Defensive discipline key for Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE -- Tennessee was running on empty against Arkansas last week at Neyland Stadium.

The Volunteers lead the SEC with 242 carries and rank 19th nationally in rushing offense averaging 225 yards, but they couldn't gain any traction against the Razorbacks when it mattered the most.

Arkansas held Tennessee to 4 rushing yards on nine attempts in the second half while beating the Vols 24-20.

Razorbacks Coach Bret Bielema said the second-half defensive domination -- after Tennessee rushed 24 times for 129 yards in the first half -- was more about mental adjustments than anything done scheme-wise.

Jalen Hurd, the Vols' 6-3, 230-pound sophomore tailback, was tackled twice for 3-yard losses -- first by end Tevin Beanum and then by linebackers Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw -- and had 4 carries for 1 yard in the second half after having 15 for 89 in the first half.

"More than anything, I think the confidence and the swagger of our defensive guys that second half showed up," Bielema said. "We talked all week about our first defensive goal was to impose our will in the run game. That was the definition of why the game was won, in my opinion."

Arkansas' run defense will try to impose its will again Saturday night when the Razorbacks play No. 8 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

"They're really going to be what they always have been," Arkansas senior nose guard DeMarcus Hodge said of the Crimson Tide's physical run game. "It's going to be a dogfight."

Alabama ranks 38th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 199.8 yards per game, but ran for 238 against Wisconsin, 220 against Middle Tennessee State and 215 against Ole Miss.

The Tide's stats are somewhat skewed because they rushed for 134 yards -- and passed for 166 -- in a 34-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in which five tailbacks shared carries.

Junior tailback Derrick Henry leads Alabama with 93 carries for 570 yards, including 149 against Wisconsin, 148 against Georgia and 127 against Ole Miss.

"He's listed as 6-3, 240-something and I believe every bit of that," Bielema said. "He's such a challenge as a running back, but I also have a lot of respect for him in breaking down their special teams and I see that he's their right tackle on the punt team.

"You don't see a lot of running backs the caliber he is doing that on special teams. He's obviously a guy that has bought in to the team concept and is very, very talented."

Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said the Razorbacks' did a good job of not giving up big plays.

"They're a defense that's very disciplined," Jones said. "They force you to drive the football and not make mistakes. We had too many mistakes at critical stages.

"I think the whole key to the game -- when you talk about their run defense -- is their safeties were able to make open-field tackles."

Arkansas safeties Santos Ramirez and Rohan Gaines and nickel back Henre Toliver combined for 18 tackles.

"They're physical up front, they do a great job with their scheme," Alabama Coach Nick Saban of the Razorbacks. "They play blockers well. Their linebackers are very instinctive. They get good secondary support.

"They play their scheme well together as a group. They're well-coached."

Saban said Arkansas does a good job with stunts by its linemen to "mess up" the running game.

"We had a tough time running the ball against them last year," Saban said. "So the expectation for us is we're going to have to do a lot better job."

Alabama rushed 32 times for 66 yards in a 14-13 victory at Arkansas last season.

"That gives us a little bit of confidence ... we know we can stop the run," Ellis said. "That's what we emphasize every week."

Clint Stoerner, Arkansas' starting quarterback from 1997-1999 and now an analyst for the SEC Network, said he believes the Razorbacks' run defense is the biggest key against Alabama.

"I know that we've got to load the box up and play man and really expose our coverage guys," Stoerner said. "Henre Toliver's got to get better. Dre Greenlaw and Brooks Ellis have got to find a way to communicate better.

"You can't line up in the wrong place and be looking at each other communicating when the ball's snapped. Those are things you cannot do against Alabama. They've got to get that cleaned up."

Stoerner said the Razorbacks don't have to contain Henry for four quarters, but that doing it in the first quarter could be big.

"The key is early in the game shutting him down and giving your offense a chance to get that lead," Stoerner said. "Really be in position to dictate what's going to happen the rest of the game."

In the Alabama game last season, Arkansas held T.J. Yeldon -- a rookie starter with the Jacksonville Jaguars -- to 45 yards on 16 carries and Henry to 25 yards on 7 carries. The Tide's longest run was a 12-yard gain by Yeldon.

"At the end of the day, I think it was just gap control," Razorbacks defensive line coach Rory Segrest said. "Guys doing their jobs. There's no miracle cure to getting out there and getting the job done. It's just about going out and execute as far as alignment, assignment, technique, fundamentals.

"We put all that together. Obviously not as well as we needed to do to win."

Segrest said the Razorbacks have had their ups and downs on run defense this season.

"There's room for improvement any time you take the field unless we're just totally shutting a team out and keeping them from getting any positive yardage," Segrest said. "I think we're getting better each week."

Sports on 10/09/2015