FAYETTEVILLE - Many coaches will defer after winning the opening coin toss in the season opener, preferring to let their defense go hit somebody to start the season.

Not Bret Bielema.

The Razorbacks won the toss, took the kick and established their smashmouth agenda with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on which tailbacks Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins combined for eight carries for 62 yards.

“Coach likes to take the ball,” offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said. “I’m good with that. Let’s go. Take the ball and let’s see what happens.”

Arkansas racked up 522 total yards in its 34-14 victory over the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Razorbacks ran for 292 yards, their highest figure since posting 326 rushing yards against Texas-El Paso in 2010.Pooch punt

Sam Irwin-Hill handled the punting, and the junior college transfer averaged 41 yards on two tries with a long of 45 yards. Irwin-Hill had one regulation punt, the 45-yarder, with his right foot, and a 37-yard boot of the pooch variety with his left foot. The pooch punt could have traveled a few yards farther, as it was bouncing toward the end zone, but Carroll Washington stopped it on the 6.

Kicking coach Charlie Partridge said it worked out well to get Irwin-Hill some reps.

“On his first punt, you could feel the nerves and he didn’t quite get the hang time that I think he would have hoped for, but it still ended up being a 45-yard punt and a minus-2 return, so pretty good stuff,” Partridge said.

Injury update

Assistant coach Charlie Partridge said kicker Zach Hocker’s removal in the second half was a precautionary move for Hocker, who was not 100 percent during the week.

Partridge said Hocker recovered well from Saturday’s work, during which he became the school’s all-time scoring leader with 296 points. Hocker also put all five of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

“He bombed those kickoffs,” Partridge said Sunday. “We’re just being smart with him. It’s a long season and a guy that can do all three. He’s in good shape.”

There was speculation in the press box during the pregame that Hocker might notbe kicking in the opener, but the senior from Russellville was only held out of punting against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Stat central

Arkansas won its seventh consecutive season opener dating to a 50-14 loss to Southern California in 2006.

Bret Bielema teams are now 8-0 in season openers and 53-3 when scoring 30 or more points. Bielema’s teams are 45-5 at home.

Jonathan Williams rushed for 151 yards and Alex Collins added 131 yards to make Arkansas the only SEC team with two 100-yard rushers on the opening weekend and one of only four teams in the nation to achieve that mark.

‘Belly’ flop

Coach Bret Bielema said he did not interfere with any of offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s play-calling on Saturday, but he did take credit for one play call against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

“I called the one really good play,” Bielema said. “I called the fullback belly that got knocked in the head for minus-1.”

TV for Samford

Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against Samford at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium will be televised in high definition on a pay-per-view basis. Viewers should contact their cable or satellite provider for the details.

Scott Inman will call the play-by-play and Jimmy Dykes will provide commentary on the broadcast.

Tickets are still available for $55 and can be purchased through the web site, on the phone at 800-982-4467 (HOGS) or at the War Memorial box office.

False starts

Coach Bret Bielema said two of the Hogs’ four penalties were on him and his coaching staff. Tight end Mitchell Loewen was called for a false start for picking his hand up after he was “covered” by a receiver. A tight end can move until a player takes a position on the line beyond him.

The Razorbacks were penalized 15 yards for a Tevin Mitchel face mask, giving them three flags for 25 yards in the first quarter. The only penalty after that was a false start on tight end Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter.

“What’d we have, five penalties?” Bielema asked near the end of his post game media session. “Four? That’s pretty good.”

Lots of nickel

Arkansas used a 4-2-5 defensive alignment often against Louisiana-Lafayette, with safety Rohan Gaines moving to nickel and Alan Turner entering for linebacker Braylon Mitchell as the second safety with Eric Bennett.

“Their No. 1 personnel grouping a year ago was ‘11,’ which is one tight end, three wideouts,” Coach Bret Bielema said, noting that the Cajuns used that formation about 85 percent of the time last season. “So we had prepared … to run all nickel against that personnel.”

Turner notched six tackles, tied with linebacker Austin Jones for second on the team behind cornerback Tevin Mitchel and linebacker Jarrett Lake.

Bowl pick

Chris Low of ESPN.com projected bowl bids after the first weekend and slotted Arkansas to the BBVA Compass Bowl. The Jan. 4 bowl in Birmingham, Ala., pits an SEC team against a member of the American Athletic Conference, formerly the Big East. Low also awarded the Arkansas offensive line one of his five “helmet stickers” for their play on the opening weekend.

Sports, Pages 22 on 09/02/2013