Position-by-position matchups

OFFENSE

Quarterback Arkansas takes a step back if the Hogs play without Brandon Allen as expected. AJ Derby succeeded in his presnap reading and checking last week, but his passes were not accurate enough in his first action. Derby went 4 of 6 for 36 yards last week as Arkansas stayed mostly on the ground in his three quarters. Austin Allen, who the Hogs would like to redshirt, is the next man up if it comes to that. Arkansas has converted 20 of 40 thirddown conversions to tie for 28th in the nation. Rutgers’ Gary Nova practiced some this week, making it more likely the senior will play. Nova (42 of 66, 542 yards, 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions) has completed 63.6 percent of his passes. Nova picked Arkansas apart last year, completing 25 of 35 passes (.714) for a career-best 397 yards and 5 TDs. An illegal helmet-to-helmet hit sent him to the bench with a concussion last week, putting senior Chas Dodd (4 of 10, 45 yards) into the action. Dodd, a starter in 2010 and 2011, looked rusty while completing 40 percent of his passes. Dodd passed for 3,211 yards with 21 TDs and 14 interceptions in 20 games as a freshman and sophomore. The Knights have not been a good third-down team, tied for 100th nationally at 12 of 40 (.300).

Running backs Jonathan Williams (51 carries, 393 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Alex Collins (70 carries, 418 yards, 2 TDs) have been the focal point of the Arkansas offense, even before Allen’s injury. Collins ranks eighth nationally with 139.3 rushing yards per game, while Williams is 12th (131.0). Williams averages 7.7 yards per carry to Collins’ 6.0. Throw in fullback Kiero Small (18 carries, 53 yards), who took his first direct snaps in the Wildcat formation last week, and Nate Holmes (5 carries, 22 yards) and the Hogs boast the nation’s 11th-ranked rushing attack with an average of 294.3 yards per game. The runners have a combined 7 yards in losses on 144 rushes. Rutgers junior Paul James (61 carries, 493 yards, 6 TDs, 8.1 yards-per-carry) is the national leader in rushing yards and is second with an average of 164.3 yards per game. A former walk-on, James, 6-0, 210 pounds, is bigger and more powerful than last year’s top back - 1,000-yard rusher Jawan Jamison. James is patient behind blocks and a strong leg-churner. He runs behind fullback Michael Burton, making them the only former walk-on tandem in the country. James edged out big back Savon Huggins (31 carries, 117, 1 TDs) and got the start in the second game. James has four runs of 50-plus yards, the same total former Rutgers running back Ray Rice had in his college career. The Knights are 40th nationally in rushing (217.7).

Receivers Arkansas has completed 16 passes to just three wideouts in three games. Javontee Herndon (10 receptions, 165 yards, 3 touchdowns) leads the way and has been a standout catching and blocking in what has been a thin receiving corps. Senior Julian Horton (5 receptions, 51 yards) had a key 15-yard third-down catch last week. Keon Hatcher (1 reception, 27 yards), the only other wideout with a catch, should return today from an aggravation of a hamstring injury. Freshmen Eric Hawkins and Drew Morgan have had reps. The tight end crew welcomes back senior Austin Tate from a shoulder injury. Hunter Henry (6 receptions, 88 yards) had a dinged leg last week. Jeremy Sprinkle (2 receptions, 22 yards), Mitchell Loewen (1 reception, 24 yards, 1 TD) and Alex Voelzke all take snaps in the deepening corps. Arkansas is 112th nationally in passing (141.3 ypg). Rutgers still has some of the tall wideouts who bedeviled the Hogs secondary last season, led by 6-6 Brandon Coleman (12 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TDs), who had touchdown catches of 19 and 38 yards against the Razorbacks last season. Leonte Carroo (6 receptions, 157 yards, 3 TDs) is 6-1 and a big-play threat with a 26.2-yard average per catch, and half of his receptions have gone for scores. The 6-0 Quron Pratt (7 receptions, 95 yards) hurt the Hogs with 5 catches for 85 yards last year. Redshirt freshman 6-1 Ruhann Peele (5 receptions, 53 yards) is a target, and injured 6-6 Carlton Agudosi (hamstring) is expected to return. Tight end Paul Carrezola (1 reception, 11 yards), a fifth-year senior, is probable with a “lower body” injury, and teammate Tyler Kroft (5 receptions, 53 yards) could present problems at 6-6, 240. Rutgers is 88th nationally in passing (195.7) .

