb
2001 LSU 42 0 *MS St.
2001 S.C. 42 6 *KY
2001 S.C. 46 14 *Vb
2001 TN 38 0 *Vb
2000 AL 45 7 *Miss.
2000 AL 28 10 *Vb
2000 Aub 34 17 *LSU
2000 Aub 33 0 *Vb
2000 FL 38 7 *Aub
2000 FL 59 31 *KY
2000 FL 41 9 *LSU
2000 FL 41 21 *S.C.
2000 FL 43 20 *Vb
2000 GA 38 7 *AR
2000 GA 32 14 *Miss.
2000 LSU 34 0 *KY
2000 Miss. 35 17 *KY
2000 Miss. 45 30 *MS St.
2000 MS St. 29 7 *AL
2000 MS St. 35 17 *KY
2000 S.C. 27 7 *AR
2000 S.C. 30 14 *Vb
2000 TN 63 20 *AR
2000 TN 59 20 *KY
1999 AR 34 10 *Aub
1999 AR 48 14 *S.C.
1999 Aub 38 21 *GA
1999 Aub 41 7 *LSU
1999 FL 32 14 *Aub
1999 FL 30 14 *GA
1999 FL 38 10 *KY
1999 FL 31 10 *LSU
1999 FL 20 3 *S.C.
1999 GA 49 34 *KY
1999 GA 24 9 *S.C.
1999 KY 31 5 *LSU
1999 KY 30 10 *S.C.
1999 LSU 35 10 *AR
1999 Miss. 38 16 *AR
1999 Miss. 42 23 *LSU
1999 Miss. 36 10 *S.C.
1999 MS St. 17 0 *S.C.
1999 MS St. 42 14 *Vb
1999 TN 24 0 *Aub
1999 TN 37 20 *GA
1999 TN 56 21 *KY
1999 TN 30 7 *S.C.
1999 TN 38 10 *Vb
1998 AL 32 7 *Vb
1998 AR 42 6 *AL
1998 AR 41 14 *LSU
1998 AR 34 0 *Miss.
1998 Aub 17 0 *Miss.
1998 FL 24 3 *Aub
1998 FL 38 7 *GA
1998 FL 51 35 *KY
1998 FL 33 14 *S.C.
1998 FL 45 13 *Vb
1998 GA 31 6 *Vb
1998 KY 55 17 *Vb
1998 LSU 41 6 *MS St.
1998 Miss. 30 6 *Vb
1998 MS St. 38 21 *Aub
1998 MS St. 28 6 *Miss.
1998 MS St. 38 0 *S.C.
1998 MS St. 42 0 *Vb
1998 TN 35 18 *AL
1998 TN 22 3 *GA
1998 TN 59 21 *KY
1998 TN 49 14 *S.C.
1998 TN 41 0 *Vb
1997 AL 20 0 *Vb
1997 Aub 23 6 *S.C.
1997 FL 56 7 *AR
1997 FL 55 28 *KY
1997 FL 48 21 *S.C.
1997 GA 37 17 *FL
1997 GA 47 0 *MS St.
1997 GA 31 15 *S.C.
1997 GA 34 13 *Vb
1997 LSU 27 0 *AL
1997 LSU 63 28 *KY
1997 LSU 24 9 *MS St.
1997 Miss. 36 21 *LSU
1997 MS St. 20 0 *Aub
1997 MS St. 37 17 *S.C.
1997 S.C. 39 13 *AR
1997 S.C. 35 3 *Vb
1997 TN 38 21 *AL
1997 TN 38 13 *GA
1997 TN 59 31 *KY
1997 TN 22 7 *S.C.
1996 AL 35 7 *KY
1996 AL 26 0 *LSU
1996 AL 37 0 *Miss.
1996 Aub 28 7 *AR
1996 Aub 45 28 *Miss.
1996 Aub 49 15 *MS St.
1996 FL 42 7 *AR
1996 FL 51 10 *Aub
1996 FL 47 7 *GA
1996 FL 65 0 *KY
1996 FL 56 13 *LSU
1996 FL 52 25 *S.C.
1996 GA 38 19 *MS St.
1996 KY 25 0 *Vb
1996 LSU 41 14 *KY
1996 LSU 39 7 *Miss.
1996 LSU 35 0 *Vb
1996 MS St. 17 0 *Miss.
1996 S.C. 27 0 *Vb
1996 TN 55 14 *AR
1996 TN 56 10 *KY
1996 TN 41 3 *Miss.
1996 TN 31 14 *S.C.
1995 AL 31 0 *GA
1995 AR 51 21 *S.C.
1995 AR 35 7 *Vb
1995 Aub 42 21 *KY
1995 Aub 46 13 *Miss.
1995 Aub 48 20 *MS St.
1995 FL 52 17 *GA
1995 FL 42 7 *KY
1995 FL 28 10 *LSU
1995 FL 28 10 *Miss.
1995 FL 63 7 *S.C.
1995 FL 62 37 *TN
1995 FL 38 7 *Vb
1995 GA 42 23 *S.C.
1995 LSU 28 0 *AR
1995 LSU 38 9 *Miss.
1995 LSU 34 16 *MS St.
1995 S.C. 65 39 *MS St.
1995 S.C. 52 14 *Vb
1995 TN 41 14 *AL
1995 TN 49 31 *AR
1995 TN 52 14 *MS St.
1995 TN 56 21 *S.C.
1994 AL 35 17 *LSU
1994 AR 31 7 *Miss.
1994 AR 42 6 *Vb
1994 Aub 31 14 *AR
1994 Aub 41 14 *KY
1994 Aub 42 18 *MS St.
1994 FL 52 14 *GA
1994 FL 73 7 *KY
1994 FL 42 18 *LSU
1994 FL 38 14 *Miss.
1994 FL 48 17 *S.C.
1994 FL 31 0 *TN
1994 FL 24 7 *Vb
1994 LSU 30 12 *AR
1994 LSU 44 24 *MS St.
1994 MS St. 47 7 *KY
1994 TN 38 21 *AR
1994 TN 41 23 *GA
1994 TN 52 0 *KY
1994 TN 65 0 *Vb
1994 Vb 24 6 *KY
1993 AL 43 3 *AR
1993 AR 42 24 *LSU
1993 Aub 34 10 *LSU
1993 FL 58 3 *LSU
1993 FL 52 0 *Vb
1993 GA 41 3 *Vb
1993 KY 35 17 *LSU
1993 KY 21 0 *Miss.
1993 Miss. 19 0 *AR
1993 Miss. 31 14 *GA
1993 Miss. 49 7 *Vb
1993 MS St. 23 0 *S.C.
1993 S.C. 22 0 *Vb
1993 TN 38 6 *GA
1993 TN 48 0 *KY
1993 TN 42 20 *LSU
1993 TN 55 3 *S.C.
1993 TN 62 14 *Vb