FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks turned their attention to Friday's Thanksgiving week game at Missouri, and Coach Bret Bielema used his Monday news conference to clarify some remarks he made after last Saturday's 58-42 victory over Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.
On Monday, Bielema seemingly issued a vote of confidence to defensive coordinator Robb Smith while also talking about why he sent a message of support on Sunday to embattled Texas Coach Charlie Strong.
When asked on Saturday about playing a 100-point game against Mississippi State for a second year in a row -- Arkansas lost 51-50 last season -- Bielema left some things up for interpretation when he said he would like to play better defensively in certain areas, especially in the tight red zone:
"But the way football's kind of evolved, and the way the rules are set up, it's an offensive game more," Bielema said. "We'll make some changes during the out of season, just to make sure we're a little bit more solid and can try to put some pressure on the quarterback and make him make some decisions."
Bielema was asked on Monday what he meant by the offseason "changes" on defense.
"Well, I think you guys are overanalyzing," he said. "If you just look at our numbers, if you don't say you're going to change things, you're putting your head in the sand. I can't put my thumb on exactly what it's going to be or how it's going to be.
"No one should read into me saying I like watching my offensive coaches work and forgetting not to say I like my defensive coaches' work ... or me reaching out to Charlie. If we were the No. 2 rated defense in the country I still would've reached out to Charlie. He's just a person I respect."
Bielema talked about how he has known Robb Smith since 1999, when Bielema was in the middle of a six-year run as linebackers coach at his alma mater Iowa and Smith was hired as a graduate assistant coach for the Hawkeyes.
"The thing about Robb and I, we share a very, very common defensive history and what we believe in and that's why we had success at different times during the course," Bielema said. ... "We've got to make sure that stays the mainstay of what we are and who we are.
"Whether it's how we align, how we support the football, the principles we believe in coverage. I think we have the core and the makeup to be a very good defensive football team. That isn't happening right now all the time and that's what I mean."
Smith, who guided Arkansas a No. 10 finish in total defense in his first year as defensive coordinator in 2014, said the Razorbacks need to duplicate what they did in the second quarter at Mississippi State, when they pulled away from the Bulldogs with a 24-0 run.
"There was a segment where I thought we did some really good things," Smith said. "We forced a couple of three and outs, got off the field. We have got to be more consistent. That's our charge.
"As coaches we have to help them be more consistent. We have to put them in better spots at times. That's our job."
A short week of preparation won't make that chore any easier against a Missouri team that racked up 740 yards, 420 on the ground, in a 63-37 loss at Tennessee last week.
Arkansas (7-4 overall, 3-4 SEC) can improve its regular season record for a third consecutive year and finish with a .500 conference record if it can take care of Missouri (3-8, 1-6) in the third edition of The Battle Line Rivalry on Friday. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
Arkansas opened as a 7.5-point favorite against the Tigers, the first time this season the Razorbacks have been favored in a conference game. The line grew on Monday, perhaps due to the news that Missouri running back Damarea Crockett, the Little Rock native who leads all FBS freshmen with 1,062 rushing yards, has been suspended for the game after his misdemeanor arrest on Sunday for possession of marijuana.
"Somebody said this is the first time by the outside world we were favored in an SEC game, unchartered water for us, holy cow," Bielema said.
The Razorbacks are riding an offensive high after piling up 661 total yards against Mississippi State and having running back Rawleigh Williams and offensive lineman Dan Skipper win SEC player of the week awards on Monday.
Sports on 11/22/2016