Momentum Shifts: Aggies unable to overcome key turnover, other mistakes
We will get straight to the point on this one. This game was tough to watch from start to finish. The Hogs jumped out to an early 17-0 lead in the first quarter after the Aggies seemed to come into the game uninspired and flat on both sides of the ball.
Despite how badly we were playing on offense, I felt that if we could get into halftime within two scores that Mike Elko and the defense would adjust and give us an opportunity to respond and get back in the game.
After halftime, the defense came out and got a great stop and forced the Razorbacks to punt. Our offense went Incomplete pass, pass for a loss of four yards and a sack. The defense responded again and forced another punt.
Then it finally happened. The offense showed a sign of life as Isaiah Spiller broke a run for a 67-yard touchdown to make it a one-possession game with plenty of time left halfway through the third quarter. I was hoping that this play would be my momentum-changing play and that we would close the second half out strong and come back to get the W to continue our win streak against Arkansas. As we all know, that is not how it turned out.
Mental mistakes, penalties, lack of execution and a costly turnover were too much to overcome in the second half and ultimately cost the Aggies the game and ended our longest win streak in almost 30 years.
The Aggie defense held again and forced Arkansas to punt. We got the ball WITH all momentum on our side. Achane hit a nice 8-yard run. Calzada completed an 8-yard pass to Demas to get us 1st and 10 at our own 34. On the next play, Calzada scrambled to extend the play and found Ainias for an 8-yard gain (a play I hoped he would just run and get 5-6). That play was negated by a suspect penalty of an ineligible man downfield. On the next play we lost 10 yards. And then we couldn’t convert on a manageable third and 7.
The Aggie defense held again and we got the ball with 12:00 minutes left in the fourth quarter, still only down one score. Calzada completed a great downfield pass to Ainias right on our sideline in the window the defense gave us.
In my mind, the next play was what ended the game and was the momentum-changing play of the game. We were driving and Calzada dropped back looking to check down to Isaiah Spiller again on the underneath routes they had been giving us. The pass hit the back of our own offensive lineman’s head and was Intercepted, giving the Razorbacks the ball in our territory and essentially ending the game.
The frustrating part about all of this to me is that despite how poorly we played in the first quarter (and for the majority of the game) our defense gave us multiple chances to win the game in the last three quarters. But with the way that this offense is performing, it is hard to have confidence that we can overcome any deficit at all, much less a 14-point deficit. That should not be the case.
We have to get things figured out on the offensive side of the ball in a hurry. Our defense is playing very good football but cannot afford to give up three scoring drives in the first quarter when we do not have much going on offense. We have got to get all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) to start fast and execute like they are supposed to if we are going to have a shot at winning many, if any, SEC games left on our schedule. The margin for error is just too small in the SEC West, especially when playing with an inexperienced offensive line and a backup quarterback.
There is a tough road ahead, but I believe that these guys can overcome and get better. One of my favorite quotes from former football Coach Woody Hayes: ”There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.”
Here is to hoping that our football team and staff come together and re-focus on what they have in front of them. Also, that they would stay off of the internet and TV and ignore the noise and insane amount of negativity.
