FAYETTEVILLE — The emergence of a more potent running attack for the University of Arkansas in recent games has had an effect on the unit’s overall production and could be a key for the Razorbacks to have a chance at upsetting No. 6 Florida on Saturday.
The Hogs’ ground game struggled through the first three games against Georgia, Mississippi State and Auburn, with lead tailback Rakeem Boyd missing half of those three games with an ankle injury.
Arkansas averaged 86.3 rushing yards on 35.7 carries per game in the first three games. The only time in that span the Razorbacks cracked the 100-yard mark came in a 119-yard performance at Auburn, triggered by Trelon Smith’s 81-yard game with Boyd not on the travel roster.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles turned to more creative concepts to unleash the running game in the last three outings, with more designed quarterback runs by Feleipe Franks and some special end arounds for receivers De’Vion Warren and Treylon Burks to attack the edges.
The focus has paid off, as Arkansas has managed an average of 190 rushing yards on 45 attempts per game in its last three games, highlighted by 222 yards at Texas A&M. In that game, Boyd ran for exactly 100 yards on 18 carries, while Franks added another 91.
“Start fast, get the tempo going, and that’s how we really get the running game going and break some defenses down,” center Ricky Stromberg said. “The first key is to start fast.”
The increased rushing numbers have not come at the expense of the passing game either.
Arkansas averaged 244.3 passing yards in the first three games and 232.7 passing yards in the last three.
Swamp thing
Arkansas interim coach Barry Odom is the last visiting coach to win a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, affectionately known as “The Swamp” by Florida fans.
The Gators have won their last 10 at home, a streak that started after Missouri’s 38-17 victory in Gainesville on Nov. 3, 2018, with Odom leading the Tigers.
Odom compiled a 25-25 record in four years at Missouri, with that win over No. 11 Florida his only one against a ranked team.
Roster update
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said safety Micahh Smith is out for the season after undergoing an unspecified surgery.
“We’ve been going back and forth,” Pittman said. “Micahh’s had a couple of injuries and we’ve been going back and forth on how long we basically could hold out and him not get hurt worse. Then, he really couldn’t go back-to-back practices, so we decided, ‘Hey, why don’t we go ahead and get this fixed?’ So that’s what we did. He’s a good kid, by the way.”
Pittman added the Razorbacks might “have a guy or two” who will not travel to Florida due to contact tracing that occurred outside the program.
“That’s normal,” Pittman said. “We’ve had that happen all the time, every week. Thursday will be the test, today, so we’ll get the test back in the morning. As of right now, we have no positives on our football team, and we’ll see what the tests say in the morning.”
Pittman update
Sam Pittman concluded his local media availability for the week on Thursday with his normal video conference, saying his health is on the upswing after positive covid-19 tests, and that he fulfilled his media obligations so as not to take away from defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who will serve as interim coach in his absence on Saturday.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m getting better I think. I’m trying to walk 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon in between meetings and media … and I think it’s helping me. I’m drinking a vegetable mix that kind of almost instantly helps me. I drink one in the morning and one in the evening. But I think I’m better than I have been during this. I feel like every day I just get a little bit better, a little bit better. I’m excited to hopefully be through the worst part of it.”
Pittman would be in line to return to work Wednesday if all goes well in his recovery.
“This is the first time I’ve ever missed a game, and I’ve had some unfortunate situations in the family,” Pittman said. “Different things and maybe missed a practice here and there. But over the amount of years, I bet I haven’t missed more than two, maybe three, practices over the years.”
For Franks
Coach Sam Pittman extolled the virtues of quarterback Feleipe Franks on his radio show Wednesday night after host Chuck Barrett rattled off the senior’s stats of 1,428 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a 67.2% completion rate.
“What you don’t see on that piece of paper is leadership and toughness and that’s what he excels at,” Pittman said. “I mean the guy is tough. He got hurt early in that game and never came out. He was making all kinds of throws, and pulling the ball down and running it. And he got sacked a couple of times and got right up. The guy is incredible.
