Two-Minute Drill: Arkansas Jumps All Over Northern Illinois 52-14

 

HOW ARKANSAS WON
When the first offensive touchdown doesn’t come until you’re already ahead 14-0, you’re doing everything right, and Arkansas pretty much did everything right in shellacking a Northern Illinois program that had won 17 straight games on the road. Of course, none of those games had come against SEC-type speed, and Arkansas showed it in a flash to NIU on the opening kickoff, when Korliss Marshall went straight up the middle and the blocking was perfect for a 97-yard return. The speed edge was also evident up front defensively for the Hogs, who took apart the Huskies’ running game and put NIU quarterback Drew Hare under pressure early. Hare was sacked by Trey Flowers and coughed up the ball, and the Hogs’ Darius Philon picked it up at the 5 and fell into the end zone for a two-touchdown Razorback lead less than halfway into the first quarter. Brandon Allen then led a 69-yard drive in 12 plays for what proved to be an insurmountable lead, still in the first quarter. After both of NIU’s touchdowns, Arkansas answered with scores, including the dagger, a 44-yard Allen pass to Keon Hatcher early in the fourth quarter.

FIRST TD
Darius Philon scored the first touchdown of his playing career when he helped Trey Flowers separate the ball from NIU quarterback Drew Hare near the 10-yard line. Philon thought scoop-and-score and did exactly that, getting the ball in his hands at the five and tumbling into the end zone. UA coach Bret Bielema said later he thought Philon was about to break into an “Alabama shuffle” after the score. Philon said later his only other scoring play in his career was catching a two-point conversion off a fake extra point in junior high. The touchdown, the first by the defense this season, gave Arkansas a 14-0 lead with 8:07 left in the first quarter.

PASSING? YES, PASSING
It was by plan, Bret Bielema said later, that Arkansas aired it out far more than it had to last week in beating Texas Tech 49-28 in Lubbock. In fact, fans were worried that Arkansas might forgo the pass altogether for its powerful running game, even though Bielema went to great pains early in the week to say he thought his style an been misunderstood and that he sought balance, with his ideal game being 215 yards rushing and passing. Turns out, the Hogs nearly hit those ideals right on the numbers. Arkansas passed for 215 yards and ran for 212 in Saturday night’s win. Brandon Allen was 15 of 22 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. His brother, Austin, got in for a late series and completed his one pass for 16 yards.

CONVERSIONS
Arkansas was hurt immensely in its inability to convert third downs against Auburn in the season opener while giving up key third-down conversions by the Tigers. The Hogs have steadily improved on both areas since Aug. 30, and Saturday night the Razorbacks converted 10 of 14 third downs. In a drive that all but sewed up the game in the third quarter, Brandon Allen used his arm on third-down passes to Cody Hollister and Keon Hatcher to keep the deciding march alive. Meanwhile the UA defense limited NIU to 5 of 12 on third downs.

SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIAL
Korliss Marshall’s 97-yard kickoff return to open the game was a play assistant line coach and special teams coach Rory Secrest had seen coming from the NIU film, Bret Bielema said afterward. The head man said his aide thought all week the Hogs could hit it, Marshall “hit it full throttle,” and with the other 10 players “getting a hat on a hat” Marshall was never touched in taking the ball straight up the right hash mark and into the open for a fast score that set the tone for Arkansas. The Hogs’ punting was solid again by Sam Irwin-Hill, and Arkansas even employed a new walk-on kicker no one had heard mentioned this week, Adam McFain out of Greenwood, who gave the Razorbacks more consistency on kickoffs. If there was one failing that kept the Special Teams grade from being an A+, it was the 43-yard field goal miss by John Henson in the first half. His try had the length but veered slightly right of the upright. So far, Henson’s longest field goal as a Hog is 22 yards. He came back to drill a 21-yarder from a tough angle on the right hash mark in the fourth quarter. Coverage teams were generally outstanding, highlighted by a smashing hit on a punt by the fast closing Jeremy Sprinkle in the third quarter.

‘SPAIGHTED’ OWN MAN
Ever-improving linebacker Martrell Spaight ignited the crowd with a couple of blasting hits of the Huskies on Saturday night. Hits by the North Little Rock product have come to be known as being “Spaighted.” He also accidentally clocked fellow Hog linebacker Brooks Ellis in the first half on a hit on NIU quarterback Drew Hare in the first half, sending Ellis out of the game. Bret Bielema said later that Ellis was held out for precautionary reasons the rest of the contest, and he noted of Spaight: “He’s dangerous even to his own teammates.” He’s also come into his own this year after and up-and-down season in 2013 fresh out of junior college.

NIMBLE FEET
By now, opponents should realize they have to take note of Brandon Allen’s ability to scramble out of a bad play. Twice he showed off his quick feet and quick thinking against the Huskies in plays that resulted in touchdowns. In beating the halftime clock with a precise, 10-play drive in the two-minute drill, Allen felt the heat coming from his right side and avoided a potential sack on third down, then kept the play alive as he rolled to the right sideline, finally zipping a ball to freshman Jared Cornelius in the back corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, Allen was totally unaccounted for in the Huskies’ scheme from the 2-yard line and he strolled around right end for a touchdown to push the Hogs’ margin to 35-7.

HE SAID IT
“Our throwing game has improved for three reasons. One, out [quarterback] is better, he’s healthier … the second thing is the understanding of our wide receivers, our tight ends and our running backs in where the routes are supposed to be … Third, they believe in what we’re doing. If you don’t have faith in what you’re doing you’re not going to have success. I’m not saying we didn’t have faith in it last year, but if that belief isn’t there, it’s not going to work, like on those third-down calls.” — Bret Bielema

“Give Arkansas a ton of credit. They are a fine football team. They came out and played disciplined football, made plays in the kicking game and didn’t turn the ball over. You can really sum up the game with their ability to do that and not us. Once again, they are a fine football team.” — Northern Illinois Coach Rod Carey

“I think we’ve improved every day. We have a great opportunity tomorrow to get a jump start on A&M. And what our players do on Monday will greatly affect Tuesday. I’m excited. I think the guys are confident. They have a certain mentality and attitude that has not been here since I’ve been here. It’s getting better and better every day and it’s just a lot of fun to be around.” — Bielema

UP NEXT
Arkansas (3-1) and Texas A&M (4-0) renew their neutral site rivalry but now as members of the SEC when the teams battle at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Arkansas won the first three meetings in “Jerry World,” before A&M joined the SEC and requested a home-and-home arrangement for the next two games with Arkansas. Saturday’s game will be the first of 11 straight games scheduled for the DFW Metroplex for the two teams. CBS will carry the game nationally.

Post-Game Interviews: Keon Hatcher, Darius Philon, Bray Cook, Bret Bielema, Trey Flowers and Martrell Spaight.

arkansas jumps all over Northern Illinois

PHOTO: Copyright Mark Wagner 2014

 

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