FAYETTEVILLE — The problems with the Arkansas defense over the last two seasons have been well-documented. The Razorbacks gave up 51 touchdowns in both seasons.
It wasn't the same in the two seasons. Two years ago, the Hogs broke the school record by allowing 39 rushing touchdowns. There were 12 more via the pass. It flipped around last year with 28 passing scores allowed, 23 by the run.
So the Hogs did better against the run, but caved versus the pass. Their 19 sacks were fewest in the SEC.
It's too early to know how the 2018 Razorbacks will fare on defense. New coordinator John Chavis promises more blitzes and that should lead to more sacks.
Defensive lineman McTelvin Agim wouldn't make any predictions on how much improvement there will be on the sack totals when he came to the interview room Monday, just that the Hogs are “not going to be last.”
That makes perfect sense. Even an inexperienced Texas A&M defense, where Chavis was last year, led the SEC in sacks. The Hogs are going to try to get more pressure in every way possible.
The key will be whether or not they have good enough play at cornerback, where Ryan Pulley returns after missing the final 11 games last year with an injury. Pulley is the kind of man-to-man cover corner that Chavis covets.
That will make a difference. The Hogs should be able to play more press coverage, like they were Monday when Pulley jumped a “dig route” to intercept quarterback Cole Kelley. They are going to be in the passing lanes.
That's good news, but the best thing I heard Monday came from linebacker De'Jon Harris and again from Pulley on the improved defensive depth. They'll need it because of the added number of plays they are likely to get because of the up-tempo offense that the Hogs will run under Chad Morris.
Chavis told me that style of play could add over 220 plays to a season. He's all for it, too. He wouldn't have joined Morris if he thought that was a problem.
The key will be improved defensive depth, something that's been hard to find at Arkansas in the last five seasons under Bret Bielema. If a front liner like Pulley went down, the replacement was likely to be green. It was Harris, then a freshman, stepping in two years ago when Dre Greenlaw broke his foot.
“We have depth now,” Harris said. “We've got newcomers who are ready to play. You saw that in our scrimmage Saturday. When I say newcomer, I am not just talking about guys who just got here. I'm talking about guys who were here last year but just didn't play or play much.
“I think we've got depth at all three levels, too. We have more linemen, more linebackers and more in the secondary.”
Pulley seconded the motion in his slow South Florida drawl. He pointed to true freshmen Joseph Foucha and Myles Mason as good help at safety. With those additions, it allowed redshirt freshman Montaric “Buster” Brown to move from safety to corner. Ladarrius Bishop, another true freshman, has turned heads with his speed at corner.
“Yeah, man, we do,” Pulley said. “We got some guys who are playmakers, guys you are going to see. I saw it when they first got here this summer, too. Those two safeties, Joe Foucha and Myles Mason...they graded out very high in our scrimmage Saturday.
“And, you are going to love Jarques McClellion. He's the Pac-Man. I love him.”
That's the Batman professing love for the Pac-Man.
“Yeah, I'm the Batman,” he said. “So we have Batman and Pac-Man.”
Any more men?
“We got 'em now,” Pulley said. “I think what you are going to see from Joe, yeah, he's one. No nickname for him yet.
“But he gets his hands on the football. He rips it out on the run. He gets interceptions. He's a turnover machine. He's a ballhawk. He's pretty nice. He turns it over.
“At cornerback we've got some guys now. Buster is a guy. So is Britto Tutt; he's healthy now. We've got a lot of corners. We got depth there.
“But then you see Joe at strong and maybe at nickel. We've got great, young DBs. Jarques is a guy who reminds me of myself. He's got the dog in him and when the ball is in the air, he thinks it is his.”
Harris expected a strong showing from Foucha in the scrimmage.
“He's a New Orleans guy, like me,” Harris said. “I saw what he had this summer when he got here early. I noticed he had a chip on his shoulder. I pulled him aside and told him to get ready. He's a playmaker. I like what he's doing.”
Harris pointed to linebacker Bumper Pool as another true freshman ready to step up. Pool had played at the middle linebacker spot in the spring and early in camp, but that changed Monday.
“Bumper moved to the Will,” Harris said. “You see him making plays. He had a couple of minor mental mistakes in the scrimmage, but it was really good for him. He didn't miss much at all.”
Pulley thinks the corners get the best of the 1-on-1 battles each day. That's normal. He's ultra confident.
But there is some praise for the wide receivers, too.
“We got a lot of guys that can play,” Pulley said. “Good guys. I see them getting better. It's good competition.”
The first to get his praise is walk-on receiver Tobias Enlow.
“He's got the best release moves,” Pulley said. “Jonathan Nance is pretty good, too. Very good.
“La'Michael Pettway is a pretty big man on that boundary spot. He's big and is really aggressive. I think you are going to see big things from him.
“Then, you got J-Red (Jared Cornelius), going to have a good year. He's back in shape, dropped some pounds and is looking great.”
Cornelius, like Pulley is trying to come back from surgery. Cornelius missed most of last season with an Achilles tendon rupture.
“I think J-Red is like me, the leader of his group,” Pulley said. “I gotta lead my guys. He's gotta lead those receivers. I see him doing a good job in that role.”
It's less than three weeks ahead of the Sept. 1 season opener against Eastern Illinois, a perfect time for predictions.
“I've been saying this for a bit now, we are going to have a successful season,” Pulley said. “It's going to be a successful season for the Razorbacks.”
The goal is simple: cut down on the number of touchdowns allowed. It has been 51 the last two seasons. Any way you slice it, that's way too many.