FAYETTEVILLE — In one answer about Arkansas constantly being behind the sticks in its four losses this season, head coach Ryan Silverfield used the word "efficient" four times.
It's appropriate, given how inefficient Arkansas' offense has been this season. The Hogs rank 15th in the SEC in offensive efficiency, ahead of only Oklahoma. They were shutout in the first half against Tennessee and were only 2 of 13 on third down. On average, the Razorbacks had 9.5 yards to go on third down against Tennessee on Saturday and were 0-9 on third and three or more.
We’re probably, I don’t know where we’re at, maybe in the middle of the pack in the SEC in penalties," Silverfield said. "But just finding ways to avoid any of those. Offensively, do not put ourselves behind the sticks. And then being efficient on a first-down call. Being efficient with what we’re doing. If we hand the ball off, regardless of who the running back is, we’re able to get four-plus yards on that run.
"Or if it’s a pass, can we catch the ball and go be efficient, turn ourselves in a second and five so you are into some third and manageables. Because the third and nines right now, we’re proving that we’re struggling to be able to push the ball down the field and be effective, whether it’s in pass protection or throwing and catching."
Arkansas is only averaging 4.61 yards per play this season and has converted only 41 percent of the time on third down. QB KJ Jackson, meanwhile, has only completed 59.8 percent of his passes.
Even when Arkansas' offense has found some rhythm, as it did in the third quarter on Saturday, good drives have been followed by clunkers. In fact, that's been the case in four of Arkansas' six games: the scripted first drive of the game usually results in a few first downs or even a field goal, though Arkansas is yet to score an opening drive touchdown this season.
"Everybody sits there and says, 'Well, if the first nine plays scripted are working, why wouldn’t you script the first 27? Well, people go to the sideline, you look at iPads, we’re seeing different defenses than we’ve seen even in game planning. But it does show you that hey, there is a plan in place, that we did have the right ideas game planning on a Sunday night and a Monday and throughout the week in order to have success. Then just finding ourselves in a rhythm.
"Sometimes you practice those plays certainly more than you do, you practice every play, you walk through them, you talk through them, you maybe even play 36, you’ve run three different times. But plays 1-9, you’ve talked about every look, your quarterback feels really comfortable. Generally, you’re going to run what he feels good about, then sometimes you’ve got to find ways to go back to the well and rerun them, but they’re also looking at their iPad, ‘okay, hey, this is what they did and this is where they had success’ and now they’re going to change up a coverage or change up a look the next time they see that, even if you’re trying to trying to hide a formation.
"Where you’d be concerned is if you scripted your first nine plays and you’re having failures throughout. At least we’re seeing that the plan is in place and it’s showing some effectiveness."
Arkansas got down to the Tennessee 20 on the first drive of Saturday's game before KJ Jackson fumbled the ball on a strip sack.
Needless to say, consistency and efficiency will have to be found offensively if Arkansas is to win an SEC game this season.
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