RED 62, WHITE 18

Razor-sharp display

Starters click from opening tick

Arkansas tight end Jeremy Sprinkle (83) celebrates with Hunter Henry after catching a touchdown pass during the Razorbacks' spring game Saturday, April 25, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' starting units dominated on both sides of the ball Saturday, leading the Red team to a 62-18 rout of the White team in the Razorbacks spring finale.

The Razorbacks scrimmaged for precisely two hours to fit into the SEC Network broadcast window on a breezy, sun-drenched afternoon before an estimated crowd of 41,220 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Saturday's scrimmage, the 15th and final workout of the spring, had Bielema beaming about the state of the program with the 2015 season-opener against Texas El Paso slightly more than four months off.

"It's just the growth and maturity of a football team that has been through some things together and we're only entering year three," said Bielema, who is coming off a 7-6 2014 season. "I know we're just so much further ahead leaving this last practice than we were a year ago. And we're a lot further than where we were two years ago. It's a fun time to be in the program."

Fifth-year senior Brandon Allen took command of the starting offense, completing 17 of 21 passes for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns in one half. Allen led touchdown drives on all five of his possessions with the Red team and completed spring without throwing an interception in any of the team periods.

"I think everybody saw how sharp he was, sharp as a knife," said receiver Keon Hatcher, who caught two of Allen's touchdown passes and had another knocked away in the end zone.

"We didn't have any penalties, we were pretty clean on all our routes and all our run-game blocks," Allen said. "I thought we executed like we should have."

Allen led the starters to 361 first-half yards, and the first-team defense was just as effective, holding the White team to 12 yards and no first downs in the opening half.

Linebacker Brooks Ellis noted that the defense forced the five three-and-out situations in the first half.

"So we did a pretty good job of just flying around, getting to the ball and getting off the field," Ellis said.

Running back Kody Walker -- taking almost all the first-team snaps with Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins held out -- got a game's worth of touches in the first half alone, rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Walker finished with 174 rushing yards and scored touchdowns on runs of 25 yards, 2 yards and 1 yard.

"I'm feeling a little banged up, but it's all good," Walker said, with a smile. "I've got time to get over it.

"I've had a tough career, you know, with my injuries and stuff. I'm really starting to feel my legs getting back under me. I've had a pretty good spring and today ended on a good note, so that was positive for me."

The Red team, Bielema said, utilized about 50 percent of the plays installed under first-year coordinator Dan Enos, and it looked efficient and explosive, a contrast to last year's sluggish first-half performance while drawing from a watered-down playbook.

Hatcher caught touchdown passes of 65 yards on a post route and 14 yards on a slant in the second quarter, the last one capping a two-minute drill led by Allen that covered 87 yards and 10 plays in 1:48. Allen squeezed in tight spiral to Hatcher on the slant, which was probably his best throw of the day.

Bielema said the performance of Allen and the offense in the first half was an example of why he is so optimistic.

"He continues to make strides," Bielema said. "We had two drops in the first half ... but he and Hatch had a pretty good spring. He and Hunter Henry had a pretty good spring."

The second offense, playing with a mostly inexperienced offensive line, appeared overmatched by the veteran defensive front.

Second-team quarterbacks Austin Allen and Rafe Peavey got opportunities to work with the starters in the second half, which was played with a running clock. Allen hit Cody Hollister with a 15-yard pass on a series that ended with Walker's 1-yard touchdown run, then Allen found fullback Chris Jones for a 5-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the scrimmage to cap a 55-yard drive.

Austin Allen was 5 of 6 for 43 yards with the first unit and 3 of 6 for 14 yards with the second offense. Peavey went 2 of 5 for 14 yards with the second team and 0 of 1 with the starters.

The Red team won the coin toss and converted three third-down plays on its 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game. Allen found tight end Jeremy Sprinkle on a 5-yard touchdown pass on the 14th play of the drive.

"That's a return route," Sprinkle said. "You just basically run out in the flats ... and then just whip it back around."

Brandon Allen completed 5 of 6 passes for 40 yards on the drive, with the lone incompletion coming on Jared Cornelius' drop on a bootleg pass on the opening play.

Sprinkle said he was pleased with the first unit's efficiency.

"We scored touchdowns on every drive, so whenever you can do that, not settle for field goals or punt, it's going to be a good game for you," Sprinkle said.

Sports on 04/26/2015