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 season for the Arkansas Razorbacks. This week's installment features Mike White, head coach of the Mount Ida Lions.
The Arkansas Razorbacks managed to lose by 31 points on Saturday in a game in which they outpassed, outran and outgained the No. 10 Auburn Tigers, but they were outexecuted in a number of crucial areas, especially special teams.
"I thought we came out with a good game plan to run the ball and mix it up with a short passing game," said Mike White, head coach of the Mount Ida Lions (4-0, 1-0 2A-7 conference), ranked No. 1 in Class 2A in the most recent Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll.
"It looked good and, then, we were plagued by penalties on offense and then started executing poorly after that. Of course, special teams performed miserably in all phases, but I thought our defense played good enough to keep us in the ball game. With the other factors, it did not matter."
Arkansas head coach Chad Morris and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn are longtime friends and colleagues. Morris was a still a high school coach in Texas when he sought advice and insight from Malzahn when he was the offensive coordinator after his own career in high school football and a season as the offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks in 2006.
"He and Gus run the same offense," White said. "He got his stuff from Gus. So, he knows the ins and outs of the offense. With that, he should definitely game plan better. I felt like they did. He had a couple of kids back from injuries, too."
Arkansas (1-3, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) was able to hold Auburn (3-1, 1-1) to 91 rushing yards and 134 passing yards. The Razorbacks outgained the host Tigers, 290-225.
The visitors were also buoyed by the return of several key players, especially senior linebacker Dre Greenlaw and senior defensive end Randy Ramsey. Greenlaw was second on the team with eighth total tackles. Ramsey finished with six, tying Greenlaw for the team lead with five solo tackles.
"I think they played pretty good assignment football," White said. "It is sort of like defending the triple option. You have to know who has the dive and you have somebody on the quarterback. They make you play really disciplined, plus they have their power game on top of that.
"No. 10 (Ramsey) has been out and he was one of the kids they got back. I was really impressed with him. He was getting after it. He was coming off of the ball and making some plays in the backfield for us."
Ramsey also made two tackles for a loss, while Greenlaw made three. They each notched a sack as Arkansas finished four in the game compared to two for Auburn.
"Scheme-wise, I think it was because (Morris) knew how to scheme against Gus pretty well," White said. "And with those kids back, they helped."
White said "without a doubt" Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey established himself as the starter. Storey was only 13-for-31 for 141 yards and no touchdowns, but he proved to be a more steady presence than the team's other candidates. Cole Kelley threw four interceptions the previous week, including three in the first half, during a 44-17 loss at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville to North Texas (4-0, 0-0 Conference USA).
"I think he has to be," White said. "He came out early and made some good plays. I thought it was a great game plan to get him comfortable back there, handing off the ball a little bit and, then, he made some good short throws to move the chains."
Arkansas and Auburn finished close in penalties, eight for 57 yards and seven for 40 yards, respectively, but the Razorbacks committed fouls at more crucial moments.
"They came out with those penalties for too many men in the huddle, twice in the first half," White said. "Those and a couple of holding calls killed all four drives in the first half."
Storey scrambled for 63 yards, but he finished with 12 runs for 44 yards due to being stopped several times behind the line of scrimmage. While Arkansas had more sacks than Auburn, 4-2, the Tigers were able to hurry Storey nine times.
"He scrambled a little bit, made some plays and got some key first downs, which was big," White said. "You still have to put points on the board and finishes drives off."
Junior running back Devwah Whaley left the game with an injury after running for 26 yards on eight carries. Sophomore Rakeem Boyd finished as the team's leading rusher with 66 yards, including a 45-yard run, on eight carries. The Razorbacks averaged just 3.9 yards per carry for 182 rushing yards.
"You are going to get three or four yards, maximum, and you have to execute and keep executing in order to win when you are the underdog," White said. "The penalties put you at first-and-15, second-and-12 and a lot of that. It puts you behind the chains and it is hard to overcome when you are a little outmatched."
The Razorbacks' defense only hurried Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham three times in addition to the two sacks. Stidham was 15-for-22 passing for 134 yards for no touchdowns and no interceptions.
White noted Arkansas' continued struggles on the offensive line. The coaching staff continued to shuffle players in different positions this week as starting junior left tackle Colton Jackson returned full-time this week.
"We are getting close to the middle of the season and still unsettled there," White said. "That is always an issue, but that is where you have to get three yards a carry, complete those short passes and not have the penalties."
White said Arkansas may work to move the pocket to decrease the amount of times Storey is hit each game.
"That is definitely an option instead of standing him back there and let them tee off on him," White said. "That might be a great idea to reach block and move him around a little bit."
Arkansas showed promise on offense and defense, but both were hampered throughout the game by poor play on special teams. Junior kicker Connor Limpert hit a 29-yard field goal in the third quarter, but he missed a 40-yarder in the first quarter that could have made the score 7-3.
Noah Igbinoghene returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to answer Limpert's field goal and put Auburn ahead, 24-3. The Tigers also blocked one punt and partially blocked another. Ryan Davis returned punts for 48 yards and 36 yards to set the Tigers up in Arkansas territory.
"Special teams cannot fail like they are," White said. "That has to get fixed. That is a third of the game. The silly penalties have also continued.
"On a positive note, I think the defense played well. If they do not have bad field position the whole game because of special teams, I think they did a fair enough job to keep you in the ball game."
Next up for Arkansas are Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1) in Arlington, Texas, and No. 1 Alabama (4-0, 2-0) back in Fayetteville. The Aggies' only losses are to Alabama and No. 2 Clemson (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference."
"You start with the defense and build with that," White said. "You say, 'Look what we can do,' because the defense can keep them in games if they clean up the rest of it."
Sports on 09/25/2018