Arkansas vs. Missouri: Game Grades, Analysis for Razorbacks and Tigers

The University of Arkansas Razorbacks and University of Missouri Tigers came into Friday's matchup with plenty to prove.

Bret Bielema's Arkansas team entered the contest hoping to come away with a third win against SEC opposition in as many weeks, while Missouri needed a win to secure a second straight SEC East crown.

After a sloppy first half went Arkansas' way, Missouri rallied to score 15 unanswered, fourth-quarter points and come away with a division-clinching home win on senior night.

Here are further analysis and game grades for both teams.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	B	C-
Rushing Offense	B	C
Pass Defense	B+	C-
Rush Defense	B+	C-
Special Teams	C	B-
Coaching	B	C-

Arkansas Razorbacks Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Brandon Allen was the surprise of the first half with his efficient passing.  He only threw for 77 yards, but he hit on 70 percent of his first-half passes and tossed two touchdowns.  In the second half, Allen's momentum dissipated as a nagging back injury seemed to come into play.  As a result, Arkansas' offense mostly stalled.

Rushing Offense

As always, Arkansas ran the ball effectively in the first half, but the Razorbacks weren't outstanding on the ground.  Sixteen carries yielded 89 yards, with Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins doing most of the work.  Though the running game was adequate in the second half, it wasn't enough to spark any excitement.

Pass Defense

Arkansas consistently pressured Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk and managed to haul in an interception.  Additionally, he was held to a low completion percentage.  In the second half—particularly the fourth quarter—Missouri's offense made play after play through the air, as Arkansas was too soft in coverage.

Run Defense

The Razorbacks' run defense was incredibly impressive in the first half, holding Mizzou to 22 yards on 17 carries.  But, to be fair, much of that was a result of crowding the box.  In the fourth quarter, that stout performance against the run disappeared, as the Tigers sliced the Razorbacks repeatedly for large chunks of yardage and took the lead.

Special Teams

The Razorbacks' special teams play was stellar all day.  Punt coverage stood out, as did a critical blocked kick. 

Coaching

Bielema's squad came ready to play, and that showed from the onset.  In the first half, the difference in the game was the tone that Arkansas set on its first defensive possession and the ensuing offensive drive.  In the end, however, Arkansas did not find a way to win a close game.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	C-	B
Rushing Offense	D	B
Pass Defense	C	B
Rush Defense	C	B+
Special Teams	A	C
Coaching	C	A

Missouri Tigers Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Mauk was on his back or scrambling for life far too often in the first half.  Without proper pass protection, he never had a chance. As a result, he struggled.  In the second half, he came alive with more protection, and the entire offense was revitalized.

Rushing Offense

With Missouri behind on down and distance, the running game never really became a factor for the Tigers in the first half.  Again, the offensive line was manhandled for much of the first two quarters.  Once the passing attack found success, the ground game became more viable in the second half and helped propel the Tigers past the Razorbacks.

Pass Defense

Arkansas didn't throw for a ton of yards in the first half, but both of the Razorbacks' scores came through the air, and Allen looked impressive in finding wide-open targets.  Missouri's pass rush was more of a threat in the second half, which rattled (and possibly injured) Allen, allowing the Tigers secondary to capitalize.

Run Defense

It's hard to slow down the Razorbacks' ground attack, but Mizzou held its own in the first half, primarily by refusing to give up long runs to Williams and Collins.  Ultimately, however, too many first downs were given up on the ground in long-yardage scenarios in the first half.  In the second half, the Mizzou run defense was somewhat improved, but Arkansas was more pass reliant.

Special Teams

Missouri connected on two field goals from 50 or more yards away in the first half but had a field goal blocked later in the game.  All in all, those critical field goals were the defining moments of this phase of the game and kept the Tigers in the game early.

Coaching

Play-calling was erratic in the first half for Missouri.  The Tigers threw in short-yardage situations and ran on too many third-and-longs.  As a whole, the team did not match Arkansas' intensity.  The second half was a different story.  Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel thoroughly outmatched Bielema for most of the game's final two quarters and secured the victory.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of NCAA.com.