Arkansas Football: 5 Keys To a Victory Over Ole Miss
The Arkansas Razorbacks are off a very disappointing loss to the Auburn Tigers. They lost more than just the game when superstar Heisman candidate Ryan Mallett went down with a concussion he sustained early in the contest. Online sportsbook BetMania has yet to release a line due to the Mallett injury, but the Razorbacks should be favored to win this game.
Now the Hogs have to regroup and make sure they are prepared for the face off against Ole Miss. Here are five keys to an Arkansas victory over Ole Miss.
5. Avoid the Letdown
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The game against Auburn was a tough loss to take, and it basically feels as though the Hogs are eliminated from competing in the SEC West. Unless there is a minor miracle, the Hogs will not win the West. Teams in the past have been known to carry a “hangover” into the next game and come out flat. Florida was a victim to the letdown in losing to Mississippi St after a tough loss to LSU. The Hogs have to avoid the hangover so they do not lose to the Rebels.
4. Avoid Self Inflicted Wounds
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The Hogs hurt themselves in the game against the Tigers, and that has to be corrected in this game. They had three turnovers and some costly penalties. It wasn’t the number of penalties, but the timing and the way they got the penalties that could be easily avoided. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by running back Knile Davis was a perfect example of an easily avoidable penalty.
After a good pickup on the ground, Davis proceeded to taunt an Auburn defender and was flagged for the incident. Davis was immediately reprimanded by the team and the coaching staff, but these mistakes need to be avoided in the game against Ole Miss.
3. Play Some Defense
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Defense anyone? The Hogs were torched for 470 yards, and 330 of those came on the ground. They did not cause one turnover, and at the end of the game, they just gave up. The defense has to come into this game with a chip on their shoulder and hit someone in the mouth. If they don’t, they could end up in the basement of the SEC West.
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2. Take Care of Mallett
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No disrespect to quarterback Tyler Wilson, but Arkansas needs Ryan Mallett under center. Wilson played admirably by going 25 of 34 and passing for 332 yards, but this team performs much better with Mallett on the field. Of course, this is a slippery slope, because if Bobby Petrino brings back Mallett too early, he could be out for the season. The fear will be that they rest Mallett taking Ole Miss too lightly and get burned.
1. Big Picture
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The Hogs have to look at the big picture. They lost against two teams that are in the top 10 of the college football rankings. Auburn and Alabama are two of the premiere teams in college football, and there is no shame in losing to them, and it is not a huge blemish on their body of work.
They still have games against three teams that are currently ranked in the top 25, and a big finish could easily land a big bowl game. Current bowl predictions have a game with Texas or Ohio St looming and that is good for the team and the rankings. A loss to Ole Miss would severely damage those bowl projections.
Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com
Other College Football Articles:
LSU Vs Auburn: Should the Winner be Ranked No.1?
Oregon Vs UCLA: Preview and Pick Against The Spread
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