O-Line improvement a must

FAYETTEVILLE – Training camp scrimmages.  When those of us in the media think we figure everything out and actually don’t learn much about what the upcoming season will hold.

Saturday’s 140+ play scrimmage gave us a few clues as to what the 2017 Razorback football season will hold.  We saw a few dazzling catches some inexperienced (in terms of game action) players like La’Michael Pettway or newcomer Kolian Jackson.

We saw zero shanks on punts and the only missed field goal on the day hit the left upright flush.  To me, that is harder to do then make a field goal, so I call that a good sign in terms of accuracy.

The offensive line is where the season will be decided.  If Kurt Anderson’s group is once again sporting the consistency of gas station toilet paper, the Hogs will not be taking a step forward in the win column and Austin Allen may have precious brain matter deposited on fields around the SEC.

Saturday was up and down.  Some good moments in pass protection but not much going on with the run game.  Austin Allen barely had a clean pocket, in spite of that he only had three incompletions on the day.

Luckily, games that matter are still weeks away so the problems can be corrected.  Will they be?  We find out for sure on September 9 against TCU.

RAZORBACK FOOTBALL

Sat, Sep 5vs North AlabamaW 31-14
Sat, Sep 12@ UtahL, 43-10
Sat, Sep 19GeorgiaL, 45-17
Sat, Sep 26TulsaW 34-6
Sat, Oct 3@ Texas A&M6:00 PM
ESPN or ESPN2
Sat, Oct 10Tennessee3:15 PM
SEC Network
Sat, Oct 17@ VanderbiltTBA
Sat, Oct 31vs MissouriTBA
Sat, Nov 7@ AuburnTBA
Sat, Nov 14South CarolinaTBA
Sat, Nov 21@ TexasTBA
Sat, Nov 28vs LSUTBA

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

OVERALLRecordPts
1.Bentonville (15)4-01921
2.Conway3-11582
3.Shiloh Christian (2)4-01533
4.Bentonville West (2)4-01434
5.Joe T. Robinson4-01075
6.Searcy4-0966
7.North Little Rock4-0899
8.Bryant (1)1-3378
9.Sylvan Hills4-031—
10.Benton2-2189
Others receiving votes: Springdale Har-Ber 17, Sheridan 13, Greenwood 9, Fayetteville 9, El Dorado 5, Mountain Home 5, Stuttgart 5, Pulaski Academy 4, LR Mills 4, Farmington 3, LR Parkview 2.
CLASS 7A
1.Bentonville (15)4-0921
2.Conway3-1652
3.Shiloh Christian (2)4-0563
4.Bentonville West (2)4-0524
5.North Little Rock4-0205
Others receiving votes: Bryant (1) 14, Springdale Har-Ber 1.
CLASS 6A
1.Searcy (19)4-0991
2.Sylvan Hills3-1603
3.Benton (1)2-2462
4.Sheridan4-029—
4.El Dorado3-1264
Others receiving votes: Mountain Home 25, Van Buren 15.
CLASS 5A
1.Joe T. Robinson (20)4-01001
2.Greenwood2-2612
3.Little Rock Parkview3-146—
4.Farmington4-0444
5.Little Rock Mills4-015—
Others receiving votes: Valley View 10, Greenbrier 10, HS Lakeside 4, Jacksonville 4, Camden Fairview 4, Pine Bluff 2.
CLASS 4A
1.Stuttgart (16)4-0951
2.Nashville (2)4-0772
3.Gosnell (1)4-0433
4.Ozark4-029—
5.Elkins3-155
Others receiving votes: Fountain Lake 10, Gravette 8, Arkadelphia 6, Forrest City 5, Hamburg 3, Pottsville 2, Lonoke 1.

CLASS 3A
1.Fordyce (12)2-1851
2.Bismarck (1)3-1612
3.Smackover (4)4-0464
4.Mansfield (2)3-2383
5.Rivercrest223-1225
Others receiving votes: Glen Rose 20, Walnut Ridge (1) 12, Rison 8, Palestine-Wheatley 3, Newport 2, Quitman 2, Atkins 1.
CLASS 2A
1.Mount Ida (15)5-0931
2.Baptist Prep (4)4-0712
3.Junction City2-3303
4.Marked Tree3-122—
5.Gurdon3-219—
Others receiving votes: East Poinsett County 17, Earle (1) 13, Bigelow 11, Bearden 7, Hazen 6, Dierks 5, Des Arc 3, Hector 2, England 1.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Corning (8)4-0341
2.Cedar Ridge (6)4-0322
3.Magazine (1)2-012—
Others receiving votes: Izard County 8, Woodlawn 3, Rose Bud 1.