“He’s put us on the map and given us a chance to win ball games.”
Coordinated intel
Both Arkansas coordinators faced Florida last season at different schools — Barry Odom as head coach at Missouri and Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator at Florida State.
That familiarity will have some bearing on Saturday’s game, when Odom will be interim head coach for Arkansas as Sam Pittman remains in quarantine.
“We’re familiar with them so that’s an advantage to us, and they are familiar with us so that’s an advantage to them,” Florida Coach Dan Mullen said. “I don’t know that it plays a huge part if that makes sense.
“Obviously when you know the people you’re playing against where there’s a little familiarity you can say there’s an advantage, a familiarity with people, but that also goes both ways.”
Said Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman, “Familiarity just makes you more comfortable. You’ve been there before and things of that nature. … It’s more of a comfort of the staff.
“Again, I truly believe the kids react however the coaches react, and I think there’ll be some type of comfort level going in there just because Kendal and Barry have been there.”
An added feature is Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks’ knowledge of the Gators’ offense as a graduate transfer from Florida over the winter. Mullen was asked if he had to change signals due to Franks.
“Yeah, I’m sure he has probably shared some information with them on what we’re doing offensively,” Mullen said. “You know trying whatever way possible to gain an advantage in the game so we’re going to have to, we’ve discussed that, and have a plan for that.”
Ricky’s rise
Sam Pittman said center Ricky Stromberg graded out highest among the offensive linemen against Tennessee, and right guard Ty Clary also turned in a good game.
Stromberg credited offensive line coach Brad Davis with helping him improve in his first season at center.
“When I started it was kind of hard, as I’d never been there snapping the ball and stepping and stuff, learning a new position,” Stromberg said. “But overall, it’s coming really well. Shout out to Coach Davis for his help with me each day, and the same with Coach Pittman. He teaches us to be the best each day.”
Kern-tagious
Tight end Blake Kern has emerged with Hudson Henry as twin threats at a position that started slow in the pass-catching department.
The week after Henry had a six-catch game at Texas A&M, Kern had one of his best performances with three catches for 40 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown against Tennessee that gave the Razorbacks the lead for good at 14-13 midway through the third quarter.
“Kern’s an experienced guy,” quarterback Feleipe Franks said. “Every time he goes out there he’s very deceiving. He’s a big guy [who] has a little bit of wheels. He’s a good player and works hard, does what he’s supposed to do. You never hear him complain about anything.”
Kern had a season-high four catches for 59 yards at Auburn and ranks fourth on the team with 132 receiving yards on 11 receptions. Henry has 15 catches for 91 yards.
“He’s really done well this year,” Coach Sam Pittman said of Kern. “I don’t know what he did last year and all that stuff, but the guy’s valuable.
“He’s really got a lot of value, his blocking’s getting better and he can catch the football. You know he runs pretty well with it when he catches it, so very, very proud of him.”
Gators and covid-19
The headline from a coronavirus standpoint this week in the SEC is the postponement of four games and Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman’s pending absence for the Florida game due to positive tests.
While the Razorbacks have scattered positive tests and cases of quarantine since the start of preseason practices, they have avoided the kind of mass outbreaks that have suspended activities and postponed games at other SEC schools.
Florida is one of them. Following a 41-38 loss at Texas A&M on Oct. 10, the Gators had one of the biggest outbreaks of the season that caused a suspension of activities and the postponement of back-to-back games against LSU and Missouri.
According to reports, the outbreak began when two players did not report symptoms and traveled to the Texas A&M game. Florida shut down activities on Oct. 13 for two weeks and eventually had 31 players, two unnamed assistant coaches and head Coach Dan Mullen test positive.
The Gators were down 15 players for their makeup game against Missouri on Oct. 31, a 41-17 Florida win, including starting defensive backs Marco Wilson, Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner and kicker Evan McPherson.