What’s gone wrong? Arkansas’ biggest issue should have been a strength
A loss of understanding has come in recent years from the old-school fans of football. The game isn’t played the way it was once was.
And we’re not talking just about the back-in-my-day crowd. Not just the AARP-aged folks. Even as recently as 10 years ago, shotgun and pistol offenses were minority in major college football. You needed a 4th-and-1 conversion, a goal-line conversion? By golly, you put your hosses in, you lined up and you rammed it down their throat.
For better or worse – worse, if you believe the old-heads – football simply isn’t played that way anymore. The powers-that-be have deemed it too inefficient. Teams will still do it on occassion, but more often than not, offensive coordinators run spread-em-out. Take Arkansas OC Kendall Briles two weeks ago against Alabama. Part of the reason he was raked so badly by fans is because of such play-calling.
It feels like Arkansas’ faithful should have learned that under Bret Bielema. Sam Pittman, now Arkansas’ head coach, was the offensive line coach for a bulk of Bielema’s stint. The offensive lines were massive. The running backs were among the best ever at in Fayetteville. Arkansas’ red zone percentage during that stint was less than great, ranking 92nd, 91st and 76th during Pittman’s three years.
That isn’t to say it’s on Pittman or the offensive line. Certainly a combination of factors contributed to it then, same as they are now. The last two years both, Arkansas was in the Top 30. And, note, the last two years both, Arkansas fans were positive about their favorite team’s fortunes.
And until the Razorbacks figure it out near the end zone – they’re 116th this year – the best they’ll ever be is like their brethren from the mid-2010s.
But who knows. Maybe that’s good enough, eh?
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