Arkansas has a new defensive coordinator, a mountain of new faces and one simple job this weekend to prove last year’s struggles won’t repeat themselves.
Ron Roberts takes over a Razorback defense that finished 123rd nationally and dead last in the SEC in forcing turnovers a season ago.
North Alabama’s offense will give him an early gut check.
Kickoff between Arkansas and North Alabama is set for 3:15 p.m. Saturday in Fayetteville, with SEC Network carrying the broadcast.
It’s the first game under coach Ryan Silverfield and his staff, and Roberts brings a defensive résumé built over 35 years including recent stops at Florida, Auburn and Baylor.
Roberts inherits a defense in need of a spark
Only six players return on defense from last year’s squad for the Hogs.
That’s really addition by subtraction and when most of the defensive coaches were gone after Sam Pittman left, that probably should have been a clue. If anybody still had any doubts.
That thin holdover group might actually help Roberts install his system without old habits getting in the way, though the unit still has plenty of experience spread across the front, second level and secondary.
Tay Lockett and Brandon Ford are the lone true freshmen who cracked this week’s two-deep.
Roberts’ track record offers Arkansas fans a reason for hope.
His Florida defense ranked 59th nationally and seventh in the SEC last season, and the year before that his Gators sat 13th nationally and third in the conference.
If that trend holds in Fayetteville, Arkansas’ turnover woes could start turning around fast.
North Alabama brings a tricky RPO puzzle
The Lions come in loaded on offense with a scheme that should stress every level of Arkansas’ defense.
Coach Brent Dearmon wrote a book on RPO football during his three years as offensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech. He’s still hands-on with the offense even though new coordinator Travis Partridge calls plays.
Dearmon’s system traces its roots back to Wake Forest, where coach Dave Clawson and his staff built the slow-mesh RPO template that’s since spread around the sport.
Partridge arrives at North Alabama after a year as co-offensive coordinator at Bowling Green and a previous stint running the offense at Tennessee State.
Redshirt junior quarterback Destin Wade returns after a solid debut season under center, though his year ended early.
Wade’s legs could cause early problems for Hogs
Wade isn’t just a passer. He can escape the pocket, extend a play and turn a busted coverage into a chunk gain with his feet.
That’s the exact kind of quarterback Arkansas’ defensive front needs to keep boxed in, and defenders like Quincy Rhodes and Steven Soles will need to stay disciplined on the edge all afternoon.
North Alabama already has a game under its belt, a 22-10 win over in-state rival Samford.
The Lions piled up 394 total yards in that opener, including 229 through the air and 165 on the ground, while converting nearly 44% of their third downs.
Wade put up 1,188 passing yards and 10 scores as a first-year starter last season, a promising run cut short in November when he went down with a season-ending injury.
In the opener he completed 13 of 19 passes for 229 yards and a score, and running back Jalen Fletcher added 79 yards on just 11 carries.
Depth will matter in Arkansas heat
Saturday’s forecast calls for a scorcher, and Roberts said this week he plans to rotate all 22 players in his two-deep before halftime.
He wants to see how his new pieces handle real game speed while keeping legs fresh in the heat, calling it a chance to develop depth and get “a huge measuring stick” for where this defense actually stands.
Roberts also made clear he isn’t sleeping on North Alabama’s offensive talent, noting the Lions have “a stable of tailbacks” who run hard and a receiver in Xavier Johnson who “can go.”
Johnson caught five passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in the opener, earning UAC Freshman of the Week honors for his effort.
What Arkansas needs to see Saturday
If Arkansas’ front seven can hold its gaps, keep Wade in the pocket and force rushed throws, turnovers should follow.
That’s the formula Roberts used at Florida, and it’s exactly what this Razorback defense has been missing.
A clean gap-sound performance against a scheme built to create confusion would be the clearest early sign yet that this unit is heading in the right direction.
