The Lubbock game plan would not have worked if Texas Tech had not handed us three turnovers, which Arkansas turned into 14 points and a game-ending, 14-play, 9 minute possession.
The real difference in that game was that Arkansas was handed two turnovers inside the Tech 15-yard line. Jakeem Grant fumbled an unwise, behind-the-LOS pass by Davis Webb. And Webb threw a bad pass on a third-and-10 that was intercepted by Martrell Spaight and returned 30 yards.
Webb also threw a long interception on fourth and 3 in the fourth quarter, instead of trying to just get a first down.
Turning two turnovers into scores enabled Arkansas to get a multi-score lead, and that’s when ball control matters. Last year, it was as though the Hogs were trying to run out the clock even when trailing.
We ran the football 68 times in the 2014 game. The Red Raiders had serious problems because they could not stop the Razorbacks from running the football. Arkansas ran on first down 35 times in that game vs. three passes. Could not have been more obvious we were coming. The best part of Texas Tech’s defense was pass coverage + they were awful against the run, so be obvious, right?
The 2015 game was even shorter, though – Texas Tech had 11 possessions in 2014, eight in 2015. How could that be?
The Hogs had about 4 minutes less possession time last season. The Red Raiders had three long drives in the second half and beat us in second-half time of possession. They had two turnovers in this game, and one set up Arkansas’s first touchdown. The other was like a long punt.
Alex Collins had a good game, stat-wise, but all Arkansas had behind him were RWIII and Duwop Mitchell, who combined for nine carries. The Hogs rushed 43 times, not 68, and even 43 might have been too many given the success rate.
To beat spread offenses, Arkansas can’t simply “want to” run the football and control the clock. It has to score touchdowns. A lot of touchdowns. And the defense has to force turnovers. Probably not going to keep them from moving the ball. Have to force some mistakes.