Arkansas Offense on Historic Pace

Through two and a half seasons at the helm of Arkansas’ offense, Kendal Briles has shown the ability to turnaround a staggering offense into one of the most explosive in the nation.

The Razorbacks currently sit 13th in the nation in total offense with 492.5 yards per game. Look at the balance in passing and rushing, merely identical. Something that Bret Bielema said he was going to do. Something that Chad Morris said he was going to do. A balance that Bobby Petrino couldn’t even replicate.

What is even more impressive is the fact that this same offensive system has improved in points, yards and yards per play each season.

Briles is proving that he is one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport right now and should be under consideration for head coaching jobs sooner rather than later. That’s beside the point of this article. The former Baylor, FAU and Florida State offensive coordinator is feeling the heat when it comes to offensive play calling. The execution hasn't been there all season but gaining yards between the 20’s have.

Arkansas is churning out chunk plays at a very good rate sitting 18th in plays of 10+ yards with 131.

Hold on though, the Hogs are rank ninth in the country in plays of 30+ yards with 23 of those. They’ve hit 60 yards on five separate occasions, too, which fifth most in college football.

Yes, Arkansas struggled at times during a three game losing streak but have never stopped moving the football. This offense is certainly playing at a different level right now. Redzone issues seem to be nonexistent as the Hogs have converted 14 of their last 15 trips scoring 11 touchdowns.

To add to the narrative, Arkansas put a focus on winning third down more offensively. At one time during Briles’ first season, the Razorbacks were a dreadful 0-10 against LSU. To this day that one is hard to explain.

Now, Arkansas is more efficient. Maybe it’s the play calling that makes Arkansas more dangerous on critical downs this season. The Razorbacks sit 14th nationally in third down conversion rates at a solid 50-percent (61-122).

2020: 105th 46-136 (33.82%)

2021: 90th 64-174 (36.78%)

Finally, here is the mind blowing fact of the day, Arkansas’ offense could be the most explosive in school history. This group could be the best offense in school history.

This season isn’t over, and the Razorbacks must reach bowl eligibility to have a chance to break the record. Let’s not overlook how special this group has been. Between KJ Jefferson settling in with new receivers, Raheim Sanders becoming the explosive weapon not everyone saw coming and do not forget about the dominant offensive line. If Arkansas can hold onto Briles and continue this upward trajectory on offense Arkansas has staying power in the SEC West.