Arkansas Film Room: Breaking Down the Failed OT Drive vs Texas A&M

At the moment Brandon Allen dropped back and rolled out while under pressure every hog fan had a thought that they witnessed this moment before, and the result ended up being all too familiar. Another fourth quarter lead vanished, and overtime loss to Texas A&M.

After giving up the touchdown to A&M at the beginning of overtime, Arkansas took over with a chance to match and force a second OT or go for two and win outright.

1st and 10

On the first play Dan Skipper jumps and sets the offense behind with a 1st and 15.

1st and 15

Dan Enos calls a money run play that had worked all game with Alex Collins on the delay hand off.

Collins is in an I-back look with Kendrick Jackson lined up at FB. The tackles pass set to the outside and the FB leads on the filling linebacker. Jackson makes a great block and opens up a cut back lane for Collins who lowers a shoulder to get 6 yards. Back in business.

2nd and 9

This time Arkansas calls a pass play to try to get back within manageable distance to convert a first down.

Out of a 2x2 shotgun set, with Jojo Robinson at one slot and Hunter Henry to the short side of the field in the slot, flanked wide at the x and z are Kendrick Edwards and Drew Morgan.

This play uses spacing and the fact that A&M was playing soft coverage and the throw is on the money. Not many QBs in college football make that throw from the right hash all the way outside the numbers.

3rd and 4

Run and get stuffed or call play-action against a stacked box and put the pressure on the A&M defense to cover Sprinkle in the flat or Hunter Henry over the middle? Dan Enos went with his foundational play-action pass that has worked over and over since spring practice.

This play was very much the same as the one earlier that Drew Morgan was able to walk into the end zone. Kendrick Edwards was open on the backside but you cannot see the safety who is breaking on his route. Allen looks at Henry first and makes the right read to look backside but would have to make the same throw all the way across his body as last season against Alabama that was picked.

He checks down to Sprinkle, tries to keep him in bounds but unable to make the completion.

4th and 4

Against this look, with a corner taking away the inside, the out route should be there but the corner makes a great play to break on the ball.

End zone view:

You can see here that Hunter Henry is running a corner route against man coverage (safety over top). This play just does not have enough time to develop due to the middle pressure by the linebacker and 1 tech. The route combination would've forced the corner to play up on Drew Morgan like he did, resulting in the break up but would have left Henry open in the corner of the end zone. Woulda coulda shoulda, but that is how it goes.

Brighter days are on the way and this season still has two more months. Surely it can't be all like this right?