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Arkansas' Report Card Vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Last updated Monday, September 8, 2008 2:47 PM CDT
in Razorback Central

By Alex Abrams
THE MORNING NEWS

Quarterbacks -- B+

There is no denying that senior Casey Dick had another huge night while leading Arkansas to its second consecutive comeback win. He threw for 249 yards in the second half, set a career high with 323 yards passing and completed 22-of-34 passes for two touchdowns. But Dick got off to a slow start, passing for only 74 yards in the first half and again holding the football ball too long. As a result, he was sacked four times.

Running Back -- A-

No doubt the return of starting running back Michael Smith from a one-game suspension helped give Arkansas a ground attack that it was missing in the season opener. He rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown in the first half, and finished with a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Meanwhile, freshman De'Anthony Curtis gained 22 yard yards on a reception that helped set up Arkansas' winning touchdown.

Wide Receivers -- B

Freshman Chris Gragg's first career reception couldn't have come at a bigger time. He made an impressive 25-yard catch on a fourth-and-1, and tight end D.J. Williams had a career night with five catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdown catches came as the Razorbacks rallied from an 18-point deficit. However, he and several wide receivers continued to drop passes that were costly.

Offensive Line -- B-

Arkansas' front line showed some improvement from its dismal performance against Western Illinois. The blockers opened holes for Smith to run through, and they gave Dick more time to stand in the pocket and find his receivers. But offensive guard Wade Grayson still struggled to hold his blocks, and Razorbacks gave up another four sacks.

Defensive Line -- B

The Hogs showed they could be more of a force upfront, getting their first two sacks of the season. Defensive end Jake Bequette recorded a sack in his first career start, and defensive tackles Malcolm Sheppard and Ernest Mitchell added a half-sack each. But they still got pushed back at times and have yet to dominate the line of scrimmage.

Linebackers -- B-

Redshirt freshman Jerry Franklin led the Razorbacks with nine tackles, but for the most part, the linebackers didn't stand out. At times, they got lost in the shuffle. But as a whole, they helped hold the Warhawks to only 71 yards rushing.

Secondary -- C

Isaac Madison got beat on a 33-yard touchdown pass, and fellow cornerback Ramon Broadway gave up a 46-yard pass that helped set up another ULM score. Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster completed 23-of-39 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas' secondary, and the unit went another game without an interception.

Specials Teams -- F

Even an "F" seems generous considering how poorly Arkansas' special teams played. Kicker Alex Tejada had a complete meltdown in the first half, missing two field goals and an extra point among a slew of other mistakes that led to him getting pulled. Meanwhile, Jeremy Davis had a punt blocked and needed to make a saving tackle to prevent a touchdown on a punt return. And to make matters worse, freshman Dennis Johnson stepped out-of-bounds at the 5-yard line after fielding a kickoff.

Coaching -- C

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino should get credit for making some gutsy offensive calls down the stretch. But at the same time, he and his staff must get blamed for not getting their players prepared for the second straight week. The team came out flat, allowing ULM to take a double-digit lead. And the struggles on special teams ultimately goes back to coaching.




Reader Comments (4 comment(s))


The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.

LRHog wrote on Sep 8, 2008 7:57 AM:

" Give the coach an F. "

MoHog wrote on Sep 8, 2008 8:22 AM:

" At least the team has a balanced offensive system that includes some creative pass patterns which prevents the defense from focusing solely on the run game. Numerous players are true freshmen just getting familiar with the speed and power of college football. The newcoers have talent and will only get better as they gain experience and learn comlicated systems. "

scout65708 wrote on Sep 8, 2008 11:07 AM:

" Those are awfully high grades for a team that almost got beat by a cupcake. I feel sorry for the hog fans next week against Texas. Texas will cover the line before halftime. "

hognbama wrote on Sep 8, 2008 4:34 PM:

" You may be right about Texas, but on the other hand this young team struggling to learn a new offense may surprise you next week, and although the old rivalry runs deep, don't forget that this game is still a warm up for the real season which starts the week after in Fayetteville. Go hogs! "


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