Analysis

Offensive starters show promise in Arkansas' first preseason scrimmage

Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams goes through practice Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas' first-team offense looked good in Saturday's scrimmage at Razorback Stadium, but plenty of questions remain about the team's backups on that side of the ball.

Austin Allen completed 12 of 17 passes for 143 yards, but it was the running game that stood out for the first team. Rawleigh Williams rushed 14 times for 67 yards working exclusively with the starters and Devwah Whaley added 94 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries that were split between the starters and reserves.

The success moving the ball was promising for the first-team offense. It is a group that looks a lot different than last season's Liberty Bowl. The Razorbacks have to replace their leading passer and rusher from last season, as well as three starters on the offensive line and a Mackey Award-winning tight end from a year ago.

Williams looked particularly good during the starters' final drive of the scrimmage, which went 75 yards for a touchdown. He had four runs for 38 yards on the possession, including a 14-yarder on the first play in which he showed good patience running behind the right side of the offensive line.

Williams appears to be a more patient runner than last season. His quickness and strength also look improved after an off-season in which he rehabbed from neck surgery.

Allen added a 19-yard pass to Jeremy Sprinkle on a play-action rollout during the long touchdown drive. Whaley capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run in which he broke three tackles.

Whaley also had an impressive 21-yard run early in the scrimmage. Fullback Hayden Johnson had a good lead block to open a crease for Whaley, who was taken down in the secondary. Johnson, a freshman, appears to have a good grasp of the run game and is also a threat to catch passes, as he caught one for a short gain Saturday.

During red zone work, Williams had a 1-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-goal play. He collided with a defensive lineman at the 1, but twisted his way into the end zone.

The starting unit went 1-for-2 during red zone work. During its first possession, the drive stalled and Cole Hedlund missed a 25-yard field goal attempt off the right upright.

Kody Walker, who rushed only four times, had one of the most impressive runs of the day, stiff-arming JaMichael Winston to the ground and rushing for 15 yards. He and middle linebacker Brooks Ellis were limited in practice, but neither were injured. Ellis was not on the field when the first defense gave up the long touchdown drive late in the scrimmage.

Ty Storey got most of the snaps with the second-team offense. He led a touchdown drive during red zone work, throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to C.J. O'Grady on a rollout. Deon Stewart also had a 4-yard touchdown run on an end-around in red zone work.

Storey was 6-for-6 for 72 yards, but he was sacked three times when he appeared at times to hold on to the ball too long and allowed defensive ends to close. That was a common theme with the backup quarterbacks, as Rafe Peavey also struggled to release the ball quick enough.

Peavey was 3-for-3 for 26 yards while working with the backups. Cole Kelley was 3-for-8 for 96 yards while working with the second-team offense. Stats were not kept when Kelley and Rickey Town took snaps with the developmental third team.

Kelley and receiver Cameron Colbert connected for the scrimmage's biggest play, a 68-yard touchdown pass early in the scrimmage. No defender was within 20 yards of Colbert, who caught the ball around the 30 when cornerback Britto Tutt fell down.

Based on snap counts in open practices Thursday and Saturday, it appears Storey may have the advantage to be the team's backup quarterback with three weeks left before the first game. It is evident that none of the backup quarterbacks are as polished as Allen, who was named the starter early in spring practice.

Allen looks comfortable in all facets of the position - taking snaps from under center and in the shotgun, changing the play at the line of scrimmage and throwing the ball both in the pocket and on the move.

Arkansas shuffled the first offensive line, moving Jake Raulerson to right tackle and rotating Zach Rogers and Paul Ramirez at right guard. Raulerson, who played center, guard and tackle at Texas, appeared to hold his own, although he was overpowered on a couple plays by defensive end Deatrich Wise.

Center Frank Ragnow, left guard Hjalte Froholdt and left tackle Dan Skipper look solid along the line.

Several players rotated on the second line throughout the scrimmage. Tackles Brian Wallace and Colton Jackson appeared to struggle with the pass rush like they did when they worked with the first team earlier in this preseason and during the spring.

At one point, Wallace was replaced with Jalen Merrick at second-team right tackle.

Raulerson worked at center early in the scrimmage with the second team. Jackson Hannah, a sophomore walk-on, took over at center later in the scrimmage with the second team. In the early part of the scrimmage, Raulerson would step out from right tackle, with Merrick taking snaps. That gave Raulerson a few off plays before he snapped for the backups.