Report Card: Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19

ARKANSAS 47, TEXAS A&M 19
REPORT CARD
OFFENSE: B
HIGHLIGHTS: A slow start didn't hold Arkansas back. Ryan Mallett ended up with 271 yards and 4 touchdowns, while completing 17 of 27 passes. Running backs Michael Smith, Broderick Green, DeAnthony Curtis and Ronnie Wingo each scored a touchdown. Nobody was more impressive than Joe Adams, who caught 3 passes for 110 yards. Total, the Razorbacks piled up 434 yards.
LOWLIGHTS: Things looked bleak early when the Razorbacks went three and out on three consecutive possessions. Mallett was sacked twice and hurried on the third as Arkansas struggled to move the football. Offensive line play was inconsistent.
WHAT WE LEARNED: Consistent production from the running game is still a work in progress. Arkansas did get what it wanted in terms of rotating fresh backs and wearing down the opponents defense for late scores. Weapons continue to emerge for this team, which had two players score for the first time ever: DeAnthony Curtis and Ronnie Wingo. Once again we saw that when Ryan Mallett has time to throw, he's dangerous.

DEFENSE: B
HIGHLIGHTS: Finally, the Razorbacks made plays behind the line of scrimmage. They recorded a season-high nine tackles for loss and had two sacks - one each from Adrian Davis and Tenarius Wright. Linebacker Jerry Franklin swung the game's momentum with his 85-yard touchdown return on a fumble recovery. Once again the Razorbacks cut down on the number of points give up the previous week. Going from 52 to 41 to 19 points is to be commended. Texas A&M couldn't find the end zone, despite moving the football. Arkansas held the Aggies to 2 of 5 in the red zone and one of those red zone scores was just a field goal.
LOWLIGHTS: A win is a win, but giving up 458 total yards is a bit much. Arkansas was awful early allowed 114 yards and 10 points on the Aggies' first two drives. A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson still managed to throw for 345 yards. Giving up 31-yard rushing plays and 60-yard pass plays are never going to help a team.
WHAT WE LEARNED: Pressuring the quarterback is possible for this team at times. When it most mattered, the defense stiffened. Arkansas gave up yards, but not points. That's encouraging. Each week - at least from a points allowed standpoint - the defense gets better.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B
HIGHLIGHTS: Alex Tejada hit a season-long field goal from 38 yards out. His kick gave Arkansas a 24-10 lead in a game that at the time was very much in doubt. Joe Adams did a solid job filling in on a couple of kick returns, averaging 20.5 yards. Freshman punter Dylan Breeding continues to be solid and averaged 43.5 yards per punt.
LOWLIGHTS: Bad Tejada surfaced on a missed extra point in the second quarter. A pulled quad muscle sidelined Dennis Johnson.
WHAT WE LEARNED: Arkansas is a better team when its special teams avoid major breakdowns.

OVERALL: B
WHAT WE LEARNED: This team is resilient. Rather than get down after a road beating to Alabama, rather than get down at a 10-0 deficit early on, the Razorbacks got tough. That's a good sign, no matter the obvious talent disparity between Texas A&M and top-flight SEC schools.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
OFFENSE: It took only three catches for Joe Adams to turn in his best receiving game as a Razorback. Adams tallied 110 yards, getting a significant amount after the catch. He added 15 yards rushing on a reverse that helped jump-start the running game.
DEFENSE: Give credit to Jerry Franklin for swinging the momentum of this game. His fumble return 85 yards for a touchdown put things squarely in Arkansas' favor. It was part of 30 consecutive points by the Razorbacks, who turned a 10-point deficit into a 30-10 halftime edge.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Because he was perfect on two field goals, including a season-long, 38-yarder, give credit to Alex Tejada. Sure, he missed an extra point, but Tejada's first field goal came with the game still in the balance and he responded.