FAYETTEVILLE -- It was a "great question," Bret Bielema acknowledged of a Monday news conference inquiry.
Not actually great, just obvious.
In their 58-42 SEC victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs combining 100 points and 1,194 yards total offense, Bielema's Arkansas Razorbacks blanked the Bulldogs in the second quarter.
The other three quarters Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald either rushed or threw for two touchdowns in each.
So what, Bielema and defensive coordinator Robb Smith were asked, did Arkansas' defense do the second quarter it couldn't do the other three?
"It's not anything more than I think guys lined up with authority and made tackles," Bielema said. "Played with a little confidence, a little swagger. We got our hands on not only the ball-carriers when we were making tackles, but we just disrupted the run game I think better in the second quarter than we did in the first quarter and second half, obviously."
Arkansas' 24-0 second quarter for a 38-14 intermission lead somehow increased the Bulldogs' effectiveness in spite of, or maybe because of, their desperation.
"When they got behind by X number of scores it turned into a different type of game," Bielema said. "We just have to play better and execute, really not only in pass defense but in rushing the passer and playing underneath."
Smith would love to bottle that second quarter from Starkville, multiply it by four and pour it on the Missouri Tigers in Friday's 1:30 p.m. CBS televised SEC finale in Columbia, Mo.
"You know our charge this week is we have got to play that way," Smith said. "There was a 12:22 segment where I thought we did some really good things. We forced a couple of three and outs, got off the field."
Then it turned into a track meet. Fitzgerald passed for 328 yards and rushed for 131 while Razorbacks running backs Rawleigh Williams netted 205 rushing and Devwah Whaley 112 more while quarterback Austin Allen passed for 303.
"We have got to be more consistent," Smith said. "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. And collectively as a group we have got to take it one play at a time and we all collectively have to do our jobs."
Other than stifling SEC East champion Florida, 31-10, holding the Gators to but a dozen rushing yards, doing their jobs mostly has been a task the Hogs have struggled to do during their 3-4 SEC season.
Last Saturday they did their defensive job for one quarter and it was enough.
"The second quarter was the difference in the ballgame," Bielema said.
One defensive quarter may suffice in Columbia, too. Missouri potentially presents the same porous defense and explosive offense that Arkansas vs. Mississippi State exemplified.
The Tigers lost 63-37 at Tennessee last Saturday even while amassing 740 yards total offense and 41 first downs.
Sports on 11/23/2016