Statistics don’t lie
There were two statistics that stood out in last Saturday’s 34-31 loss by the Arkansas Razorbacks to Louisiana-Monroe.
Very telling statistics.
First, the ULM Warhawks went for it seven times on fourth down. They were so confident they did it twice on fourth and 10 and once on fourth and 11.
They converted six times; the one time they didn’t was at the close of the first half when Ross Rassner had a key-pass break up.
What the Warhawks did on fourth down was amazing. They had 74 yards of offense on those six fourth downs converted, including the 16-yard run to win the game in overtime.
That’s more than nine yards per successful fourth down conversion.
The other statistic was the Arkansas defense played more than 39 minutes of the game.
With few sustained drives, the defense simply had to be on the field too much.
Not making excuses here — last Saturday night ULM was the better team on both sides of the ball, but statistics don’t lie.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
As an Arkansas alum and devoted Razorback fan, I have never been so embarrased in my entire life. This football team did not look bad – they looked horrible! Yes, the defense was on the field a lot, but only because the offense was so inept. And from the outset, this team couldn’t spell defense—much less play it! How they ever were rated number 8 is a total mystery to me. If this continues as it probably will, this year’s team will be a total disgrace to the SEC and the NCAA. Perhaps the fans need to face the truth. This Hog team stinks!
Thank Jeff Long
I know Hot Springs Village is a long way from where the Dem/Gaz is printed, but do you think we will ever get the stats for the ULM game in the paper? Here it is Tuesday and I received my Hawgs Illustrated today with the stats in it. Surely this day and age with modern technology even a night game in LR should have the stats in the papers 42 miles away.
Did they talk about adjustments at half time? It seems to me ULM was more successful the second half doing the same things they did in the first half. Only better.
Hello My long time friend! I have written several things here and erased all of them simply because I am at a loss of things to say. Never in my 50+ years of watching the Hogs have I felt like this. The Jack Crowe episode was close, but then the expectation level was nothing like it was Saturday night. Then to have such a terrible performance by our entire coaching staff. Our team was not prepared, period. But I am starting to go down the road again where I end up erasing my post…So, maybe you can clear up this point that I have heard no one address. A friend called me from the field Saturday night and said that Tyler and the Coach Petrino got into a yelling match at halftime and Tyler was told not to come out at the half…Then I saw someone had posted it on fb as well a few minutes after me receiving a call. Yet I heard nothing about that in the press. I was told it was over the number of hits he was taking and that Tyler was demanding better performance out of the coaches…
Any truth to any of that at all Wally? I will trust that you will or have already ferreted that story out.
Thanks again Wally, I read you daily from here in Nashville, Tn. You are truly one of the best!
According to Mark Twain, “There are lies, Damn lies and statistics.” Who should I believe , Wally or Mark?
It is obvious that the Hogs are without a leader (head coach) who can make crucial decisions on how to manage a game and his team. Arkansas’ players are going to have to grow a backbone and decide if they are going to be a quality team or Alabama will crush them like an empty beer can.
For the life of me, I do not see how the defensive coordinator did not make any adjustments to stop ULM’s quarterback. This Razorback team is to talented to be playing so poorly, or maybe I just can’t accept the fact they are that bad.
It’s a given Arkansas had no game film to study since this was ULM’s first game of the season, so I can give them the benefit of the doubt for not having the correct game plan at the start of the game, but somewhere along the way, adjustments should have been made to correct for what ULM was doing. The myopic play calling became very predictable.
In addition to being ill prepared, Arkansas was not up emotionally, neither the team nor the fans. A little over comfident perhaps? Well the air has certainly been let out of that balloon and now they will have to find a way to regain some confidence.
Shouldn’t our coaching staff be held accountable for this debacle? How can Paul Haynes coach and inspire his players from the press box? When the TV cameras cut to the sideline, it was usually Paul Petrino we saw with a perplexed and angry look on his face . The few times we saw John L, he had a blank look on his face and was not talking to players, coaches or anyone. Was anybody really in charge?
I really believe we have a talented football team in need of some wise coaching leadership.
The Hogs were not mentally prepared to play football Saturday night. That’s bad coaching. Has anyone ever heard of the “blitz?”. Sure, their quarterback was a scrambler and a good one, but one or two good licks will cool the best off a little bit. And where was the blocking and tackling? The last two or three years has seen some of the worst tackling of this decade. Do they even teach it anymore? I’m sorry, this was one of the most disappointing Arkansas games I’ve ever had the misfortune to watch. Most of the players are better than this. What does it take to bring the best out?
I heard the same thing about Tyler and Petrino. My sources say it was pretty ugly, and to the point to where Petrino had to be restrained by other coaches. All Tyler wanted to do was play and the coaches said no.