FORT SMITH -- Bentonville's offense is headed in the wrong direction, and that has a lot to do with the team's first 0-4 start in recent history.
The Tigers' struggles to move the ball downfield with any consistency continued to grow Friday night, and that resulted in a 10-7 loss to Fort Smith Southside to open 7A-West Conference football play and ended their 33-game win streak in league games.
That Figures
2 — yards gained in Bentonville’s last nine offensive plays
2 — consecutive weeks the Tigers have filed to gain 200 yards total offense
4 — consecutive weeks an opponent has scored on a Bentonville turnover
Bentonville (0-4, 0-1), which compiled 297 yards total offense in its season opener against Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst, managed a season-low 181 yards against Southside -- the second straight game of less than 200 yards total offense. As a result, the Tigers have only scored four touchdowns so far, the same number they have allowed opposing defenses to score this season.
"It's bad execution. I don't know how else to say it," coach Barry Lunney said. "We're not executing. We're doing things that we haven't done.
"We jump and have motion penalties, start first-and-15 now and start with long situations. Again and again. We make 1 yard on first down and it's second-and-9. It's just not good numbers. I don't care if it's Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon or at the Boys & Girls Club. That's not good numbers."
Bentonville had the ball in Southside territory twice in the first half and had nothing to show for it. The Tigers had a three-and-out following Hayden McDaniel's interception at the Rebels 46, and their final drive before halftime went from their 46 to the Southside 20 before Kasey Ford's pass was intercepted by Kaleb Chaires at the 5 with seconds on the clock.
Play of the Night: Just when Bentonville thought it would take the lead late in the first half, Jordan Racy had other ideas. The Southside defensive back hit Derek Hembry in the end zone and caused a potential touchdown to become an incomplete pass, and that led to Chaires' interception on the following play
Player of the Game: Linebacker Sean Acosta gave Southside enough cushion to win when he intercepted Ford's screen pass on the third play of the second half and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, leading to the Rebels' 10-0 lead.
Injury Report: Lunney said Bentonville lost another tight end, Dax Hale, during the game. Meanwhile, tailback-linebacker David Nichols had to be carried by two teammates into the locker room after the game. His status is unknown.
Notable: This marks the first time Bentonville has lost four straight games since the end of the 2005 season. ... Tigers running backs Dylan Smith and Hekili Keliiliki, who combined for more than 2,100 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, have only 326 yards and one score through the first four games. ... Bentonville's defense limited Southside, which lost leading rusher D'erek Fernandez in the first half, to just 170 yards total offense.
Up Next: Bentonville returns to Tiger Stadium for homecoming and will host Fort Smith Northside in a 7A-West game. The Grizzlies opened league play with a 27-24 victory at Fayetteville, thanks to a late touchdown and two-point conversion.
Sports on 09/28/2014