Arkansas is sticking with the same five up front after a messy opening week, even after the offensive line helped turn Saturday’s 31-14 win over North Alabama into a night full of penalties, blown assignments and protection issues.
The Week 2 depth chart keeps Kavion Broussard and Bryant Williams at tackle, with veteran center Caden Kitler flanked by guards Malachi Breland and Kobe Branham. In other words, the Razorbacks are running it back for the road game at No. 21 Utah.
That decision comes despite a stat line that told the story pretty clearly. Arkansas’ offensive line was charged with all four offensive penalties, gave up five tackles for loss, three sacks and three quarterback hurries. The run game never got going either, with the Hogs averaging just 3.0 yards per carry on 49 rushes for 148 yards.
Ryan Silverfield made it clear after the game that he wasn’t looking to reshuffle the front five. He said there was “no considerations to change” and backed the group even while demanding a much sharper performance.
“There was no considerations to change. I've got great faith in that front five," Silverfield explained.
"All along you guys have asked, 'Ryan what do you feel is the strongest unit?' I still believe the offensive line has a chance to be something we can really believe in and hang our hat on, but it wasn't good enough.
"Everyone's always just gonna to point to the offense line. But there's also times where, if you've got five guys to block six, yeah, it's not going to work out as well. But it wasn't clean by any stretch of the imagination, and the offensive line has got to play better."
The starting unit wasn’t a surprise internally. Arkansas had already settled on the group before fall camp, with no major position battles carrying into preseason work.
That doesn’t mean the depth chart is empty behind them. Former Oregon State transfer tackle Adam Hawkes has drawn plenty of praise throughout camp, and former Memphis tackle Josiah Clemons has been mentioned just as often, if not more at times. Silverfield also brought up Kash Courtney as a player the staff trusts at any of the interior spots.
“I think those two names you just mentioned, [we're] very confident for either one of those two to step in a tackle spot if needed," Silverfield said. "Hopefully, we don't need them, but there is that thought process, right? If we're not doing what we need to, does a guy need to be replaced with one of those guys?
"If someone breaks a shoelace, those two are able to go in. And so that's kind of the thought.
Kash Courtney is also a guy we feel very comfortable with playing any of the three interior spots. Obviously, he started a game for us last year as well."
For now, though, the message is continuity. Arkansas is giving the same group another chance, even with Week 1 flashing plenty of warning signs. Silverfield also took some of the blame Monday, saying the offense wasn’t put in position to execute at the level it needed to, especially with a very basic game plan.
"Obviously we didn't put our guys in a good enough job for them to be able to go an execute at a high enough level," Silverfield admitted Monday. "But as the season goes on, as guys get more comfortable, as the quarterback gets more comfortable, then you try to expand that plan.
"As the offensive line gets better and their communication playing together, then you try to expand. 'OK, hey, there's something that we ran this week and there's a good chance we may run it Week 2. We can run it if it makes sense, but then Week 3 add a little more because I just think there's familiarity with those things."
In Other News...
Darren McFaddens SEC Title Game Legend Just Got Even Better
Gus Malzahn recently looked back on his season as Arkansas offensive coordinator in 2006, a year that still stands out for the way Darren McFadden could change the shape of a game. McFadden was more than the Razorbacks featured back, giving that team a versatile edge during a 10-game winning streak that carried it all the way to the SEC Championship Game.
Malzahn also credited McFadden with helping popularize the Wildcat offense, a wrinkle that fit the running backs rare skill set and made Arkansas even harder to defend. More than a decade later, Malzahn still put McFadden near the top of the list of players he has coached, which says plenty about how special that season felt in Fayetteville. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Offense Has A Bigger Problem Than The Opener Showed
Arkansas got the win against North Alabama, but the opener left Tim Cramsey with plenty to sort through before the schedule gets tougher. The Razorbacks offensive coordinator said the first game included too many mistakes to feel good about the performance, and he wants cleaner play before Utah arrives next. He pointed to a need for more physical work on the line and better execution when drives move deep into scoring territory.
Cramsey also noted that Utahs defense will bring a straightforward four-man front, which puts the focus back on Arkansas own consistency rather than some exotic wrinkle. The opener showed the offense can string together productive series, but it also showed how quickly penalties, sacks and turnovers can undercut that progress. For a unit trying to build confidence early, the question now is whether the big-picture effort can be matched by sharper details when the competition gets better. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Defense Has A Real Shot To Rattle Utah Early
Arkansas spent part of the week zeroing in on the kind of quarterback who can make a defense look out of position in a hurry, and that is exactly what it sees in Utahs Devon Dampier. Ryan Silverfield said the challenge is not just chasing a mobile passer, but staying disciplined enough to keep the whole unit intact when the play breaks down. For the Razorbacks, the key is simple in theory and hard in practice: keep the pressure on, fit the run cleanly and avoid giving Utah the easy lanes it wants to create.
There is a little more reason for Arkansas to believe the opening series could matter here, too, because Utah is still ironing out its protection issues up front and showed signs of getting better in its last outing. With Morgan Scalley trying to blend a new look on offense and Dampier offering the kind of dual-threat stress that can punish missed assignments, the matchup feels like one Arkansas can influence early if it brings the right level of urgency. The question is whether the Razorbacks can make that first wave of disruption stick before Utah settles in. [Read more 🡒]