LineArkansas is expected to start the same line for the fourth consecutive game, with tackles David Hurd (knee) and Grady Ollison (ankle) projected to bounce back from injuries that knocked them out last week. Senior captain Travis Swanson is the glue, preparing for his 42nd consecutive start at center. Guards Brey Cook and Mitch Smothers have settled in well. True freshman tackles Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper have gotten solid playing time early, and Luke Charpentier is considered a top-flight interior backup. The Hogs would like to put their fifth time-of-possession national ranking to work and play keep-away. Arkansas is tied for fifth nationally with two sacks allowed and tied for 58th in total offense (437.7). Rutgers has been ailing here, but center Betim Bujari, 6-4, 295, is expected back from a head injury. Left guard Kaleb Johnson, 6-4, 305, who made the Outland Trophy watch list, was the left tackle starter last year, but Keith Lumpkin, 6-8, 315, now mans that spot. Taj Alexander, 6-4, 290, is the right tackle and redshirt freshman Chris Muller, 6-6, 300, is expected to start at right guard for senior Andre Civil (elbow), who is doubtful. Rutgers is 65th (413.3) nationally in total offense and 72nd in sacks allowed (2.0 per game).

DEFENSE Line End Chris Smith (12 tackles, 5 ½ tackles for loss, 4 ½ sacks, 4 hurries) is the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week after a three-sack game against Southern Miss. End Trey Flowers (5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries, interception) played limited reps last week in his return from a knee injury and made a diving interception. Tackle Robert Thomas (12 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 ½ sacks) is off to a big senior season and fellow senior Byran Jones (9 tackles, 1 hurry) is doing his run-plugging thing without flashing much yet. Deatrich Wise (5 tackles, 2 hurries), Darius Philon (5 tackles, 1 hurry), Brandon Lewis (4 tackles, 1 passes broken up), DeMarcus Hodge (4 tackles) and JaMichael Winston (2 tackles, 1 interception) make up a talented reserve corps. Arkansas is 20th nationally in rushing defense (105.3 ypg). The veteran Scarlet Knights are fifth in the nation in rushing defense (59.3), which is partly legit and partly due to Fresno State rushing just 23 times (for 81 yards) because the Bulldogs were passing 73 times for 456 yards. Rutgers had six sacks last week against Eastern Michigan, and its 10 sacks are tied for ninth in the nation. Senior defensive end Marcus Thompson (16 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 ½ sacks, 2 hurries) is a mainstay on the four-man front. Nose tackle Isaac Holmes (5 tackles, 1 hurry) and defensive tackle Darius Hamilton (14 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 passes broken up) are key contributors, along with Daryl Stephenson (6 tackles, 1 sack) and Al Page (3 tackles, 1 ½ sacks). The Scarlet Knights aren’t huge, but they are active, quick and disruptive.

Linebackers Senior Jarrett Lake (20 tackles, one-half sack, 1 hurry) returned from his one-game suspension with a vengeance, notching 13 tackles last week to tie fellow linebacker Braylon Mitchell (20 tackles, 1 pass broken up, 2 hurries) for the team lead. The return of Otha Peters last week from a broken forearm was timely as his rugged run-stopping can take some of the load off Austin Jones (13 tackles, 1 fumble recovery) against the Knights’ downhill attack. Martrell Spaight (10) is improving by the week, and the Razorbacks need him to be the kind of punishing tackler for which he’s built a name. The Hogs are sixth in the nation in total defense (253.0 ypg) and 13th in scoring defense (12.7 ppg) against lower-rated early opponents, which is more than can be said for last year’s team. NFL draftees Khaseem Greene and Steve Beauharnais are gone and senior Jamal Merrell (kidney), who was on the preseason Bednarik Award list, is out, making the Scarlet Knights young here. Redshirt freshman Steve Longa (29 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) is off to a good start. The other starters project as junior Kevin Snyder (20 tackles, 1 hurry) and Quentin Gause (14 tackles, 1 pass broken up, 1 hurry). Missed tackles were a problem last week. Rutgers is eighth nationally in third-down defense (26 percent), 47th in scoring defense (20.7 ppg) and 47th in total defense (347.7 ypg) despite allowing 537 total yards to Fresno State.

