NCAA Football Week 3: Texas Longhorns vs. Arkansas Razorbacks

UT and Arkansas headline a Big 12 and SEC battle in week 3 of the NCAA football season.

Longhorns vs. Razorbacks Overview:

The Arkansas Razorbacks were supposed to be in a rebuilding year. Controversial head coach Bobby Petrino is in his first year and superstar RBs Felix Jones and Darren McFadden both jumped to the NFL early. However, the Arkansas Razorbacks quickly gelled and transformed into a pass-happy team that shows guts beyond their youthful lack of experience. The Texas Longhorns are also exceeding expectations and have reached No. 8 on the college football rankings. Both teams have a perfect record going into this Big 12 vs. SEC showdown.

Texas Longhorns Offense:

Quarterback Colt McCoy seems to finally be blossoming into a superstar entering his third year of starting experience. Even without WR Limas Sweed or RB Jamaal Charles to help him out, Colt McCoy has been money so far and is also a threat to run. RBs Vondrell McGee and Foswhitt Whittaker form an impressive running duo to take the pressure off of Colt McCoy. WRs Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley have really stepped up their game and have become go-to guys in the clutch. Offensive linemen Cedric Dockery and Adam Ulatowski give the Texas Longhorns a strong base to attack any defensive front.

Texas Longhorns Defense:

The Texas Longhorns defense is led by DE Brian Orakpo who is a future first-round pick in the NFL draft and is a monster in both the pass rushing and run defense aspects. The Texas Longhorns defensive line is young and small but very athletic. With a great pass rush up front, the secondary of the Texas Longhorns is able to make plays on many ill-thrown balls. Senior CB Ryan Palmer has been a constant in the secondary and will continue to provide veteran leadership to the young unit. Jared Norton leads a quick and young linebacking corps.

Arkansas Razorbacks Offense:

Quarterback Casey Dick played second fiddle to RB Darren McFadden and the Wild Hog formation that saw Darren McFadden taking many snaps at quarterback. With D-Mac in the NFL, head coach Bobby Petrino has made the athletic Casey Dick the heart of his offense. With two-straight 300-yard games under his belt already, Casey Dick has a chance to rip defenses apart. Talented TE D.J. Williams and freshman WR Joe Adams have become Casey Dick’s favorite targets. RB Michael Smith spent time behind Felix Jones and Darren McFadden but is quickly evolving into a great back. C Jonathan Lugis is one of the best in college football.

Arkansas Razorbacks Defense:

The Arkansas Razorbacks defense is young and raw but loaded with talent. The secondary of the Arkansas Razorbacks is especially aggressive and delivers hard hits to ball carriers. CB Jamar Love and S Matt Harris are the head hunters and veterans in the Arkansas Razorbacks secondary. Elston Forte is the veteran leader of the Arkansas Razorbacks linebacking corps with young Jerry Franklin quickly becoming a tackling machine. The interior of the Arkansas Razorbacks defensive line is stout and has the most experience of the defense.

Texas Longhorns Keys to Victory:

With the development of Casey Dick for the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Texas Longhorns defense must get pressure on the QB. DE Brian Orakpo should be a wrecking ball against the line of the Arkansas Razorbacks and will be chasing Casey Dick all game. The Texas Longhorns secondary will have a fight on its hands against the talented youngsters of the Arkansas Razorbacks. CB Ryan Palmer should be able to stop Joe Adams, but the trick will be containing the versatile TE D.J. Williams who is the favorite target of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Protecting Colt McCoy will be the main priority of the Texas Longhorns offense. If given time to throw, Colt McCoy should have no trouble dissecting the young Arkansas Razorbacks secondary thanks to the speed of Quan Cosby. A heavy dose of the running game behind the talented offensive line of the Texas Longhorns will also help in the battle. The mobile and hostile LBs of the Arkansas Razorbacks must be neutralized if the Texas Longhorns want to open the middle of the field.

Arkansas Razorbacks Keys to Victory:

The Arkansas Razorbacks defensive line must both keep pressure on Colt McCoy and keep him from escaping the pocket. The quick and athletic linebackers of the Arkansas Razorbacks should be able to keep Colt McCoy’s scrambling under control. S Matt Harris can help his entire secondary by laying the wood to Quan Cosby when he comes over the middle, hopefully slowing the speedy receiver and making him nervous. The Arkansas Razorbacks will also have to blitz often to counter the talented Texas Longhorns offensive line.

Establishing the run with RB Michael Smith will be the first thing to check off the Arkansas Razorbacks offense’s to-do list. A strong running game will keep Brian Orakpo from committing fully to pass rushing and the smaller defensive line of the Texas Longhorns leaves them vulnerable to the run. Casey Dick will probably find WR Joe Adams blanketed by coverage, but his TE D.J. Williams should have success underneath. D.J. Williams and Michael Smith must both show up big for the Arkansas Razorbacks to have a chance.

UT Longhorns vs. Razorbacks Outlook:

On paper and in the standings, the Texas Longhorns have a strong advantage over the Arkansas Razorbacks. But even this early in the NCAA football season it has been proven that paper and standings mean little when the actual action starts. With many ranked teams falling to underdog opponents in the first two weeks alone, anything can happen. The Arkansas Razorbacks have the tools to attack the Texas Longhorns weaknesses.

The Texas Longhorns do have a significant advantage in experience and also have a deeper roster of talent. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a great coach in Bobby Petrino, but his team is still gelling around his new system. Playing at Darnell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium is another advantage in the corner of the Texas Longhorns. The Arkansas Razorbacks are a team on the rise and will be a great team in a year but currently do not have the experience to match the Texas Longhorns at home.