In the first half, Tennessee football had seemingly no answer for Arkansas’ run game. The Razorbacks consistently gashed the Vols on the ground behind a strong showing from Mike Washington Jr. The result was 157 rushing yards at the break for Arkansas.
However, while Tennessee didn’t necessarily completely shut it down, it did a much better job later in the game. Arkansas found its groove at times, but the consistent big plays were no longer there.
After the game, Razorbacks interim head coach Bobby Petrino explained what the difference was. The Vols began to stack the box and go all-in on defending the run. This essentially dared Arkansas to pass, which it was too late to adjust to.
“They came down and got in more of an eight-man front,” Petrino said on the change. “And they were rocking and rolling their safeties. And just said throw the ball, basically. And it took me too long to get to throwing it. I wish I would have done it a series earlier.”
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This stretch, where the Vols’ defense started to get off the field, let the offense create some breathing room. Ultimately, Tennessee needed every bit of the cushion as 14-straight points from the Razorbacks in the fourth quarter made it just a three-point win for UT.
Arkansas finished the game with a strong run mark of 240 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 45 attempts. That’s good for 5.3 yards per rush.
The Vols are going to have to tighten up on this side of the ball next week, as well. Tennessee heads to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on the road. The Tide sports a dynamic offense that seems to be hitting its stride in both the pass and run game.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
