Dossenator wrote:Cane, hard to wrap my mind around what happened. Ark completely dominated until right to the start of the 4th quarter.
The first play of the 4th quarter Ark has a fourth and a half a yard at mid field and they decided to punt. From that point on they gain 16 yards and Col St scored 25 points. Not sure I have seen a collapse like that...oh wait yes so have. 2 years ago in the Bell bowl Ark had a 21 point lead on Virginia Tech in the 2nd half and lost and had a 3 td lead on Missouri that year in the 2nd half and lost. It is becoming a tend.
Got to see the replay of this, and it seems Arkansas had the field position advantage, because the Razorbask defense was too much for Colorado ST most of the game long. They held `em to field goals, which were long kicks ... the first one was 55 yards.
It looks as if one play shifted the momentum. At about 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter, the Rams got a huge pass play that drove into the red zone for the first time n the game. Then the Razorback DB's had a breakdown --- Up to that moment, Arkansas' defensive backs were all over the receivers. I was extremely impressed with how they stuck to their guy, and were very disruptive --- That one big play gave the Rams new life, and Arkansas looked lost.
The Touchdown play by Colorado State was too easy, nobody was on the receiver --- the 2 point play, the exact same thing.
You are certainly right about Arkansas, and how they had control of this game. The way they were blowing up the line in the middle, gashing for long running yards through the center of Colorado St's defensive front --- Playing conservative on that 4th & 1 at the beginning of the 4th quarter is perplexing. You've been getting big gains up the middle, and they are struggling to stop you. Why not go for it there, and take the steam out of their engine..?
I also noticed that Arkansas had abandoned the run a bit, and tried to get things moving with screen plays & short passes. But Colorado State had been pretty good about concealing Arks receivers on the perimeter most of the game. I'm not sure what the play callers were thinking there.
The when the Rams got the ball back, Arkansas Corners were giving big pass plays, no longer pressing their man, and not getting help in the middle from the line backers --- then Colorado St hit them with the running game, because Arkansas was backing out into pass coverage --- The Rams built a bunch of confidence, and started making plays that earlier in the game were unsuccessful, such as the receivers making diving catches, and the QB releasing the ball, not taking the sack or throwing it erratically.
I think a lot of what happened here, was the second half play calling by Arkansas. I'm just not sure what the coaches were trying to prove. I mean, even if the Hawgs score one more field goal at some point in the second half, they win this game.
Just crazy.
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