Play selection is not the reason Arkansas offense is struggling

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How can the Arkansas football offense climb out of trouble? It's the question all Razorback football fans are asking. Best of Arkansas Sports thinks the offensive coaching staff is inexperienced and out of its depth:

"That lack of experience was on full display with the Razorbacks apparently telegraphing certain cues when they run RPOs, screen passes and other offensive sets.

“'We got in a spot where you could only do things so many times before you realize this ain’t working,' former Arkansas tight end DJ Williams said on the 4th & 5 postgame show. 'We would always throw on first down and then decide to run on second down … Now you have long third downs throughout the entire drive and then you can’t convert them.'

"If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Arkansas’ offensive woes may be more fixable than they appear. If the coaches can alter those signs, cues and tells from here on out, they should immediately give their players much more of a fighting chance than it looked like they ever had against Utah."

Can a coaching staff be a little less transparent and a little more predictable? Of course it can. However, let's be real: KJ Jackson can't complete screen passes. The offensive line can't run-block. Receivers can't win contested catches or win one-on-one battles with defensive backs. When those realities exist on an offense, a coaching staff is only going to be able to do so much. 

Do analysts hear themselves talk sometimes? Arkansas got completely blown off the field by Utah. The Razorbacks did not have the horses to keep up with the Utes. They were dominated on both sides of the ball. Utah could have scored a lot more than the 43 points it finished with. The Utes had mercy on UA and were dramatically better than the Hogs in every way. 

The idea that mixing up the first-down and second-down play selection could have unlocked some real opportunities for Arkansas is absolutely hilarious. UA lost by 33 points and trailed by 40 at one point. First- and second-down play selection had nothing to do with UA being this bad and getting its rear end kicked around for 60 minutes.

It is good to be able to identify the root causes of problems. Being able to diagnose a problem is important. It educates and illuminates and points the way to a solution. We should be looking for answers. Early-down play selection is clearly not the right answer for Arkansas. The problem – a lack of talent – is at the root of everything you're seeing right now.

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