My key stats of the game. Really wanted to be able to say second straight game defense didn't allow a TD. Didn't quite get there and it would have been the lede, if it happened. The big pass for a TD was in near garbage time, though not quite.
1. Arkansas Penalties: 0 penalties for 0 yards. I hate to start with something so negative but I am furious, because this was complete bullshit. It is reflective of the overall officiating where everything went Arkansas's way. Someone explain to me how that fumble was ruled as possessed by Arkansas. Explain it to me like I am a child. Flagrant PI doesn't get called on them but a tight one goes against us. Our defensive penetration prompted hold after hold after hold. Not called once, not even to be declined because we made the sack anyway. Moss twice gets into the end zone on our final drive, and they don't give us either. The entire day one flag was thrown against Arkansas, and the call was reversed. So the most impressive stat may be that we won so decisively despite the total f*ck us in the as* bias from the refs.
2. Seven freaking sacks and another game with 15 tackles for loss. Arkansas ran 56 plays. Over a quarter of them lost yards. Even more had no gain. I'm not sure how many but they were 9/17 passing so just adding the eight incompletions makes at least 23 plays for lost yards or no gain.
3. Ainus Smith 232 all purpose yards including 131 in punt returns, including one for a very important TD. His play changed the character of the game.
4. The Pigs really tried to run the ball. The stats: 39 rushes for 42 yards, a miserable 1.1 yards per carry. Hard to win a game with that.
5. Offense scored only 2 TDs, only one more than the Arkansas defense scored against our offense. That's right I am going with something negative again in a game we won. For as much as you may feel we dominated this game, take away our pick 6 and Smith's punt return for a TD and we lose the game. Special teams and defense dominated the game for us, not the offense. Statistically the offense had 414 yards, which isn't bad. Moss had 107 yards rushing for 6.3 per carry. Very respectable indeed. But between three turnovers and drive killing dropped passes by, one particular receiver even, our offense suffered from "can't complete the deal."
Which brings me to another point. For the second game in a row Matt Johnson comes out incredibly hot. While getting good protection he dissected the Pig defense. They figured out they need to pressure him, start blitzing, and suddenly he looks pretty damn average, even below average. Teams will be figuring that out faster in future games.
For the second game in a row our defense looks incredible. Our offense is inconsistent and subject to self destructive sputtering. Our backup QB took a lot of hits today (even when he got rid of the ball) and if that continues we will be looking for whoever his back up is real soon.
1. Arkansas Penalties: 0 penalties for 0 yards. I hate to start with something so negative but I am furious, because this was complete bullshit. It is reflective of the overall officiating where everything went Arkansas's way. Someone explain to me how that fumble was ruled as possessed by Arkansas. Explain it to me like I am a child. Flagrant PI doesn't get called on them but a tight one goes against us. Our defensive penetration prompted hold after hold after hold. Not called once, not even to be declined because we made the sack anyway. Moss twice gets into the end zone on our final drive, and they don't give us either. The entire day one flag was thrown against Arkansas, and the call was reversed. So the most impressive stat may be that we won so decisively despite the total f*ck us in the as* bias from the refs.
2. Seven freaking sacks and another game with 15 tackles for loss. Arkansas ran 56 plays. Over a quarter of them lost yards. Even more had no gain. I'm not sure how many but they were 9/17 passing so just adding the eight incompletions makes at least 23 plays for lost yards or no gain.
3. Ainus Smith 232 all purpose yards including 131 in punt returns, including one for a very important TD. His play changed the character of the game.
4. The Pigs really tried to run the ball. The stats: 39 rushes for 42 yards, a miserable 1.1 yards per carry. Hard to win a game with that.
5. Offense scored only 2 TDs, only one more than the Arkansas defense scored against our offense. That's right I am going with something negative again in a game we won. For as much as you may feel we dominated this game, take away our pick 6 and Smith's punt return for a TD and we lose the game. Special teams and defense dominated the game for us, not the offense. Statistically the offense had 414 yards, which isn't bad. Moss had 107 yards rushing for 6.3 per carry. Very respectable indeed. But between three turnovers and drive killing dropped passes by, one particular receiver even, our offense suffered from "can't complete the deal."
Which brings me to another point. For the second game in a row Matt Johnson comes out incredibly hot. While getting good protection he dissected the Pig defense. They figured out they need to pressure him, start blitzing, and suddenly he looks pretty damn average, even below average. Teams will be figuring that out faster in future games.
For the second game in a row our defense looks incredible. Our offense is inconsistent and subject to self destructive sputtering. Our backup QB took a lot of hits today (even when he got rid of the ball) and if that continues we will be looking for whoever his back up is real soon.
