FAYETTEVILLE - Coach Bret Bielema’s frustration with the Razorbacks’ fivegame losing streak, the longest of his head coaching career, spilled out a bit during his post-game remarks after Saturday’s 52-0 loss at Alabama.
Bielema said the coaches have to move forward with players who are going to execute what they’re asked to do, suggesting that players who continually make mental errors or don’t secure the ball properly might see their playing time suffer in the coming games.
“It’s to the point where you have to understand where we’re going,” Bielema said. “The guys that survive this, the guys that move forward with us will be rewarded. I don’t know if it’s going to come in the next game or if it’s going to come a month from now or a year from now. But it’s going to take a little bit of a leap of faith.”Hello bye
The Razorbacks played eight consecutive weeks before reaching the first of two byes this week. Arkansas has lost five in a row after a 3-0 start and have a week to heal up for rapidly improving Auburn.
“It’s been a long stretch,” quarterback Brandon Allen said. “This bye week is going to be crucial for us. We’re going to get a lot of things done this bye week, get some people healthy and get ready for Auburn.”
Arkansas hosts Auburn Nov. 2 and travels to Ole Miss on Nov. 9 before receiving its second bye week, Nov. 16.
‘Smash’ miss
Arkansas had a final scoring opportunity late in the fourth quarter after reaching the Alabama 15, but that’s where the series ended.
Brandon Allen threw incomplete on fourth down for freshman Drew Morgan in the end zone, but one of Allen’s top options on the play, D’Arthur Cowan, ran the wrong route to take himself out of the play.
“A main route runner runs a completely different route because he, in his mind, thought he heard a different word,” Coach Bret Bielema said, without naming Cowan.
“He’s the only guy in the huddle that heard that.
“Again, it’s just one guy, but when he’s at the point of emphasis, if he’s running the wrong route, the play doesn’t have a chance, and the word is ‘Smash’ or ‘Kansas.’ Those two words don’t even begin to sound even remotely like one another.”Regression
The losses during Arkansas’ five-game losing streak have come by progressively larger margins against increasingly tougher competition.
Arkansas lost by 4 at Rutgers, by 12 to Texas A&M, by 20 at Florida, 45 against South Carolina and 52 to Alabama.
The Razorbacks have suffered four of their five worst SEC margins of defeat in their past 12 conference games. Arkansas lost by 52 to Alabama and 48 to Texas A&M last year.
80 percent
Alabama scored on 8 of its 10 possessions against Arkansas, with 7 touchdowns and 1 field goal. The fieldgoal drive, with backup quarterback Blake Sims leading the Alabama offense, came on a series that was extended by freshman D.J.
Dean’s roughing penalty on Alabama punter Cody Mandell.
The previous week, South Carolina also scored on eight of 10 possessions against the Hogs.
Another fake
Arkansas punter Sam Irwin-Hill has converted two of three fake-punt plays after running for 12 yards on a fourth-and-3 play in the second quarter.
Irwin-Hill has completed 1 of 2 passes on fake punts.
Run it
Arkansas rushed for 165 yards on Alabama, dropping the Razorbacks’ per-game average to 209.9, No. 29 in the country.
Coach Bret Bielema said the offense came in with the idea that it could do better than 165 yards.
“We had planned to come in and be able to run the football on some personnel groupings and be able to sustain our blocks,” he said.
“We just weren’t able to do that.
“Give credit to Alabama, a very good football team and very strong, very deep and [that] gives them obviously a great advantage.”Soft boot
One week after earning SEC player of the week honors, punter Sam Irwin-Hill had a 22-yard punt that set the Crimson Tide up on the Arkansas 38 for its second possession. Alabama needed five plays to score from there, pulling ahead 14-0 less than 11 minutes into the game.
Coming up
The Razorbacks took Sunday off to begin the recovery from playing eight consecutive weeks. The team will conduct weight work on Monday and hold meetings with the coordinators.
Arkansas is scheduled to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Coach Bret Bielema said.
Seven assistants and Bielema are scheduled to be out recruiting on Monday and part of Tuesday. Bielema said he expects to get back on the recruiting trail along with several assistants on Thursday evening and all day on Friday.
“We will maximize our allotment of evaluations we can do during the fall,” Bielema said.
Voelzke violation
Reserve tight end Alex Voelzke, one of the wing blockers on field goals, was five minutes late to a special teams meeting last week and was not included on the travel roster, Bret Bielema said. Voelzke’s absence created a domino effect of personnel changes on the field-goal protection unit, which took the field once Saturday night for Zach Hocker’s 41-yard fieldgoal attempt in the second quarter. Hocker, who entered the game 8 for 8 on fieldgoal attempts, had his kick blocked.
Bielema pointed out the impact of Voelzke’s tardiness as part of the bigger picture of trying to have the Razorbacks players do the right things on and off the field.
Sports, Pages 21 on 10/21/2013