Three Key Questions for Razorbacks' Offense Against Cowboys

Big win in opener springs hope eternal headed into marquee matchup with No. 16 Oklahoma State

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino using play sheet to cover crowd noise on microphone against UAPB in Little Rock. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Apparently there are a lot of folks putting a lot of stock into Arkansas' 70-0 beatdown of UAPB last week in Little Rock. Let's hold off on any quick judgements on this team.

We'll find out a little more this week. Oklahoma State moved up a spot to No. 16 in the rankings this week. The Razorbacks picked up a vote from some media type in Seattle, Wash., likely based on that big win in the opener. You wonder if he knows the talent disparity there.

While fans and media have been touting a talent level they've only seen in practices, the interest level in the Hogs has raised a little. Before getting carried away, Ole Miss and Auburn scored more points against better teams than UAPB. Granted, they weren't much better, but the Golden Lions would be near the very bottom of any FCS power index.

The Cowboys have one of the most stable coaches with Mike Gundy, who was the coach when Houston Nutt was coaching Arkansas. Arkansas has had a parade of people at the top and none have equated whatever level of success Nutt had.

Maybe the Razorbacks have more talent than Oklahoma State. Since we haven't seen them tested, it's hard to make any real determinations there. With all the new faces, there has been spring practice, summer practices (called fall camp with 100-degree temperatures) and a live scrimmage against a low-hanging FCS team.

Saturday morning at 11 a.m., we'll start to find out. We'll know by 3 p.m. what the Hogs may have this season.

Most of the optimism around Arkansas is Bobby Petrino being back as offensive coordinator. Yes, putting up nearly 700 yards against air is an accomplishment. That may be a reflection of how bad things were last year. Improvements in personnel have been made and the guy in charge of the offense is definitely an upgrade, bringing focus into his job that was lacking last season.

But is it enough to take down the 16th-ranked team in the country? For the offense, there are some mighty big questions to answer.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Ja'Quinden Jackson in season opener against UAPB in Little Rock, Ark. / Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

Can Razorbacks Run Ball Against Cowboys?

Eveybody was completely confident after Ja'Quinden Jackson and Rodney Hill moved at will against UAPB. If they can repeat those numbers this week against Oklahoma State, there will be reason for hope.

Nothing else works really well in Petrino's offense if he can't get the running game at least to a point where the defense has to pay attention. They know he probably doesn't have the patience to put together a 12-play drive running up the middle down the field. Maybe age has mellowed him a little, but probably not that much.

We will find out by the fourth quarter how the Hogs stack up against a team that has more experience on the defensive side of the ball playing together than the Arkansas offense. They have to be able to run the ball when they NEED to do it.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green lines up one of his 10 extra points in a 70-0 win over UAPB in Little Rock. /

Will Taylen Green Look as Fast Against Better Players?

The Razorbacks' quarterback is fast. The times tell us that and he has those long strides that eat up yardage in strides. He really wasn't challenged often in the opening game. UAPB simply didn't have the players to get much pressure.

Green also won't have the same time he did in the opener to make decisions. There wasn't a lot of opportunity to go through progressions reading defenses.

Part of that was usually his first option was open so there's no sense going through progressions. That's not how playing quarterback works. You usually throw it to the first guy open as you work through the play.

Will those people be able to get open against the Cowboys' secondary? They probably won't like they did last week.

Arkansas Razorbacks kicker Kyle Ramsey lines up one of his 10 extra points in a 70-0 win over UAPB in Little Rock, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

Can Razorbacks Kick Field Goals if Needed?

Last week the Hogs scored touchdowns on all 10 possessions, which tells us they either have a playoff-caliber offense or they didn't have a lot of opposition. They honestly see better competition in practice every day.

Kicker Kyle Ramsey nailed all 10 extra points. If there was drama on any of them I missed it. We don't know what will happen in front of what will be an electric atmosphere in Stillwater. Can they put that out of their system?

For three years, the Razorbacks relied on Cam Little, who was almost automatic. It changes the playcalling when you know at a certain point you have a field goal kicker in range that has won big games doing that before. We'll find out how that stacks up under pressure this week.

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