Much to like in Arkansas’ landslide victory over Alcorn State

There was never any doubt. After experiencing a bump in the road in its SEC opener against Texas A&M last Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks were in cruise control when they hosted the Alcorn State Braves in Little Rock on Saturday afternoon.

Here is an analysis of the Razorbacks’ 52-10 victory:

5 TAKEAWAYS

• Strong start: Arkansas jumped all over the Braves in the opening minutes, establishing an early 10-0 lead just six minutes into the game. By the time the second quarter began, the Razorbacks already held a 24-0 advantage over their FCS foe. After stumbling against the Aggies last week, there was no excuse for not looking good against Alcorn State on Saturday. Arkansas did just that, and its quick start helped take the fight out of the Braves early.
• Allen continues to shine: The junior signal-caller was once again stellar, completing 13-of-18 pass attempts for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns. His three scores tied a career-high as he became the first Arkansas quarterback to throw multiple touchdown passes in the first five games of a season since the Razorbacks joined the SEC back in 1992. With his three-score performance on Saturday, Allen is one of only two SEC quarterbacks — Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly being the other — to have multiple touchdown passes in every game this season.
• Multiple options in the backfield: Early on, it seemed as though Rawleigh Williams III was going to carry the torch as the leader of Arkansas’ running game. Even though that is still the case, true freshman Devwah Whaley showcased his talent when he ran wild for 135 yards and a touchdown against the Braves. Williams was still a major factor, finishing with 126 yards of his own, though Whaley proved the Razorbacks have another weapon in its arsenal.
• Turnovers are becoming a trend: With two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, the Arkansas defense contributed to the victory just as much as the offense. Henre’ Toliver highlighted the strong defensive output with a 70-yard touchdown on an interception in the third quarter, and he became the third Razorback to return an interception for a touchdown this season. The last time Arkansas accomplished that feat was in 2006, when it also had three pick-sixes. If the unit is able to continue to help out with scoring, the Razorbacks will be an even tougher opponent for SEC foes down the stretch.
• No Hatcher? No problem: With Allen’s favorite target, senior Keon Hatcher, sidelined after sustaining a hamstring injury against Texas A&M, multiple receivers stepped up to help Arkansas’ offense thrive against the Braves. Six different players caught at least one pass, though junior Jared Cornelius (4 catches, 106 yards, 2 TDs) was the standout of the group. Freshman La’Michael Pettway even got into the act as he hauled in a 10-yard touchdown on his first career reception.

REPORT CARD

Offense: A- – The unit recorded 559 yards of total offense, 353 of which came on the ground. That was the first time the Razorbacks ran for 250 yards or more since they registered 254 yards against Kansas State in the 2015 Liberty Bowl.

Defense: A – Arkansas allowed Alcorn State to record 313 yards of total offense, though the Braves struggled to put up points against the unit.

Special teams: B – Cole Hedlund opened the scoring with a 25-yard field goal minutes into the game, but he also missed from 44 yards out in the second quarter. Drew Morgan also had a 33-yard punt return for the unit.

Coaching: A –  With an SEC West showdown against Alabama looming next Saturday, Bret Bielema and his staff deserve credit for having the Razorbacks ready to bounce back after suffering their first loss a week ago.

Overall: A – The Braves were likely the worst opponent Arkansas will face this season, and the Razorbacks made sure it looked that way when all was said and done.

GAME PLAN

Arkansas let Allen air it out in the first quarter but, overall, the offense was once again focused on executing both its passing and running games. With a big lead in hand, the Razorbacks didn’t have to worry about passing for much of the afternoon. They went to the ground 38 times, and Whaley and Williams showed that the running game is enough against an inferior opponent.

GAME BALLS

• WR Jared Cornelius: The pass-catcher ensured the offense wouldn’t skip a beat with Hatcher sidelined as he eclipsed 100 yards of receiving for the second week in a row. His pair of first-quarter touchdowns helped Arkansas put the game away early.
• RB Devwah Whaley: His 75-yard touchdown run was the longest by any Razorbacks freshman since Felix Jones scored an 80-yard run against Missouri State back in 2005. Whaley also became the first freshman to total 135 rushing yards since Alex Collins went for 172 against Samford in 2013.
• The entire defense: While the offense helped Arkansas garner a commanding lead in the opening quarter, the defense didn’t allow Alcorn State to generate any points in that dominant first frame. If the unit is able to continue forcing turnovers, the Razorbacks can be tough to beat when Allen and the offense are clicking.

Brad Joyal