Hogs Left Little Rock With Everyone Wanting More

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansss Razorbacks started lightning fast on. Saturday which was lacking for the majority of Kendal Briles tenure as offensive coordinator. There were more explosive offensive plays, fluidity amongst the offense and a lot of forced turnovers.

However, there were certainly quite a few things fans left wanting more of from the Hogs following the conclusion of their season opening victory over FCS member Western Carolina.

While it’s not a bad thing to want more it means folks care and hope to see a better Razorback team than in 2022. Here’s a few takeaways from Saturday’s win in Little Rock.

More KJ Passing

Similar to Brandon Allen’s growth during the 2015 season, KJ Jefferson displayed better pocket management, defensive readings and belief in himself as a QB. A lot of the credit most be forwarded to Dan Enos as OC but also the confidence Jefferson had in himself to improve in many areas.

There was a long 13-yard throw that the Sardis, (Miss.) native made that had to be placed perfectly. It was Ryan Mallet-esque. Lined up at the right hash, Jefferson fired a laser of ball across the field to newcomer Andrew Armstrong for a first down.

One play that will likely haunt him all week was a third down pass on the right sideline. If he leads the receiver just a tad or puts more zip on the ball it likely leads to a first down to extend a drive.

Yeah, it’s nitpicking stuff but if that’s the only thing he did wrong today he’s going to be fine.

More transfer production

Goodness, seeing Andrew Armstrong and Isaac TeSlaa finally show off their talents on the gridiron was fun to watch. Both players accumulated 60+ yards receiving while also hauling in touchdowns.

Sure, it was against FCS completion but these two showed they belong on the field in the SEC. A concern many had was if the pair would have enough speed to create separation in routes. They certainly put that myth to rest.

When it came to defensive transfers Jaheim Thomas (8 tackles, 1.5 TFL and 1 PD) and Jaheim Singletary (6 tackles and 0.5 TFL) led the Hogs in tackles.

It seemed like Thomas was all over the field making tackles or provided help on each down. Singletary was only beaten once on a go-route leaving his receiver wide open. The rest of the game was solid for the redshirt freshman DB transfer from Georgia.

More defensive pressure

New DC Travis Williams likely had it drawn up by design by keeping it vanilla when it came to blitzing. Unless a team has to they will usually want to keep things basic in order to not show too much on film.

Keivie Rose showed explosive ability from his tackle position when he escaped virtually unblocked to sack the Catamounts QB. The 6-foot-4, 309 pound transfer was an all-conference performer last season for Louisiana Tech and figures to be a key contributor along the line this fall.

After missing the 2022 season due to injury, Taurean Carter played very well with 3 total tackles. He made back-to-back solid plays including a sack and TFL. His closing speed on those two impactful snaps was surprising considering his size. Carter’s return playing like this is a welcome sight for the defensive line.

Finally, the run game left us with more to be desired. Whether it be a lack of run blocking or too much patience on designed run plays Arkansas struggled to mount any type of momentum on the ground. After 105 total yards among five different backs and Jefferson it’s still considered a letdown.

Sanders comes into the 2023 season as an under the radar Heisman candidate. With only 15 carries for 42 yards and a pair of scores it was an underwhelming performance by the man known as “Rocket”. He’ll have a chance to turn it around against a struggling Kent State team in week two.

Most improvement in football happens between the first and second week. What will the Hogs leave fans wanting more of following week two?

Thank you for reading Hawg Country. For more Arkansas Athletics coverage from Hawg Country follow us on Twitter @HawgCountry_FR. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HawgCountry.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our publisher at jacobscottdavis2020 @gmail.com. Also, because of your support we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Razorback media outlets there is!