Arkansas vs. TCU: Game Grades, Analysis for Razorbacks vs. Horned Frogs
In what could end up being the wildest game of this college football season, Arkansas rallied late to win 41-38 over TCU in double overtime at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
Both teams had seemingly won and lost the game at numerous points. Arkansas blew a 20-7 lead in the fourth quarter before striking with a minute left to tie the game at 28 with a reverse pass to the quarterback on the two-point conversion. After an explosive KaVontae Turpin kick return, TCU had a short field goal blocked before falling in the extra period.
The coaching staff, defense and offense of each team has plenty to answer for in a crazy affair that saw all of the mentioned units succeed and fail at several key moments of the game.
With that in mind, take a look at how these groups graded out for each team.
Arkansas Offense
1 of 6
Grade: A-
In order to win this game, Arkansas was going to need to embark on long, methodical scoring drives to keep TCU's high-octane attack on the sidelines and the road crowd quiet.
The Razorbacks did their job for the most part but in a different fashion.
Quarterback Austin Allen emerged as a legitimate starter by going 17-of-29 for 223 yards and three scores through the air, while also adding a game-winning touchdown on the ground. He came in clutch down the stretch by shredding TCU's secondary late in the fourth quarter and in overtime to lead his team to victory.
Running back Rawleigh Williams finished with 137 rushing yards on 28 carries, which was solid but not great. Take away a 37-yard scamper and Williams averaged less than four yards per carry. Arkansas finished with 2.6 yards per rush as a team last week, so this needs to improve moving forward.
The offense faltered a bit during TCU's surge in the middle of the fourth and in the red zone, which prevents the unit from earning a solid "A." Arkansas converted two field goals and missed a chip shot, and touchdowns in these spots could have put the game away.
Yet Arkansas was able to outscore a dangerous TCU team by playing Razorback football. This unit led the way on Saturday.
TCU Offense
2 of 6
Grade: B
For being such an explosive unit that spreads teams out and runs up and down the field at will, TCU's offense was totally asleep for the first 50 minutes of this game.
The Horned Frogs were shut out in the first half and were down 20-7 before finding a spark late to nearly win.
Quarterback Kenny Hill was great for TCU, finishing with 377 yards and a touchdown pass to go with 93 yards and two scores rushing. However, Hill threw a costly pick-six in the first half that ultimately cost the Horned Frogs in the end. Turpin was also electric, finishing with 295 total yards in receiving and returning. Running back Kyle Hicks added 49 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with eight catches for 92 yards receiving.
However, it was all too little, too late. TCU botched a field goal to win the game at the end of regulation and then was outscored in overtime at home against a conservative offensive opponent. Where was this unstoppable TCU attack for most of the night? If the Horned Frogs showed up at the start, they very well could have won this game comfortably.
TCU also lost a fumble in the red zone early while committing numerous costly penalties along the offensive line. The attack came together late, but it was still a rather sloppy performance for the Horned Frogs.
Arkansas Defense
3 of 6
Grade: B
Overall, the Hogs did an excellent job of slowing down the pace of TCU and frustrated their opponent, but there are 60 minutes in a football game.
Arkansas shut out TCU in the first half and held the Horned Frogs to only a touchdown coming into the fourth quarter. Yet, the wheels came off a bit as TCU put up 31 points down the stretch to nearly steal a win at home.
Still, the defense did a great job of dominating the interior line to stuff TCU early. This allowed the Arkansas offense to stay on the field and keep TCU from establishing any type of groove offensively.
The unit failed to contain Hill on the ground, as the quarterback was able to scramble for big plays far too often throughout the night. However, the Hogs forced two turnovers, including a valuable pick-six from Brooks Ellis. Its goal was to limit TCU's offense just enough to hold on for the win, and Arkansas accomplished that on Saturday.
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TCU Defense
4 of 6
Grade: D+
The expectations were not too high for TCU's defense after allowing 41 points last week to FCS foe South Dakota State. Yet the Horned Frogs were taking on an Arkansas team that did not crack 300 total yards against Louisiana Tech, so all they had to do was load up the box and win single-coverage matchups in the secondary. Well, that certainly did not happen.
TCU allowed Arkansas to hang 41 points on it at home while getting torched in coverage down the stretch. The Razorbacks receivers and tight ends were able to routinely create space in man coverage to create easy throws for Allen. Arkansas was able to dictate the pace of the game for most of the night by playing slow on offense, as TCU could not match its physicality.
The only reason this unit does not receive a failing grade is its first-half play. The Horned Frogs held Arkansas to just six offensive points, but TCU's offense failed to take advantage. Otherwise, it was another ugly night on defense.
Arkansas Coaching
5 of 6
Grade: A-
Arkansas came into Fort Worth and executed its game plan of controlling the tempo and keeping TCU out of an offensive rhythm. For that, head coach Bret Bielema and his staff deserve a lot of credit.
There is not a whole lot the coaching staff could do to combat the explosive athletes TCU has on offense, but the Razorbacks played to their strengths by relying on their physical advantage up front. The team also made adjustments in the second half, as it called for more passing from Allen when TCU had settled in to stopping the Arkansas rushing attack.
This allowed the game to open up offensively for Arkansas and for Allen to gain some confidence through the air, which came in handy when the game became a shootout late.
The only blemish for the coaching staff was not adjusting to Hill's scrambling ability. The quarterback created first downs with his feet all night long, which kept the dangerous unit on the field.
TCU Coaching
6 of 6
Grade: C
There is not much a coaching staff can do to make up for the size and physical disadvantage TCU faced up front. However, it failed to adjust to Arkansas defensively in addition to lacking much offensive creativity.
It became clear in the second half that TCU's secondary was not faring well against Arkansas' receivers in man coverage, but the Horned Frogs did not switch their coverages or disguise any blitzes to confuse Allen. He was able to quickly diagnose the single coverage and hit his receivers. TCU chose to play base defense to stop the run even when it was apparent that the Hogs were finding success through the air.
On offense, the coaching staff waited too long to draw up some plays to get Turpin the ball. He is the most dynamic player on the offense, and he was invisible until late in the fourth quarter. The offense lacked much misdirection or sweeps to give Turpin space until the fake screen late to set up the deep bomb to the receiver.
Playing to your strengths goes a long way toward winning games. Arkansas did that Saturday, as TCU lacked the needed urgency to get Turpin more involved.
Statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com.
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