FAYETTEVILLE - A four-week stretch that looked so forbidding during the summer for the Arkansas football program is here.
Arkansas opens SEC play at 6 p.m. Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium against 10th-ranked Texas A&M, the first of four games against teams currently ranked in the AP top 25.
A trip to Gainesville, Fla., to play No. 20 Florida follows A&M, then No. 12 South Carolina comes to Fayetteville before Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa to play at No. 1 Alabama, the two-time defending BCS National Champion
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said before the season that no other school in the nation faced a stretch like that, but at his Monday news conference Bielema said his focus was on A&M, nothing else.
“You know what, and I mean that with all due respect,I’m not worried about anything but what’s in front of us,” Bielema said.
Arkansas, which led Rutgers 24-7 midway in the third quarter, came up a couple unmade plays from finishing 4-0 in its nonconference schedule, which would have put the Hogs two SEC victories from becoming bowl eligible in Bielema’s first season.
Instead, Rutgers used two long punt returns, one for a touchdown, a fourthand-12 conversion for a 33-yard touchdown, and the quick-release passing of Gary Nova to turn back the Razorbacks 28-24.
“I think sometimes in my head coaching career some of the biggest, disappointing losses, heartaches, propel you to something better in the future,” Bielema said. “That’s hopefully what we’re going to be able to build upon.” That building process will begin against the fearsome foursome of Aggies (3-1), Gators (2-1), Gamecocks (2-1) and Crimson Tide (3-0), who are a combined 10-3, with all of the losses coming against top 15 teams.
And there is still uncertainty at quarterback, with starter Brandon Allen still questionable with a damaged throwing shoulder, putting junior AJ Derby in line to make his second consecutive start. Austin Allen is listed behind Derby on the depth chart.
Bielema said he left Brandon Allen off the weekly depth chart because he didn’t play last week.
“I do think we’ll have him in a limited practice tomorrow,” Bielema said. “If he isn’t ready to go, AJ will be our guy. But if he, at any point, even if it’s not until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, says that he can go and the doctors give him 100 percent, we’ll go that direction.”
Bielema has provided no clarification on the nature of Allen’s injury after briefly mentioning the AC joint as the problem area after the Southern Mississippi game.
Derby completed 14 of 26 passes for 137 yards and 1 touchdown against Rutgers, earning an NCAA-configured efficiency rating of 110.8, and received mostly positive reviews from Bielema for his performance in front of a hostile and loud crowd.
“I don’t think he did anything that caused you great alarm,” Bielema said. “I know he could have maybe done a few things here or there and there’s some huddle things he’s got to get straight, but for the most part I thought he did very, very well.”
Allen completed 26 of 44 passes for 388 yards, with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception in nine quarters before his injury. But Allen’s NCAA-configured efficiency rating of 166.12 came in games against Louisiana-Lafayette, Samford andSouthern Mississippi, all three a notch or two below Rutgers.
Allen traveled with the team to Rutgers even though he did not throw a pass all week, and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said Allen talked to Derby every time he came off the field.
“It was good to have him there,” Chaney said. “I’m glad we did that.”
Arkansas’ defense leads the SEC with 14 sacks, ranks No. 18 nationally in total defense and No. 25 in scoring defense, and had performed well until the final quarter against Rutgers.
“Too many missed opportunities, too many mental mistakes in critical situations that cost the game,” defensive coordinator Chris Ash said.
Arkansas’ offense didn’t help the defense in the game’s final 24 minutes. The Hogs totaled four first downs and 91 total yards after it took a 24-7 lead on Jonathan Williams’ 21-yard pass to Hunter Henry with 8:32 left in the third.
The defense was asked to contend with Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova and a dangerous passing game on six drives, not counting a 58-yard punt-return touchdown with 2:14 to play in the third.
“In hindsight, from my standpoint, I wished I had rotated the ends a little bit more,” defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said, noting that starters Trey Flowers and Chris Smith had good games, but “I think I could have helped them by getting the other guys in a little bit more than I did.”
Officially, Rutgers ran 79 plays, 17 more than Arkansas, but Ash said the Razorbacks “had our opportunities to get off the field.”
Bielema said there were about 68 snaps where he was thinking “these guys have played unbelievable. … I knew Rutgers was a good offense and they were going to have some opportunities. … Unfortunately for us, the last 10 plays were probably our worst 10 plays.”
Up next
Texas A&M at Arkansas WHEN 6 p.m. Central on Saturday WHERE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville RECORDS Arkansas 3-1, Texas A&M 3-1 TV ESPN2
Sports, Pages 15 on 09/24/2013