FAYETTEVILLE -- Rather than his kicker, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema traces the block of what likely would have been a last-minute, go-ahead field goal in the Razorbacks' 51-50 Southeastern Conference West loss to Mississippi State Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium to the broken foot of a reserve defensive end injured the previous game.
Bielema met media Monday both reviewing the Mississippi State game and discussing Friday's finale to the regular season against the Missouri Tigers.
Arkansas, 6-5, 4-3 in the SEC, and Missouri Tigers, 5-6, 1-6, kick off at 1:30 p.m Friday on CBS at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Redshirt freshman kicker Cole Hedund's 29-yard field-goal attempt with 39 seconds left in the game and the Mississippi State Bulldogs out of timeouts was blocked by MSU linebacker Beniquez Brown.
Brown got by blocker Alex Voelzke on the right end, Bielema said, noting Voelzke was on the right side because offensive tackle Dan Skipper was on the left side replacing Mitchell Loewen, who normally mans the left side on the field-goal and PAT teams.
In Saturday night's immediate postgame without benefit of film, Bielema said it appeared Hedlund's kick was launched low.
After reviewing video, Bielema said Monday that Hedlund's kick had no chance because Brown beat the protection.
"That was really a breakdown in protection, it wasn't anything to do with the kick," Bielema said. "I should say this, 'You really didn't tknow about the kick because the ball got taken off his foot, basically, before it ever really got in the air. I think the kid that blocked it was even shocked he was there. He blocked it pretty much with his body not his hands."
Bielema then explained the personnel shuffling created from Loewen's injury.
"We had to move Skipper to that side, which moved Voelzke over to the other side," Bielema said. "Although he'd been there through the course of the game, he hadn't been a lot of prep time there."
Bielema said Hedlund, six for six on PATs Saturday, was kicking better in pregame than he had all season.
Because the kick was blocked and quarterback Brandon Allen, throwing a Razorback-record six touchdown passes Saturday, had on five consecutive passes advanced Arkansas from its 11 to the Mississippi State 19, Bielema of course has been the subject of second guessing having offensive coordinator Dan Enos call three consecutive running plays setting up for a field-goal try rather than have Allen keep winging it for a touchdown.
Bielema explained the three running plays forced the Bulldogs to exhaust their timeouts, which would have left Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, as unstoppable as Allen was, with scant time for a comeback.
"We wanted the ball middle to left," Bielema said. "You felt good about keeping the ball on the ground in guys' hands and making a routine field goal. We hadn't been great on field goals, but from that distance, we've been all right, especially as of late. So I wouldn't change anything else."
Enos vouched for Bielema's strategy.
"We are inside the 15," Enos said. "We didn't need a field goal to tie. We needed a field goal to win. So let's say you throw the ball there three straight plays and you get sacked. Well, you are out of field-goal range. Let's say the ball gets tipped in the air and it gets intercepted. How are you going to face your team where you are in field-goal range to win the game and you do that? I just know how coach felt at that time, and I totally agree with him on board 100 percent."
Bielema said he never felt more "pissed off" after an Arkansas loss than losing 51-50 last Saturday.
"You can choose the adjective" Bielema replied about scoring 50 points and losing. "It ain't fun."
Now the Razorbacks must focus their emotions on Friday's senior day coinciding with the first trophy associated with what Shelter Insurance has declared "the Battle Line rivalry" for the Arkansas-Missouri game that last year became an annual season-ending event for both teams.
The Tigers, SEC East champions the last two seasons, have plenty of emotions on their behalf on their last chance for bowl eligibility which Arkansas has already attained and that this either will be the last SEC game or the last game period for their coach, Gary Pinkel, retiring for health reasons after 15 years coaching Mizzou.
"Obviously, Gary's a tremendous coach," Bielema said. "He's been there a long time for all the right reasons. I have the utmost respect for him. Kids talk about how they love playing for him. They'll obviously be very very motivated on Friday."
- Bielema said senior receiver Keon Hatcher, out since breaking his foot during the season's second game, won't be introduced with the seniors Friday because at this point he plans on returning as a hardship senior for 2016 rather than turn pro.
"Keon, I think, will definitely come back," Bielema said.
Bielema has anticipated that senior running back Jonathan Williams, almost turning pro last year and out this entire season since breaking his foot during an August scrimmage, turning pro but said Williams still seeks NFL draft information and has a standing offer to use his available Razorbacks redshirt year for 2016.
Sports on 11/24/2015