Arkansas is a tough team to figure out because of the opponents they've played. They ran roughshod over three patsies to start the season (Louisiana-Lafayette, Samford, Southern Miss).
Against Rutgers and Florida their rushing game was largely shut down, gaining 3.36 yards per carry and barely 100 yards against those two teams. However, those two teams have the #2 and #3 rush defenses in the nation.
Against Texas A&M, Arkansas ran (and threw) well, gaining 201 yards on 30 carries (6.7 yards per carry). However, A&M has an awful defense (109th in run defense, 95th in pass defense).
Thus, Arkansas has played either some of the worst run defenses in the country or some of the best. It's difficult to know exactly how good Arkansas' rushing attack actually is. Carolina is ranked 34th in run defense and 72nd in pass defense so this is a more favorable matchup for Carolina's defense. I expect Arkansas to have good but not great success on the ground.
For Arkansas, the common theme on defense is their inability to stop the pass against the major opponents they've played. Against Rutgers, A&M, and Florida they're allowing an average of 282 passing yards per game and have allowed 8 TDs/1 INT and a 64% completion rate. Rutgers has an average passing attack and Florida has a pretty poor passing attack (95th) and those two teams threw very well against Arkansas. As long as we can avoid road game jitters, I think we'll have a lot of success through the air. Shaw's efficiency in the air this season has me hopeful.
Looking at these stats has me more optimistic about the game this weekend. However, we still have to overcome whatever bad voodoo Carolina typically has in the Natural State. I am glad this game is being played in Fayetteville instead of Little Rock.
Against Rutgers and Florida their rushing game was largely shut down, gaining 3.36 yards per carry and barely 100 yards against those two teams. However, those two teams have the #2 and #3 rush defenses in the nation.
Against Texas A&M, Arkansas ran (and threw) well, gaining 201 yards on 30 carries (6.7 yards per carry). However, A&M has an awful defense (109th in run defense, 95th in pass defense).
Thus, Arkansas has played either some of the worst run defenses in the country or some of the best. It's difficult to know exactly how good Arkansas' rushing attack actually is. Carolina is ranked 34th in run defense and 72nd in pass defense so this is a more favorable matchup for Carolina's defense. I expect Arkansas to have good but not great success on the ground.
For Arkansas, the common theme on defense is their inability to stop the pass against the major opponents they've played. Against Rutgers, A&M, and Florida they're allowing an average of 282 passing yards per game and have allowed 8 TDs/1 INT and a 64% completion rate. Rutgers has an average passing attack and Florida has a pretty poor passing attack (95th) and those two teams threw very well against Arkansas. As long as we can avoid road game jitters, I think we'll have a lot of success through the air. Shaw's efficiency in the air this season has me hopeful.
Looking at these stats has me more optimistic about the game this weekend. However, we still have to overcome whatever bad voodoo Carolina typically has in the Natural State. I am glad this game is being played in Fayetteville instead of Little Rock.
