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Arkansas football report card: Razorbacks’ steady improvement continues, this time resulting in a win
By Trent Shadid
Published:
Arkansas finally has its first FBS victory of the Chad Morris era after defeating Tulsa 23-0 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday. It also marked the first win as a starter for true freshman quarterback Connor Noland, who was filling in for an injured Ty Storey.
The Razorbacks (2-6, 0-4 SEC) posted their first shutout since 2014 behind a dominant performance from the defensive line. They also generated enough offense to earn their first win of 20 or more points over an FBS team since 2016.
Here are my grades for the Hogs’ performance:
Offense: B
The offensive production wasn’t earth-shattering by any stretch. If anything, it was boring, but that’s not always bad. And all that really matters is that the offense was good enough to win under difficult circumstances.
Arkansas unsurprisingly relied heavily on its rushing attack to control the game. It paid off with the Hogs rushing for 196 yards — 99 from running back Rakeem Boyd — and keeping the ball for nearly 60 percent of game time.
Noland’s start was rough, as his second pass attempt was intercepted. He had a couple other questionable throws, but for the most part he was pretty good for a freshman making his first start. The coaching staff gave him a manageable plan, and Noland didn’t try to do too much with it. When Storey is cleared from his apparent concussion, he’ll return as the starter. But Noland’s performance provided good reasons for the Hogs to be excited about the long-term future of the position. He’s also still able to redshirt even after gaining this valuable experience.
Defense: A
With Storey out, the Hogs desperately needed a great day from their defense, and John Chavis’ group delivered. Arkansas held Tulsa to a season-low 260 yards. The defensive line dominated with 6 sacks, one more than they had the previous three games combined. McTelvin Agim led the way with probably the best performance of his three-year career. He had 2 sacks and 3½ tackles for loss while looking every bit like the 5-star talent he is and is expected to be.
Most importantly for the defense, this was a shutout to mark the first time in 27 games the Hogs have held an FBS opponent under 20 points.
Special teams: A
Arkansas’ special teams were putrid earlier in the season. Things have been much better recently, though, and that continued against Tulsa.
None of the Golden Hurricane’s 3 kickoff returns went for more than 16 yards. Wide receiver Deon Stewart had a 29-yard punt return that helped flip the field in the second quarter. Connor Limpert made 3 field goals and has now converted on his last 10 attempts. Freshman punter Reid Bauer is showing he has a chance to be one of the best specialists in the SEC before long. He had 4 punts against Tulsa, all of them pinned inside the 20-yard line.
Coaching: A
Chavis’ defensive plan was outstanding. He and his staff did an exceptional job of putting the defensive line in position to dominate and make things difficult on an inexperienced quarterback.
The plan on offense was perfect for a true freshman making his first start. The staff didn’t ask Noland to do too much and relied heavily on the ground game to control the time of possession and keep the defense fresh.
Also, kudos to Morris for sending defensive back Nate Dalton to the locker room after his unsportsmanlike penalty. It was a senseless mistake that allowed Tulsa to start a drive on its own 25 rather than the 10. Morris sent a clear message that those things are not going to be tolerated even a little bit.
Overall: A
Considering the state of Arkansas’ program right now, this win is significant. It wasn’t long ago that this was a Razorbacks team that didn’t look like it would win an FBS game this season. Not only did they win one, but they dominated with a true freshman at quarterback. It’s worth noting this was Tulsa’s worst loss of the season, and the Golden Hurricane have played No. 7 Texas and No. 21 South Florida.
The win also surely helps the Razorbacks’ chances at landing graduate transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant. The former Clemson starter spent the weekend in Fayetteville and had the chance to see first-hand a program that’s improving weekly at this point.
Longtime Arkansas beat reporter Trent Shadid covers the Razorbacks for Saturday Down South.
