Arkansas Football: Grading All 22 Starters from the Lousiana-Monroe Game

Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis were expecting to get their Heisman campaign going against Lousiana-Monroe. Instead, Arkansas was upset in overtime.
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The Arkansas Razorbacks were shocked Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe, losing 34-31 in overtime.

Being the No. 8 team in the country, how do you lose to a team that never had a winning season in Football Bowl Subdivision play?

If Arkansas is to receive a grade as a whole, it would be an F. There's no other grade you can give the team.

Sure, fans can blame it on an injury to starting quarterback Tyler Wilson, but that would be unfair to the Warhawks. Arkansas entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead and was outplayed in the final quarter.

Here's a look at my grades for each starter in the game.

QB Tyler Wilson

Tyler Wilson missed the second half after taking several big hits in the first half.
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For all of the Heisman talk about Tyler Wilson at the beginning of the season, the Arkansas quarterback was just OK.

In one half of play, Wilson was 11-of-20 for 196 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

While some may blame his performance on not playing the second half, it's hard to dispute his first half was less than impressive.

Although 196 yards and two touchdowns would be good at the half against SEC teams, they're not great against a team like Louisiana-Monroe.

 

Grade: C+

RB Knile Davis

Knile Davis had 62 yards rushing against Louisiana-Monroe.
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In addition to Wilson, Knile Davis came into the season with some hype for the Heisman.

However, 62 yards rushing on 16 carries is very unimpressive against a team like Louisiana-Monroe. That, followed by 70 yards rushing against Jacksonville State, shows that Davis was overhyped.

Although Davis didn't lose yards on any carries, he was held to one yard or under on seven of those carries.

That's not a Heisman-type performance.

 

Grade: D+

WR Cobi Hamilton

Cobi Hamilton had 99 receiving yards against Louisiana-Monroe.
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All things considered, Cobi Hamilton had a good game against Louisiana-Monroe.

With six receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown, Hamilton was the leading receiver for the Razorbacks.

With backup quarterback Brandon Allen in the game, Hamilton had one reception for 17 yards, but was also targeted four times. On each of those targets, Hamilton had no chance at a reception, as the ball was out of his reach.

It was too bad too. Two of those missed opportunities were in overtime when the Razorbacks had to settle for a field goal.

 

Grade: A-

WR Mekale McKay

MeKale McKay had two receptions for 74 yards Saturday.
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MeKale McKay had two catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

The problem is, he was only targeted one more time the entire game.

While his 61-yard reception looked nice, McKay struggled to get open all night and looked overmatched throughout the game.

His inability to get open forced both Arkansas quarterbacks to go other places, allowing double teams to move away from him as well.

 

Grade: D

TE Chris Gragg

Chris Gragg led Arkansas with seven receptions.
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Chris Gragg was another one of the few players that I was impressed with after the game.

Having led the team with seven receptions, Gragg also had 83 yards receiving.

When he was in blocking, he did a decent job to keep rushers at bay.

For a tight end, Gragg did his job. He executed on most every play.

 

Grade: A

OT David Hurd

http://media.247sports.com/Uploads/Recruit/95/178291.jpg

Hurd was disappointing in the game, especially considering the focus placed on the number of hits Wilson took.

If that wasn't enough, the Razorbacks only got 116 total rushing yards, and David Hurd was one of the main problems.

Not exactly a great job on the line.

While all of it can't be blamed on Hurd, it has to start with him at one of the tackle positions.

 

Grade: F

OG Tyler Deacon

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Tyler Deacon is the lone senior on the offensive line and played like he was an underclassman.

Deacon looked decent at times, but seemed to have trouble with the pressure Louisiana-Monroe was bringing.

Whether it was underestimating how much the Warhawks would bring pressure or simply being over-matched, I'm not sure.

 

Grade: F

C Travis Swanson

Travis Swanson was a part of an offensive line that let Louisiana-Monroe get to the quarterback Tyler Wilson time after time.
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The center position is one of the hardest positions to grade, especially considering there is more they're having to do.

However, Travis Swanson was responsible for many of the offensive line calls during the game, making him responsible for the number of times Wilson was hit.

After seeing the pressure that Louisiana-Monroe was bringing early, Swanson didn't adjust his offensive line calls. And it hurt, because Wilson was forced out of the game.

 

Grade: F

OG Alvin Bailey

Alvin Bailey (67) goes to make a block against Jacksonville State on Sept. 8.
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Alvin Bailey struggled as well on the interior line.

Louisiana-Monroe constantly found itself stopping runners at or near the line of scrimmage to stop the ball.

Only half of the 26 rushes by Arkansas went for more than three yards.

I understand the Razorbacks are more of a passing team, but the run blocking has to improve.

 

Grade: F

OT Brey Cook

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Brey Cook looked good in the first half, but once Wilson was out of the game, he struggled.

Was it because he's just a sophomore and didn't know what to do when the pressure intensified or was it that he wasn't adequately prepared?

