Hog Calls

Boyd should have more room in Starkville

Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd (5) is tackled by a Georgia defender during a game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — This column space last Saturday predicted Sam Pittman’s Arkansas coaching debut surely would feature more Rakeem Boyd carries than Boyd logged in Chad Morris’ final Arkansas coached game last year.

Hardly rivaling Nostradamus predicting such. Yet just barely achieved.

Arkansas’ 2020 Preseason All-SEC second-team running back adorning the Doak Walker Award Watch List carried 11 times in last Saturday’s 37-10 season-opening loss to No. 4 Georgia.

Boyd carried but eight in the 45-19 loss to Western Kentucky, the Morris 2019 last straw firing him with two games remaining.

One major difference. Obviously Boyd was underutilized against Western Kentucky. His eight carries netted 185 yards including 76- and 86-yard touchdowns.

Against Georgia the senior star’s 11 carries netted but 21 yards. Knowing Georgia’s defense well practicing against it daily from 2016-19 as Georgia’s offensive line coach, Pittman feared such.

Boyd’s a great back, rushing 1,133 yards last year. He exceeded rushing 100 yards in five games including 106 in the first quarter against SEC rival Ole Miss.

But last Saturday Boyd ran behind a mostly inexperienced offensive line against a Georgia crew returning eight starters from last year’s national team leader in rushing defense.

With Arkansas’ on the field but 24:14 because of Georgia’s superior defense and outstanding punter, Pittman’s intention running Boyd 15 to 30 times fell short.

“Did we go into the game thinking we were going to maul Georgia’s defensive line?” Pittman asked rhetorically. “I didn’t think that either. Obviously, we knew it was going to be tough running the ball against Georgia and it was.”

He explained why.

“It’s tough sledding, especially on the inside,” Pittman said. “We never did really dent them running up the middle.”

Like a prolific basketball scorer on an off-shooting night excelling via rebounding and assists, Boyd with no room to run compensated elsewhere

“He was a very good blocker in pass protection and he led the entire game on the sidelines,” Pittman said.

All fine, but tonight playing at Mississippi State these Hogs need Boyd’s rushing yards. Not just to score and set up scores but consuming time, playing keep away from SEC record-setting Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello.

Beating reigning national champion LSU 44-34 last week, Mississippi State’s defense with seven sacks was very good.

But a hugely dominant huge Georgia defense it’s not.

“We need to get him rolling,” Pittman said. “We can’t be one dimensional.”

Some might suggest substitutions on the offensive line.

Twenty-six years of coaching offensive lines expert Pittman does not.

Usually good offensive lines have good continuity, something this line often lacked in preseason because of injuries and covid-19 quarantines. Pittman thinks he’s finally found his best to get better together.

“Starting-wise, I think it’ll be very similar to what we saw last week,” Pittman said. “We are trying to get some continuity. I think we’ll be able to play the guys that’s played side-by-side who started last week.”