FAYETTEVILLE -- If quarterback sacks are your bag, Arkansas football games have been unfulfilling this season.
Offensively, the Razorbacks rank No. 8 nationally in allowing an SEC-low six sacks in seven games.
Sack lightly
The Razorbacks posted 24 quarterback sacks last season. This year, Arkansas is last in the SEC and No. 119 in the nation with an average of one per game. A look at the Razorbacks’ sack chart:
Player;Sacks-Yds
Mitchell Loewen;1.5-11
Tevin Beanum;1.5-10
Deatrich Wise;1-11
Jeremiah Ledbetter;1-9
Karl Roesler;1-9
DeMarcus Hodge;1-6
The Arkansas defense is at the other end of the spectrum, ranking last in the SEC and No. 119 in the nation with an average of one sack per game.
Arkansas hopes to treat its fans to a stronger pass rush starting Saturday against visiting FCS opponent Tennessee-Martin. The Skyhawks are one of several Arkansas opponents down the stretch who offer deeper drops and longer pass routes, meaning more opportunities for the Razorbacks to impact the quarterback.
The Razorbacks are led in sacks by sophomore end Tevin Beanum and senior Mitchell Loewen, who plays inside and outside. Beanum and Loewen have 1 1/2 sacks each, including a tandem sack against Texas A&M. DeMarcus Hodge, Jeremiah Ledbetter, Karl Roesler and Deatrich Wise have the remainder of the sacks.
Ledbetter tackled Auburn's Sean White for a 9-yard sack that sank a third-quarter series for the Tigers last week. Additionally, Beanum put a hit on White late in the game that was initially ruled a fumble, which was recovered by Wise. The replay official eventually called it an incomplete pass.
"I thought our guys up front for the most part got after that guy [White] pretty good," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. "Made him throw under the well and didn't really give up free yardage on a scramble or anything like that."
"We got like eight knockdowns on the quarterback, six to eight knockdowns," Beanum said. "I feel like we definitely affected him. We just have to be a little bit more productive, get our hands up, especially in the quick game, and affect the quarterback a little more."
In a 27-14 loss at Alabama, Wise beat a blocker and sacked Jake Coker for an 11-yard loss early in the third quarter that protected Arkansas' 7-3 lead while pushing the Crimson Tide back to their 4-yard line. Later, Loewen's 7-yard sack from the Arkansas 7 forced Alabama to settle for a field goal.
Beanum had a critical 8-yard sack on Josh Dobbs on Tennessee's final possession in the Hogs' 24-20 victory on Oct. 3.
"I think our pass rush is improving," Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "We've gotten some good hits on the quarterback of late. The Tennessee, the Alabama, the Auburn games is really where it's kind of taken a jump for us."
Defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson said the linemen are doing a better job of attacking blockers and getting vertical.
"Getting pressure and disrupting the quarterback is going to be very important this weekend," Johnson said.
Former Arkansas All-American Dan Hampton, speaking at the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club on Wednesday said he's seen many Razorbacks games on television in Chicago and he'd like to see a more determined rush.
"Most importantly you've got to play violent," Hampton said. "You've got to get off slaps, ram into people and knock them around. A lot of times I'm watching and everybody's going too gentle into the night. They need to get violent."
Beanum smiled and nodded when told of Hampton's remarks.
"Well then, I guess we need to bring the violence, a little more violence," he said.
The Razorbacks struggled to reach the quarterback in early games against Texas-El Paso, Toledo, and Texas Tech, teams that intentionally used shorter drops and got the ball out of their quarterbacks' hands quickly.
After DeMarcus Hodge sacked UTEP quarterback Mack Leftwich for a 6-yard loss in the opener, the Razorbacks did not put Toledo's Phillip Ely or Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes on their backs in back-to-back losses.
Texas A&M's offense offered more dropbacks and the Razorbacks responded, with Roessler posting a 9-yard sack and the duo of Beanum and Loewen combining on a 2-yard sack of Kyle Allen.
The Arkansas defense had undergone a transformation after losing Trey Flowers and Darius Philon, who combined for 10 1/2 sacks last year. Josh Williams, groomed during the spring and camp to be a part-time edge rusher at strong-side linebacker, hardly got the chance. He was injured against Toledo, then suffered a broken leg at Tennessee in his first game back on defense.
The team's defensive front appears be making an impact as the season progresses.
"Of course we can improve on that, and I think that's something we've emphasized this week, and hopefully we can execute and bring that to the table come Saturday," Beanum said.
Sports on 10/29/2015