Either way, Cook has to grow up fast and show that he belongs on an SEC offensive line for four quarters.

 

Grade: D

FB Kody Walker

Kody Walker scores a touchdown last year against Troy.
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While Arkansas doesn't use its fullback as much, Kody Walker still started the game.

Only garnering one reception for five yards, Walker was never really given a chance because of the commitment to the pass.

When he was in the game, I was impressed by his blocking and his ability to get a good block in.

 

Grade: C

DE Trey Flowers

Trey Flowers had two tackles against Louisiana-Monroe.
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Trey Flowers had one solo and one assisted tackle in the game.

From the defensive end position, that's not good. Plus, he struggled getting pressure on the quarterback all night.

If he struggled like he did against Louisiana-Monroe, how will he do next week against Alabama?

 

Grade: D-

DT Byran Jones

Byran Jones makes a play on the quarterback last year against Tennessee.
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Making six tackles from the defensive tackle position is not a bad stat line.

When runs were coming up the middle, Byran Jones was in there to make a play.

I have no complaints about the way he did his job. He had plays where he struggled, but for the most part, made the plays when they came his way.

 

Grade: B+

DT DeQuinta Jones

DeQuinta Jones had three tackles Saturday.
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DeQuinta Jones largely did his job on the interior line, garnering three assisted tackles.

Throughout the game, he was able to get a little penetration, although it doesn't show up in the stats.

The one thing I would like to see from Jones is more endurance. Even though he didn't sit out a lot of plays, the fourth quarter saw him more winded than the other players.

Other than that, I came away happy with his performance.

 

Grade: B-

DE Chris Smith

Chris Smith, right, tries to make a sack against Louisiana-Monroe.
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Chris Smith finished the game with three tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and one sack.

The pressure he created throughout the game kept Louisiana-Monroe on its toes, but there were times when the Warhawks were able to break containment.

Against the Warhawks, I feel Smith could have done more damage. But under the circumstances, he had a good game.

 

Grade: B-

MLB Tenarius Wright

Tenarius Wright had 11 tackles to lead the team Saturday.
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Tenarius Wright led the team with 11 tackles and had one quarterback hit.

He found himself in the play on a consistent basis, not allowing a Louisiana-Monroe player to break any of his tackles.

Wright got to the ball and made plays, plain and simple.

 

Grade: A

OLB Alonzo Highsmith

Alonzo Highsmith had eight tackles and one sack against Louisiana-Monroe.
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Alonzo Highsmith had eight tackles and one sack against Louisiana-Monroe.

Like Wright, he was able to make the plays when they came to him.

However, on rushes to the quarterback, Highsmith struggled with only one sack. With his ability and seeing where he was on the field, I feel he should have had at least one more sack and a few quarterback hits.

 

Grade: B-

CB Tevin Mitchel

Tevin Mitchel forced two fumbles Saturday.
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Tevin Mitchel knew had to place the big hit on Louisiana-Monroe.

With two forced fumbles and eight tackles, Mitchel was a star in the secondary.

I was impressed with his coverage skills and his ability to make plays in the open field.

Still, Arkansas allowed 412 yards passing, with most of them coming on the outside. Had it not been for that, Mitchel would have gotten an A.

 

Grade: B+

S Ross Rasner

Ross Rasner had nine tackles and one interception Saturday.
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Ross Rasner was also a star in the secondary.

Although he messed up on a few plays, Rasner showed he belonged in an SEC secondary.

With nine tackles, two pass breakups and an interception that he went the other way for 33 yards, Rasner showed why he was named a starter for the Razorbacks.

 

Grade: A

S Eric Bennett

Eric Bennett, right, had six tackles Saturday.
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Eric Bennett was decent in Saturday's game with six tackles.

However, it seemed like there were times when his inability to wrap up gave the Warhawks a few more yards.

None of his plays in the secondary were spectacular, but he managed to still have a decent game.

 

Grade: C+

S Rohan Gaines

Rohan Gaines, right, was the last man beat on the touchdown run that sealed Arkansas' fate.

Rohan Gaines was the second-leading tackler on the Razorbacks with 10 stops, but that's not what he'll be remembered for.

What many people will remember Gaines for is that he was the last man that was beaten by Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Kolton Browning in overtime for the touchdown.

Although he can't be blamed for the play, because the entire Arkansas defense went the other way, Gaines will be the last image of the defeat.

It's a shame, too. Gaines had a good game and did his job throughout.

 

Grade: B+

CB Kaelon Kelleybrew

Kaelon Kelleybrew had five tackles Saturday. http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/2118864102/AqFjLYyCAAAdAZh.jpg

Kaelon Kelleybrew had five tackles in the game and was very unimpressive.

Time after time, he got beat on plays and didn't look like he belonged in the secondary.

If he doesn't improve this week, Alabama is going to eat him up worse than Louisiana-Monroe did.

 

Grade: F