FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' football team pulled off a late-season rally to end a school-record run of 17 consecutive SEC losses, and with three victories in their last four games the Razorbacks are expected to be viewed in a different light in 2015.
"I think with the continued growth of our program ... the winter program, spring program, fall camp, we will be a very, very good football team," Coach Bret Bielema said Monday.
Arkansas ranks No. 10 in total defense and scoring defense, No. 12 in rush defense and No. 37 in passing yards allowed, signaling a rapid rise under defensive coordinator Robb Smith after several years of lackluster performances. The Razorbacks are the national leader in fourth-down defense, allowing a 22.2 percent conversion rate, and are No. 5 in red zone defense.
Arkansas is No. 60 in total offense, No. 24 in rushing, No. 42 in scoring and No. 100 in passing. Next year's best improvements need to come on the offensive side of the ball, particularly in short-yardage and red zone production. The Razorbacks were No. 15 in third-down conversion percentage.
The Razorbacks are expected to return a solid array of talent on both sides of the ball in their third season under Bielema.
Bielema pointed out during postgame remarks following Arkansas' 31-7 victory against Texas in the Texas Bowl that the Razorbacks are losing a handful of key seniors, most notably defensive players Trey Flowers, Martrell Spaight, Alan Turner and Tevin Mitchel, offensive players Brey Cook, AJ Derby and Demetrius Wilson as well as snapper Alan D'Appollonio and punter Sam Irwin-Hill. But Arkansas will return key players in all areas for Bielema's third season at the school.
The nucleus includes senior quarterback Brandon Allen, tailbacks Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, tight end Hunter Henry, receivers Keon Hatcher and Jared Cornelius, and offensive line starters Denver Kirkland, Dan Skipper, Mitch Smothers and Sebastian Tretola.
On defense, linebacker Brooks Ellis, defensive backs Rohan Gaines, Jared Collins, D.J. Dean and Henre Toliver and linemen Taiwan Johnson, JaMichael Winston, Deatrich Wise Jr. and Mitchell Loewen are expected to be back in the fold.
Defensive tackle Darius Philon, a junior, has until Jan. 15 to make his decision on whether to declare as an underclassman for the NFL Draft. If he returns, the Razorbacks will have two proven starters on the interior.
That's as many as 16 starters returning for a 7-6 team that played its best football over the final month of the 2014 season.
The Razorbacks also had extraordinarily good luck when it came to avoiding injuries in 2014, and they hope to do the same next fall when the SEC West race looks like anybody's guess.
Here is a look back at the highs and lows of the 2014 season:
BEST VICTORY
The sight of a band of Razorbacks sprinting across the field to the LSU sideline to seize the Golden Boot trophy as hordes of fans stormed onto the field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium following a 17-0 victory that broke Arkansas' 17-game SEC losing streak will be remembered in the Ozarks for many years to come.
MOST PAINFUL LOSSES
The Razorbacks' 17-10 loss at No. 1 Mississippi State was devastating because of how close Arkansas came to beating the nation's top-ranked team, but the 14-13 loss to Alabama probably hurt more.
It came during the 50-year celebration of Arkansas' 1964 national championship team, and it extended Alabama's winning streak in the series to eight. Arkansas came up inches short of an early touchdown on Kody Walker's fumble out of the end zone for a touchback, misfired on a field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked.
The game that got away, however, came in the 35-28 overtime loss to Texas A&M, when Arkansas blew a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter and a tripping penalty on Dan Skipper away from the ball negated what looked like a game-clinching breakaway run by Jonathan Williams to the A&M 2.
BEST COACHING MOVES
Several stand out, including moving Tevin Mitchel to nickel, AJ Derby to tight end and Taiwan Johnson to nose guard, as well as the decision to move the pocket for quarterback Brandon Allen in the victory over LSU. But the best move of the year was the hiring of Robb Smith as defensive coordinator, with the additions of Clay Jennings and Rory Segrest on defense also in contention.
WORST COACHING MOVES
Bret Bielema said the decision was made at halftime while trailing Alabama 7-6 that the Razorbacks would wait until the fourth quarter to try a two-point conversion attempt. So Arkansas kicked an extra point after moving ahead 12-7 in the third quarter.
Bad move.
A close second was the decision to leave quarterback Brandon Allen in the game during his obvious struggles with an oblique muscle during the second half of a 21-14 loss at Missouri.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Quarterback Brandon Allen gets a slight edge over receiver Keon Hatcher on offense. Allen's 56 percent completion rate was up more than 6 percentage points and his 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-to-5) was tremendous.
The defensive nod goes to cornerback Jared Collins, who overcame a footwork error against Texas A&M to close the season with several big showings in a row, including multiple 1-on-1 tackles in space and solid coverage. Collins edged linebacker Martrell Spaight.