SecondaryNo one unit for Arkansas yearns for redemption in this game more than the defensive backs, like safeties Eric Bennett (13 tackles, 3 passes broken up) and Rohan Gaines (3 tackles) and cornerback Will Hines (7 tackles, 3 passes broken up, 1 interception), who were all victims of Gary Nova’s precision last year. Gaines, on the mend from a hyperextended knee, is expected to get snaps today behind junior Alan Turner (19 tackles, 1 pass broken up), who ranks third on the team in tackles. The Hogs don’t expect Nova to have as much time to operate this year. Cornerback Tevin Mitchel (15 tackles, 1 tackle for loss) missed last year’s game. Freshman cornerback Jared Collins (4 tackles) practiced without limits Wednesday after falling out on the sideline last week. The Hogs rank 12th nationally with 147.7 passing yards per game. Rutgers will need many weeks to recover statistically from the Fresno State air raid unleashed by quarterback Derek Carr. Gone for Rutgers are several key contributors from last year’s defense, including corner Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon, who intercepted Tyler Wilson last year. Rutgers fell victim to a double pass against Eastern Michigan that resulted in a 43-yard touchdown. The safeties are Lorenzo Waters (13 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass broken up) and Jeremy Deering (9 tackles) who is probable with a lower body injury. Ian Thomas (5 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass broken up) is one corner, while either Lew Toler (15 tackles, 2 passes broken up) or Gareef Glashen (8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack) will play the other. The Knights have allowed 60 percent completions, 6 touchdowns and 865 passing yards to rank 107th nationally at 288.3 yards allowed per game.Special teams Zach Hocker continues to shine on field goals (4-4), extra points (10-10) and kickoffs, where he leads the nation with a 65.9-yard average. He couldn’t get his punts to turn over last week and has a 37.2-yard average on four kicks. Sam Irwin-Hill averages 44.3 yards on seven punts, and the Razorbacks rank 40th nationally in net punting (40.4) and 62nd in overall average (41.7). Freshman Eric Hawkins has done OK on kickoff returns with a 23.3 yard average on three runbacks. Javontee Herndon has returned punts well, with an 8.5-yard average, but he lost a fumble on one of his four returns. Hocker’s booming kickoffs should keep Rutgers’ NCAA-best kickoff return unit at bay. The Scarlet Knights have two kick return touchdowns: a 100-yarder by Janarion Grant at Fresno State and a 99-yarder by Quron Pratt, the reigning American Athletic Conference player of the week, last week. The Knights lead the country with a 43.7-yard return average. Rutgers is 75th in overall punting (40.7) and net punting (36.4) behind Nick Marsh. Kyle Federico, who missed 46- and 32-yard field goals at Arkansas last year, has made only 4 of 7 attempts, including 1 of 4 from 30 yards or longer. Nick Borgese is waiting in the wings.

Intangibles Arkansas will face its first road test and will do it with a first-game starter at quarterback. Word is Rutgers’ stadium can reach near-SEC proportions on the rowdy meter. Arkansas would ideally like to chew up the clock and maximize its scoring opportunities to dull the crowd’s effectiveness. The Razorbacks evened up their turnover-takeaway ratio last week at 4-4, and their turnover margin of 0.0 is tied for 65th nationally. After a messy Game 2 with penalties, Arkansas rebounded and is tied for 30th nationally in penalties per game (4.67) and tied for 55th with 48 penalty yards per game. Rutgers will have a raucous welcome for the first SEC opponent on its campus. For the Scarlet Knights, this is a chance to show the Big Ten, their home beginning in 2014, they can hang with the upper tier. The game was within 1,000 tickets of a sellout Thursday, so High Point Solutions Stadium should be noisy. Rutgers has struggled with penalties, ranking 115th in penalty yards per game (77.7) and 118th in penalties per game (9.7). Rutgers has 6 takeaways, 3 turnovers and a plus-1.0 margin to tie for No. 24 in the country. The Scarlet Knights should play with confidence after rolling into Razorbacks territory and posting a victory last season, but they’ll find this Arkansas team appears to have a sturdier backbone.

Key matchup Defensive lines vs. running backs The task for both defensive fronts is slowing down a primetime rushing attack. Arkansas can send two 100-yard rushers - Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams - against Rutgers’ nationally fifthranked rush defense, while Scarlet Knights running back Paul James, the nation’s leading rusher with 493 yards, will take on the nation’s th-ranked rush defense.

Sports, Pages 24 on 09/21/2013

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