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UP NEXT: Mississippi State goes into Baton Rouge, shocks defending champs
After stumbling against Georgia on Saturday, the Hogs go to Starkville where Leach’s Bulldogs are flying high after beating LSU on the road.
Any questions about Mike Leach’s offense working in the SEC were put to rest Saturday and now after playing the defending national champs they get Arkansas.
The Razorbacks showed against No. 4 Georgia the only way they can play with the big boys is if those other guys don’t show up until halftime.
That’s exactly what the Bulldogs did.
State put up 632 yards of what LSU had left on defense, which is still a couple of notches above what the Razorbacks have with their starting group. Only 9 of that came on the ground.
Think about that for a minute and let the possibilities sink in.
The Hogs didn’t have everybody in their secondary available to play against Georgia, who started a redshirt freshman that can’t play and had to go to a backup who settled things down.
The Hogs are in trouble this week going on the road to Starkville to face a transfer quarterback that put up 623 yards on the defending national champions.
It may take Feleipe Franks until the middle of October to have that many yards for the season.
Leach knew LSU was still strong up front so he basically didn’t even try the running game. If he doesn’t think something’s not going to work, he’s really got going to waste time trying it.
Even if he has preseason All-SEC running back Kylin Hill, who had 34 yards for the entire game. Whatever he was gaining, Costello was losing in sack yardage.
So Leach went to getting the ball to Hill in space and he ended up with 192 yards of total offense after averaging nearly 20 yards on eight catches.
Now Hogs defensive coordinator Barry Odom has to change from a team that likes to run the ball (which they pretty much slowed down early) to a team that is going to just let it fly, especially against a secondary Leach thinks is vulnerable.
Arkansas’ secondary looks to be all of that, with the exception of a play here and there against Georgia after the Bulldogs just sliced and diced the Hogs’ secondary.
If there is any hope for the Hogs going to Starkville it is a letdown by State. It was a game many viewed as a possible win by the Hogs, but now throw all those preseason predictions out the window.
Find a single win on the schedule right now.
Arkansas football is three losses away from tying the all-time record for most consecutive league losses in the SEC with Vanderbilt.
Come up with an excuse for that one.