The nod on special teams goes to Jeremy Sprinkle, the team leader with nine tackles in the kicking game. The junior's role as a tight end should increase in 2015.
TOP DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Senior defensive end Trey Flowers gets the edge over tackle Darius Philon, whose presence helped Arkansas improve 66 spots to No. 12 in the country in run defense, allowing 114.6 yards per game. Flowers made good strides as a run stopper and turned in key plays in virtually every game.
TOP LINEBACKER
Weakside linebacker Martrell Spaight's improvement in his final season was drastic, to the point he earned a spot in the Senior Bowl and led the SEC with 128 tackles.
TOP DEFENSIVE BACK
Safety Alan Turner followed his team-leading 97 tackles in 2013 with 65 stops, but that drop-off was mostly because the Razorbacks were much better in their front seven. Turner was the key figure in communicating defensive schemes and the bedrock of a unit that had constant personnel fluctuations throughout the season.
TOP OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
The Razorbacks flouted the biggest line in America -- college or pro -- and guard Sebastian Tretola's presence as a first-year transfer gave them a colorful personality and an interior force with a nasty disposition on game day. Fellow guard Denver Kirkland, one of the best pass protectors in the country, deserves mention, as do tackles Brey Cook and Dan Skipper.
TOP RECEIVER
Keon Hatcher takes this running away. The junior led Arkansas in receptions (43), yards (558), touchdowns (6) and had a score in each of the last three games. Hatcher went a long way toward dismissing his rap of dropping too many passes.
TOP BACK
Jonathan Williams rushed for 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns for a two-year total of 2,090 yards and 16 touchdowns.
TOP FRESHMAN
Cornerback Henre Toliver edges receiver Jared Cornelius, whose versatility was on display when he started catching punts halfway through the season. Toliver broke into the starting unit early in the year and played through injuries while showing he can be a star in the SEC.
TOP SOPHOMORE
Defensive tackle Darius Philon turned into an under-rated disruptive force. Philon had 11 1/2 tackles for loss, 4 1/5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 6 hurries and 1 touchdown. He could be a destroyer if he returns for his junior year. He edges tailback Alex Collins, tight end Hunter Henry, offensive linemen Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper, and cornerback Jared Collins.
TOP JUNIOR
Tailback Jonathan Williams edges out receiver Keon Hatcher and quarterback Brandon Allen.
TOP SENIOR
Defensive end Trey Flowers gets the nod over offensive tackle Brey Cook, linebacker Martrell Spaight and safety Alan Turner.
OFFENSIVE PLAY OF YEAR
Trailing by two touchdowns, Texas Tech still had a hint of a comeback chance against the Hogs until Alex Collins burst 84 yards up the middle and scored to put a ribbon on Arkansas' 438-yard, seven-touchdown rushing effort in a 49-28 victory in Lubbock, Texas.
DEFENSIVE PLAY OF YEAR
Rohan Gaines' 100-yard interception return against Ole Miss turned a 20-0 game late in the third quarter into a full-fledged rout. The list of key blocks on Gaines' escort is lengthy, and the speedy safety added a touchdown-ensuring cut late in the run.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY OF YEAR
Sebastian Tretola's 6-yard touchdown flip to snapper Alan D'Appollonio from the Wild Hog formation against Alabama-Birmingham went viral across the college landscape, established his celebrity status in Arkansas, spawned Tretola's "fat-boy touchdown" line and inspired his Heisman Trophy pose.
SPECIAL TEAMS MVP
Senior punter Sam Irwin-Hill overcame a sluggish first half of the season to finish strong. He put all four of his punts inside the Texas 20 in the Texas Bowl to help Arkansas dominate in field position throughout the game. Irwin-Hill also had a 51-yard fake punt touchdown run against Texas A&M and a 23-yard run for a first down at Missouri.
OFFENSIVE MVP
Running back Jonathan Williams edged out sophomore Alex Collins for the team rushing lead (1,190 yards to 1,100 yards), tied him with 12 rushing touchdowns and led the team with 84 points. Williams scored half his rushing touchdowns against teams from his native Texas, including four in a 49-28 victory at Texas Tech, and scored in each of the first six games.
DEFENSIVE MVP
Linebacker Martrell Spaight, a North Little Rock native, helped symbolize Arkansas' rebound from a rough 2013 with a huge showing. His play in the LSU game, with 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 quarterback hurry, demonstrated his grasp of the defense and highlighted the importance of his film study.
TEAM MVP
Senior defensive end Trey Flowers of Huntsville, Ala., was the emotional core of the team. His tearful reaction to the Razorbacks' 17-10 loss at No. 1 Mississippi State, the team's 17th consecutive SEC loss, painted a humanizing portrait of Arkansas' perseverance through adversity, helped him further bond with Coach Bret Bielema and set the stage for the Hogs' 17-0 victory over No. 17 LSU two weeks later.
Sports on 01/08/2015