FAYETTEVILLE -- Since he doesn't present player-of-the-game accolades unless his team wins, it's been 10 games and closing on a full year since Bret Bielema has been able postgame to honor any of his Arkansas Razorbacks in the style he prefers.
Nevertheless while designating no awards since the Razorbacks' Sept. 24, 2013 victory against Southern Miss, Bielema always saw fit to cite players individually playing well last year througha 3-9 season that closed with nine consecutive defeats.
He did so again Monday following the Razorbacks' 45-21 road defeat to sixth-ranked Auburn in Saturday's season opener.
Sophomore starting offensive guard Denver Kirkland, sophomore offensive tackle Dan Skipper, junior starting quarterback Brandon Allen, junior-college-transfer backup offensive guard Sebastian Tretola, senior punter Sam Irwin-Hill and sophomore junior-college-transfer middle linebacker Josh Williams were among those Bielema mentioned.
The Razorbacks play their Fayetteville opener against Nicholls State (0-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79).
"Denver Kirkland played extremely well," Bielema said. "That kid has really elevated his game from a year ago. In this game a year ago I think he took it as a personal challenge. We kind of challenged him and he rose above the challenge."
Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, along with defensive coordinator Robb Smith meeting media Sunday night, also cited Kirkland.
"If I had to put a stamp on someone, I thought Denver Kirkland played a really fine game against of the better D-tackles that you'll see in college football," Chaney said.
Junior quarterback Allen wnet 18 of 31, which easily could have been 23 of 31 given that Bielema acknowledged five drops by receivers, for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Allen threw a lone interception returned for a pick-six touchdown but Bielema and Chaney both said Allen was clobbered by Auburn linebacker Robenson Therezie as he delivered the pass knocked wobbly.
"We have a guy slip off one of our protectors and hits B.A. right under the chin as he's releasing the ball," Bielema said.
Neither second-year coordinator Chaney nor second-year head coach Bielema can recall their starting quarterback playing any better last year than he did against Auburn.
"I believe it was the best game he's played against a good, quality opponent since I've been here," Chaney said.
It was especially noteworthy given that Allen's Auburn game-week began with him waking up in Monday's pre-dawn darkness to seeing flames engulfing his truck set fire and destroyed by a suspected arsonist or arsonists.
"You think where we were last Monday," Bielema said. "That didn't affect him at all. I kind of let him handle his own business because he was handing it. B.A. was competitive. He was in control. He had the demeanor. Brandon Allen is going to be a very, very good quarterback. He is a good quarterback already."
Chaney, one of the Razorbacks' game day eye-in-the-sky assistants coaches operating from the press-box observatory, did not get personally to visit with players and coaches on the sideline between halves.
The Auburn elevator they were riding got stuck. So Chaney, tight-ends coach Barry Lunney, linebackers coach Randy Shannon and defensive-backfield coach Clay Jennings communicated by phone and not in person for their halftime assessments and adjustments.
While not mentioned, senior preseason first-team All-SEC defensive end Trey Flowers tends to be acknowledged as a given. Flowers made nine tackles, including one for minus four yards.
Based on Bielema's comments Monday, look defensively for freshman linebacker Khalia Hackett, not used at all against Auburn, Josh Williams and freshman linebackers Randy Ramsey and Dwayne Eugene and freshman safety Josh Liddell to play more extensively against Nicholls State, which lost 44-16 to Air Force.
Freshman Bijhon Jackson , 6-2, 324, with an unassisted tackle against Auburn, will play more as his conditioning improves.
"Bijhon really started off well," Bielema said. " But obviously with his size he can't play 40 or 50 snaps. But maybe he can give us 10 to 30 and play very well."
Sports on 09/02/2014