EDITOR'S NOTE: The Sentinel-Record will follow up with a head football coach of a local high school after each regular season game this year for the Arkansas Razorbacks. This week's installment features Darrell Burnett, head coach of the Hot Springs Trojans.
Arkansas showed signs of life late in another Southeastern Conference loss on Saturday in Fayetteville, but the close finish still left the Razorbacks winless in conference play.
LSU (8-2, 5-2) shut down Arkansas' running game and forced the Hogs (2-8, 0-6) to be one-dimensional on offense. The Tigers were efficient, if not explosive on offense.
Arkansas finished with just 16 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Hot Springs head football coach Darrell Burnett said the Hogs set the tone early with poor execution at the beginning of the game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
"They kept on getting behind the 8-ball," Burnett said. "The receivers couldn't really get that much separation, but Arkansas did a good job of using their tight ends in the running and the passing game."
Head coach Chad Morris' offense has easily been at its best with fourth-year junior Ty Storey at quarterback. The Tigers sacked Storey three times, picked off one errant throw and hurried him five times.
"It is a new year in the system," Burnett said. "It takes a lot of time for everybody to get on the same page. (Morris) is big on up-tempo, trading mismatches and trying to do a good job of outleveraging them. It takes time."
LSU led, 7-0, after the first quarter, 14-3, by halftime and built a 24-3 advantage by the time Arkansas' offense woke up in the fourth.
"You've got a pocket quarterback," Burnett said. "If you had a guy that could run and scramble a little bit, that would take pressure off of the play calling a little bit, but it is always time.
"You look at the running back (Rakeem Boyd), he came in in August, started out slow and now he is taking off. I think once they get their recruiting class in, another year in the weight room, and get more reps on offense and defense, they will be all right."
The Tigers routinely recruit some of the most athletic and most talented defensive players in the country, along with No. 1 Alabama (10-0, 7-0). The Crimson Tide ranks No. 8 in the country, allowing 283 yards per game.
Michigan (9-1, 7-0 Big 10) leads the nation at 220 yards per game, Mississippi State (6-4, 2-4) ranks seventh at 283 and LSU ranks 31st at 343. Clemson (10-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), Alabama and Michigan lead the nation in scoring defense, giving up 12.7, 12.7 and 12.9 points per game, respectively. LSU ranks 12th at 16.7.
"They are long in the secondary," Burnett said. "They are fast and physical. Devin White (6-1, 240) is probably the shortest guy. Other than that, they are long, rangy and strong. They get the best of the best.
"You look at Arkansas' (2019) class. They are getting those types of guys. If they can keep them all together, it will just take time."
Burnett said LSU's depth is a significant advantage for the Tigers.
"Competition is the biggest thing," Burnett said. "Their ones are good, the twos are good the threes are good. When you are practicing against that level of competition, game days are easy. Once you are recruited in college, you get a team like that and you get game-like speed in practice, nothing is fast in the game."
White is a top NFL prospect at linebacker, cornerback Greedy Williams (6-3, 184) is a top prospect at cornerback and Grant Delpit (6-3, 203) is a top prospect at safety.
"They have all of those guys on the back levels,," Burnett said. "That doesn't include the defensive line they normally have. They're loaded."
Arkansas' defensive line has been the target of much criticism over the past several seasons, but the Tigers were limited to 3.4 yards per run on Saturday. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow had more success on 15 of 21 passing for 195 yards and a touchdown.
"When you think of run support, the first thing that pops out is the defensive line and linebackers, but it all plays into the same hand," Burnett said. "The safeties have to support the perimeter. Middle and inside linebackers cannot overrun stuff."
Sosa Agim is fifth on the defense with 39 total tackles and his 9.5 tackles for a loss is the most on the team. Armon Watts is behind Agim with 37 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss. Watts leads the unit with seven sacks and Agim is second with 4.5.
"They've got some good guys," Burnett said. "Randy Ramsey is long and athletic. I don't know if they are just running their base right now. In your first year, you just make sure they get the base and then you start adding on in the spring and summertime by year two.
"The defensive line, I don't think they are the problem. The linebackers are short. When you are short in the SEC, you've got to be really strong and fast. You're around those lineman. And then the secondary has to support."
Top cornerback Ryan Pulley has battled injuries throughout the season, while Kamren Curl moved to safety after starting in Pulley's place last season at cornerback. Burnett said he likes Curl (6-2, 201) more at cornerback because of his length.
Starting opposite of Pulley has been redshirt freshman Jarques McClellion (6-0, 173). Burnett said senior safety Santos Ramirez was involved little on defense as LSU rarely threw downfield.
Arkansas has known since it lost to Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5) on Oct. 27 in Fayetteville the team would not be eligible to attend a bowl this season. Burnett said the individual players know they have to work toward improving their stock for the future.
"Every practice and every game is a job interview for them," Burnett said. "If you don't meet that standard, those four-year scholarships have a one-year renewal rate. You can cut that scholarship at the end of the year and bring in someone else.
"In high school, the biggest thing is showing pride and character in yourself. The thing we do is just replace you with another player. We don't get to go out on the road and recruit a guy."
Burnett was a cornerback for the Henderson State Reddies in Arkadelphia.
"When I played, I treated it like a job," Burnett said. "You are going to have somebody behind you every day trying to beat you out. All it takes is for somebody to beat you out, get in a good groove and, next year, they could be drafted out. You've got to figure out where you will be working."
Arkansas will close the season on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mississippi State and Nov. 23 at Missouri (6-4, 2-4) at 1:30 p.m. on CBS (Resort Channel 11).
Sports on 11/13/2018