Arkansas Football: Spring Game Report Card

The Arkansas Razorbacks have completed their annual Red and White game, and the game gave fans a glimpse of the 2011 edition of their home team.

The game highlighted some positives and some negatives as the Razorbacks prepare for a run at a SEC title and a National Championship.  The White squad won the game 45-14, but it was the play on the field that set the tone for the upcoming season.

Here are the grades for the game, broken down by positions.

Quarterbacks

Tyler Wilson gave the Razorbacks reason to give him the starting job this season as the heir apparent to Ryan Mallet. Wilson racked up 242 yards on the day and three touchdowns, looking poised in the pocket.

Red Quarterback Brandon Mitchell did not look as good. Mitchell was 11 for 29 for 85 yards and three interceptions. He gained 44 yards on the ground, but Wilson was the better signal caller on the day.

Overall Grade: A

Running Backs

Regardless of the numbers, it was good to see Dennis Johnson in the backfield again for the Razorbacks. Johnson returned after suffering a bowel injury a year ago.

Ronnie Wingo led all backs with 62 yards and one score. Knile Davis did not lose a step from a year ago, as he scored twice on his way to a 44 yard day. Davis excelled at hitting gaps and stretching the defense.

The running backs looked like they were in midseason form.

Overall Grade: A

Receivers

The Razorbacks boast a solid corps of receivers that could be among the best in the country. They had some down moments during the game dropping several passes and attempting one-hand grabs.

Jarious Wright was one of the best on the day, as he started off with a 57 yards touchdown on the first drive for the White team. Wright was the most productive receiver with 157 total yards and two scores.

They need to polish their route running and pass catching, but that will come with practice.

Overall Grade: B-

Offensive Line

All eyes were on freshman Brey Cook as he fights for a starting position on the offensive line. Cook answered the call, but is still in the learning process. Bobby Petrino likes his offensive linemen to learn more than one position so they can be flexible up front. The grade may be a bit harsh, but they still have some learning to do.

Overall Grade: C

Defensive Line

The defensive line looks vastly improved from a year ago. Jake Bequette, Jared Green and Robert Thomas all recorded sacks in the game and they put pressure on the passer. They need to play better against the run, but considering who they were trying to stop, they did just fine.

Overall Grade: B+

Linebackers

Terrell Williams deserves an A+ for his effort. He had nine tackles on the day to lead all Razorbacks. The teams combined had moments of missing tackles, but overall turned in a solid effort.

Overall Grade: B

Defensive Backs

Senior safety Tramain Thomas led the way with two interceptions, and the secondary was very active in the annual spring game. Matt Marshall had the lone interception for the Red team, and Darrell Smith returned an interception for a touchdown early in the game.

The defensive backs attacked the interception, but they still need to focus on tackling. There was a plethora of missed tackles to include one in the first quarter that led to the 57 yard touchdown by Jarius Wright.

Overall Grade C+

Special Teams

In the Red-White game, it is difficult to judge special teams with no kickoff or punt returns. They did have a botched snap in a punt formation that will be something that has to be worked on in practice.

Overall Grade: D

Kicking Game

John Henson connected from 32 yards out on a field goal for the white team, but other than that, it was quiet. Zach Hocker and Henson converted on every extra point. The punting seemed adequate, but not enough to warrant a great grade.

Overall Grade: C+

Coaching

It was great to see how involved the coaches were on the field. ESPN had microphones all over the field and shared snippets from the field, displaying coaching at its finest.

This is one area the Hogs are not concerned with.

Overall grade: A

This is just the first look at the Razorbacks, but the future looks bright in Arkansas.

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 [e-mail].