Sporting Life Arkansas

Jim Harris Live: Nicholls State at Arkansas

  It’s game day and kick off to the home opener in Fayetteville of the 2014 Razorback football season is here: Nicholls State at Arkansas. Game time is set for 3 p.m. Jim Harris will be posting his thoughts throughout the game here, so check this page often. (Scroll down about halfway and you’ll see the posts from Jim.) Arkansas Defensive Coordinator Robb Smith on the Razorback defense: “This week has been all about us and our improvement. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we worked a lot on setting the edge and pressing the hip. We worked a lot on our tackling, we have to do a much better job there. That’s where the bulk of our time has been spent.” Smith on what to expect from Nicholls State: “We’re going to see a lot of different personnel groupings – four wide receivers, two running backs, a tight end. They’re going to mix it up on us. At the end of the day we have to come out and play Arkansas defense.” Smith on Nicholls State’s offense: “I thought both of their quarterbacks played well last week. Both of them ran the football pretty well. This is a team that’s going to make us work. We have to make sure we understand what personnel grouping is in the game. We have to do a great job of recognizing formations. At the end of the day, we have to get back and get our eyes in the right place. We have to do a much better job of tackling and getting guys on the ground.” Smith on younger players getting time on Saturday: “We put some younger guys in the mix this week. I’m excited to see them in action. Basically all the younger linebackers have taken reps in and out with our first and second group.  Anthony Brown is a guy we’ve injected into our defensive line. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see a little more of Josh Liddell at the safety position. Then we have the young corners Henrè Toliver and Cornelius Floyd. I hope to get a chance to get those guys on the field and see what they have to offer.”
6:12 p.m. 73-7 — Austin Allen decides to tuck it, bounces off a couple of tacklers and gets the ball across for what ought to be the last score of this game (at least for the Hogs). The run covered 5 yards, and Allen engineered a solid drive that ate up almost 6 minutes, which is important when we’re all (including Nicholls) trying to get out of here. I’ll update after the post-game interviews. There is 3:33 to play.
6:00 66-7 Hogs — Nicholls shows some moxie and marches to inside the Hogs’ 10 against the bottom of the Razorbacks’ defensive depth chart, but newcomer MLB Josh Williams leads a sack of Beaux Hebert (Bobby’s son), forcing a field goal that is wide right. There is 9:49 to play.
5:51 p.m. 66-7 — Arkansas moves another 71 yards over 12 plays before settling for a short John Henson field goal with 14:08 to play. During the drive, we saw an appearance by former quarterback turned receiver Duwop Mitchell, a redshirt freshman, who lined up at running back and showed some flash in runs of 12 and 13 yards. Anthony Antwine, a walk-on receiver, had a nice grab and Cornelius showed his jets a few times, but couldn’t pull in an Austin Allen pass off his hands at the goal line. It was a tough catch.
5:35 p.m. — D.J. Dean had what was one of the prettiest interceptions we’ve seen of a Razorback in a long time, stealing a pass out of a receiver’s hands at the 15 and returning it 9 yards. Dean’s reaction after the play was over was what made it extra special, as he ran the ball to the sideline and handed it to the defensive coaches.
5:34 p.m. — It’s plays like the one Austin Allen just made in the red zone that make you wonder why the Hog offensive staff is hellbent on redshirting true freshman Rafe Peavey. Allen had the Hogs in great position and a receiver open in the flat when he threw right into the hands of Nicholls’ John Williamson at the 5, and the backup Colonels linebacker had a clear path to the other end before Austin Allen pulled him down by the face mask at the Arkansas 45. A 24-yard run by Alex Collins had put Arkansas inside the 10 on the march that started at the 41.