Nearly everything is awful right now for Arkansas, but not 100%
Arkansas football and its fan base are enduring a miserable season. We aren't ignoring that, to be sure. The vast majority of our stories on the Razorbacks have been critical or disapproving if not both. We aren't going to sugarcoat things, and we haven't been. This doesn't mean, however, that we can't at least occasionally point to something moderately good or slightly hopeful. This is one of those times in which, believe it or not, Arkansas might have something to potentially cling to and build on in the midst of a horrible football season which is likely to finish no better than 3-9.
The possible building block for this team (not that we are confident about it, but we can at least explore the idea) is its defense. Arkansas did not get fully trampled the way it was against Utah, when the roof fell in in the second quarter. Arkansas gave up 22 points in that second quarter to Utah and allowed that game to completely unravel before halftime. Against Georgia, we saw real improvement.
Georgia has a very good team with a lot of very big bodies. Physically, we all knew going into Saturday's game that Arkansas' defense was going to face an uphill battle. Georgia has top athletes and first-tier brawn. It was always going to be hard if not impossible for Arkansas to hold up over 60 minutes, especially with the UA offense being as toothless as it is. Georgia did wear down the Arkansas defense, but again, with the offense not doing its part, that outcome and overall game progression were virtually inevitable.
What is worth looking at for the UA defense is that it held Georgia to just 14 points in the first 28 minutes of this game. That was a clear step up from the Utah game and a sign that when everyone is on the same page and is fighting on every snap, this defense, while obviously not athletically superior to SEC opponents, can be competitive and can offer real resistance.
This Arkansas defense played with pride. It played with hunger. It did not sulk or throw in the towel. Quincy Rhodes continues to play with great energy and the right mindset. He's a true baller and someone who is improving his overall NFL draft stock. Coordinator Ron Roberts shows that he knows what he's doing. When Arkansas fails on defense, it is more about the lack of elite physical talent than a lack of organization or schematic quality. Given the deficient talent this group has, that first-half performance against Georgia was solid and entirely respectable.
The hope for Arkansas this season - getting to 3-9, which means beating Tulsa and at least one SEC opponents - depends on being able to pick off a weaker offense without Utah's or Georgia's weapons. If this Arkansas defense shows up against a less talented opposing offense, Arkansas might be able to win an ugly 16-13 kind of game and exceed the currently low expectations for what the rest of this season will bring.
