Eleven.
That’s the number of plays the Arkansas offense has had this year to go for more than 20 yards. Three games into the season, eleven is a number that will not work. Only one team in the SEC has fewer and that team – Florida – is one largely expected to struggle on offense.
Arkansas was not expected to struggle on offense. Not with second-team All-SEC quarterback KJ Jefferson. Not with second-team All-American Rocket Sanders. Not with two All-SEC types on the offensive line.
But for whatever reason, none of those individual items have coalesced with one another. Sanders has been hurt. The offensive line has lacked consistency. Jefferson has been banged up and a bit tentative.
Last year, Arkansas finished with 73 plays go for 20 yards or more. This year’s they’re on pace for 44, a number that would have ranked them 107th in the then-131-team FBS. Right now, the 11 rank the Hogs 93rd.
In plays that have gone for 10 yards or more, it’s just as bad. Arkansas is 89th with just 37 such plays. So it isn’t only that the big plays aren’t happening, the ‘good’ ones aren’t with enough regularity, either.
If one wants to blame the offensive line for that, they could. But the offensive line isn’t throwing or catching the ball.
If one wants to blame Jefferson for that, they’re crazy considering he, barring devastation, leave as the most productive quarterback in school history.
If one wants to blame Sanders for that, well, injuries happen.
If one wants to blame offensive coordinator Dan Enos for that, head to 2015, when the Razorbacks, with arguable less overall offensive talent, ranked 35th plays of 20 yards or greater.
Something weird is happening. Something unusual. And until Arkansas gets it fixed, the Hogs will be relying too much on a defense that’s good, but can’t be asked to carry the load all year long.