Page 4 - Arkansas Football August 2017

4K Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sunday, August 27, 2017
ARKANSAS PREVIEW
Undesired aftertaste
Razorbacks tackle bitter finish with freshly minted approach
TOM MURPHY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
FAYETTEVILLE — The one media member who predicted the Arkansas Ra- zorbacks would win the 2017 SEC champi- onship has not come forward publicly.
If so, he or she would have some explain- ing to do to back up that projection.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is looking for its first SEC championship this fall in its 26th season in the conference, and the Razorbacks have plenty of ques- tions to answer on both sides of the ball.
Then, there is the matter of how the Ra- zorbacks’ 2016 season ended with a whim- per.
Instead of winning their final two games to finish with a 9-4 record, which it had a chance to do, Arkansas was outscored 56-0 in the second half of its final two games — at Missouri and in the Belk Bowl against Virginia Tech — to finish 7-6.
Bielema, who has taken pride in produc- ing teams that finish well, said the late-sea- son collapses led to a series of self-critiques, which led to the decision to switch defen- sive schemes and embark on a tougher winter conditioning regimen for the squad.
“Our kids have been great,” Bielema said. “They’ve owned and embraced what we didn’t do well at the end of the year, focused on what we can do well.
“We’re going to focus on winning games in the second half, not losing them, putting our best personnel on the field, no mat- ter how that comes about, and then real- ly trying to play and understand what it means to be at Arkansas and have that come through.”
Bielema left a good gig at Wisconsin in 2012 for the challenge of competing in the SEC, and said he understands the SEC West is not for the faint of heart. The division, of- ten cited as the toughest in college football, has the stats to back it up.
The SEC West has produced 6 national champions, 2 more teams that lost in the na- tional championship game and 1 that lost in a national semifinal over the past 10 years. The only time an SEC West team did not challenge for the national championship, it was the SEC East's Florida Gators who won it all.
This is where the Razorbacks dwell. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Mississippi State are on the docket every season and Arkansas is fighting to reverse negative trends against two of those division rivals. Alabama has won 10 consec-
Razorbacks at a glance
COACH Bret Bielema (25-26 in fifth season at Arkan- sas; 93-50 in 12th season overall)
LAST YEAR 7-6, 3-5 SEC
RETURNING STARTERS 11 (6 on offense, 5 on defense) OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH QB Austin Allen,
RB Devwah Whaley, WR Jared Cornelius, OL Frank Ragnow
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH DE McTelvin Agim, LB Dre Greenlaw, DB Kevin Richardson, DB Josh Liddell
2017 SCHEDULE
OPPONENT TIME/TV
DATE
Aug. 31
Sept. 9
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 24
*SEC game
^At War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock #At AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
7 p.m./SECN 2:30 p.m./CBS
TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
1:30 p.m./CBS
Florida A&M^ TCU
Texas A&M*# New Mexico State at South Carolina* at Alabama* Auburn*
at Mississippi* Coastal Carolina at LSU* Mississippi State* Missouri*
2016 RESULTS
OPPONENT RESULT
Sept. 3
Sept. 10
Sept. 17
Sept.24
Oct. 1
Oct. 8
Oct. 15
Oct. 22
Nov. 5
Nov. 12
Nov. 19
Nov. 25
Dec. 29
*SEC game
^At War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock #At AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas $Belk Bowl, Charlotte, N.C.
DATE
Louisiana Tech TCU
Texas State TexasA&M*# Alcorn State^ Alabama* Mississippi* at Auburn* Florida*
W, 21-20 W, 41-38, OT W, 42-3 L,45-24
W, 52-10 L, 49-30 W, 34-30 L, 56-3 W, 31-10 L, 38-10 W, 58-42 L, 28-24 L, 35-24
LSU*
at Mississippi State* at Missouri* Virginia Tech$
utive games in the series against Arkansas and Texas A&M has won five in a row.
The Razorbacks face plenty of challeng- es entering Year 5 under Beliema.
Defensively, the Hogs are changing to a 3-4 base set under new coordinator Paul Rhoads with a roster mostly fitted for a 4-3 front.
“Any time you’re transitioning from a four-man front to a three-man front or vice versa, there are recruiting pieces that ... take a little time,” Rhoads said. “You’re not built for a 3-4 if you were a four-man front."
NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE
Austin Allen enters his second season as Arkansas' starting quarterback. The senior led the SEC with 3,430 passing yards and threw 25 touchdown passes last season.
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