FAYETTEVILLE — Everything starts and ends with the quarterback. He's the trigger man. He gets the credit and all of the blame.
Ask Brandon Allen. He went from goat to hero in a few short weeks last season when he came within one pass of becoming the school's all-time leader in completion percentage.
I like to point to the decision to erase the TD pass to Hunter Henry against Texas Tech because of a bad pass interference call. Give Allen that one, and he beat Kevin Scanlon's school record.
Now it all falls on the shoulders of younger brother Austin Allen, a fourth-year junior groomed to step in at quarterback. I think it's going to go well and so does head coach Bret Bielema.
Why? First, he's had a season under Dan Enos, a wonderful quarterbacks coach and play caller. Even Enos said Austin has some advantages that Brandon did not.
Brandon's season as an understudy was with Paul Petrino coaching quarterbacks. It was a disaster of a season in which he was thrown to the wolves against Alabama when Tyler Wilson couldn't play because of a concussion.
Austin did step in for Brandon, two years ago against Ole Miss. He did just fine, completing 3 of 5 passes for 65 yards. Nothing Austin has done says he'll be anything but perfect in his first season as a starter.
Enos continues to sing Austin's praises. He was high on his starting quarterback this week during an interview on Bo Mattingly's radio show. I thought there were some new nuggets of information on why it's going to work with the younger Allen under center.
First, Enos pointed at the players around Allen, especially the ones who will also touch the football. The wide receivers are stellar, led by Drew Morgan, Keon Hatcher, Jared Cornelius, Dominique Reed and Cody Hollister. Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle is an all-SEC candidate, too.
“No, Austin isn't as experienced as Brandon was last year, but the wide receivers are really experienced,” Enos said. “We have five we are really comfortable at catching the ball, and we might have the best tight end in the country.
“I also think we have experience at running back with Kody Walker, Rawleigh Williams and even some with Damon “Duwop” Mitchell. Our freshmen backs (Devwah Whaley and T.J. Hammonds) have exceptional ability.
“I think the players around him should be able to carry us while Austin gets his feet wet. We have a lot of players who have been in our system. That should make Austin comfortable.”
It's clear that Austin has worked hard for his chance to lead the Razorbacks. Those around him said he flipped the switch about 18 months ago to hit another gear in his preparation. He was ready last year if big brother had faltered or been injured. He was never needed.
There was little doubt that he was totally involved in game preparation with his brother and Enos. He would have been a great option if something happened with Brandon.
“Austin and I had a chance to work together for a season,” Enos said. “He was right in our hip pocket with me and Brandon. He was right with us in preparation, game adjustments. He was on the head sets and knows how we call a game.”
Everyone praises the way Austin conducted the summer workouts. He handled the communication with the team to get players to passing drills. He was a leader in every way. Players look up to and trust their new quarterback.
I also know that he's grown as a leader after a May trip to Colorado with Athletes In Action, a campus ministry that took 28 UA athletes to the Ultimate Training Camp. There are some grueling workouts that push athletes to their limits as they also learn to trigger their faith as they struggle.
It's a camp that Bielema has supported since his Wisconsin days. He believes it produces stronger leaders. Those who know Austin say he made some jumps in that department with the trip to the AIA camp. I've supported campus leader Tyler McMahan's ministry for several years and think the UTC experience is huge.
I don't hear a lot of naysayers when Austin Allen's name is mentioned. There are more critics of what some say will be a rebuilding effort in the offensive line.
Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper are the only regulars returning. Plus, the line is learning under new coach Kurt Anderson. Certainly, there is a learning curve with new terms and new technique. Anderson thinks there has been progress this summer in mastering the new stuff added last spring.
Enos thinks it's going to be wonderful. He thinks there was a mesh between Anderson and his players soon after his arrival. Without a doubt, Anderson's personality is infectious. He invests in relationships and they love him.
Enos has respected him since their days on opposite sidelines in the Mid-American Conference. Enos was head coach at Central Michigan, while Anderson the O-line coach at rival Eastern Michigan.
“One of the pieces to the puzzle is finding the right five guys in the offensive line,” Enos said. “We do think we have the right chemistry in the room (with players and Anderson). Kurt is phenomenal. When he was at Eastern Michigan, I always commented on their offensive line play and you find out who is coaching them.
“When we talked (at the interview last winter), it was clear we speak the same language. And, he brought us some things they were doing at the (Buffalo Bills and Eastern Michigan) that are going to be very helpful.
“I know this about his lines, they are going to play hard and well together. He's going to get them to give great effort and they will play fast. We are all excited about it.”
So it all doesn't start and end with the quarterback. It's as much about the offensive line. It all gets started Thursday with the first practice of camp. I think this offense is going to be all right. I guess much of that belief is built around the faith I have in both Bielema and Enos. He seems to push all of the right buttons and there are plenty of weapons.
They need to start faster than last year. Enos has a handle on how to do that.
“We do have an expectation of playing better at the start,” Enos said. “Last year, we started the year hurting ourselves with penalties and turnovers. As the season went along, we quit hurting ourselves so much in those two areas.
“This year, we are a little different team. We are going to install the offense, but every team is different and there are different things you emphasize.
“In college football, every team has a different roster each year. You would like to have been able to sign Brandon Allen to a long-term deal. But you can't.
“Our job is to find 11 (starters), but also to find five or six more guys we can rotate in to help us. I think we have that many. Good coaches put things in that will make that year's team successful. So we may be a little different.”