Hogs find reasons to continue battle

Arkansas coach Chad Morris greets players on the sideline during a game against Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- It's been a tough first half of the football season for the University of Arkansas.

After opening with a 55-20 victory over Eastern Illinois, the Razorbacks (1-5, 0-3 SEC) have lost five consecutive games.

The University of Arkansas' latest loss came to No. 1 Alabama, 65-31, on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

"It's frustrating we've lost five straight, but we just come in with a positive mindset every day we walk in the facility," Arkansas linebacker De'Jon Harris said. "We've just got to keep motivating each other.

"We know what we can do. We can compete with anybody, but we've just got to keep moving forward. We've got a lot more opportunities in front of us."

Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said he's not worried about his players' mindset.

"Well, they're not going to quit," Morris said. "I can promise you that. There's nobody in that building over there that's going to quit. They'll continue to fight. That's been our message from the get-go.

"We're focused on us. We're focused on putting a foundation in this program that's going to last forever."

Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw said he knows the Razorbacks have a good coach in Morris.

"He believes in us, and he believes that we're going to get this thing turned around and I do, too," Greenlaw said. "If we just continue to keep working and keep pushing, we're going to get the results we want."

Arkansas opens the second half of the season against Ole Miss (4-2, 0-2) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The Rebels come into the game off a 70-21 victory over Louisiana-Monroe, but they lost to Alabama 62-7 at home on Sept. 15.

Arkansas' last three losses -- including 34-3 at Auburn and 24-17 to Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas -- have been against teams that are ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll. Auburn is ranked No. 21 and Texas A&M No. 22.

"We've played a really tough schedule over the last few weeks," Morris said. "It's no excuse. But we're getting better.

"These guys see it, and they know we've got an opportunity now to come back in here and hit reset and let's go play a six-game season."

The Tide rolled up 639 yards against Arkansas and scored on 10 of 13 possessions, but the Razorbacks gave their fans something to cheer about by scoring the most points and gaining the most yards (405) Alabama has allowed this season.

Arkansas came into the game averaging 348.8 yards to rank last in the SEC, and gained 290 at Auburn and 248 against Texas A&M.

"Everybody's starting to get it," Arkansas tight end Cheyenne O'Grady said of the improved production against Alabama. "In the past there would be one person that would mess up on their assignment or what they were supposed to do on the play. I feel like we're all really coming together now."

Morris, in his first season at Arkansas, was an offensive coordinator at Tulsa and Clemson before getting his first college head coaching job at SMU.

"When you coach offensive football, it takes time to create continuity," Morris said. "It takes time to create consistency, and you go through growing pains.

"It's been a process, and I think it will continue to be a process. You see that we continue to add a little bit each week about who we are and who we want to be.

"We won't get to it all this year, but we'll get to what they can retain and what they can execute."

Quarterback Ty Storey had three turnovers -- including a fumble at the Alabama 1 and an interception returned for a touchdown -- but he completed 25 of 39 passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushed 9 times for 36 yards. He was sacked just once.

"I feel like the [offensive] line is playing really well," Storey said. "They come in every day, keep working hard and they're giving us time back there and that's all you can ask for.

"You've got to give credit to the coaches, The way we schemed them up ... calling those plays and guys being able to run open. That's hard to do against anybody, especially somebody like Bama."

Greenlaw thanked the fans who cheered for the Razorbacks as they left the field after the Alabama game.

"I appreciate the true fans that stayed, when they could have left at halftime," Greenlaw said. "They stayed and they fought with us. That just gave us a reason to push."

Sports on 10/08/2018