After Offense-Heavy Interest in Spring, Defense May be Analyzed Next

Focus from fans, everyone else has been offense at halfway point, but there are some other areas that could have questions

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive backs Jaylon Braxton (11) and Lorando Johnson (1) react after a pass break up during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Yes, offense is a big deal these days in college football. You can think the rules for that and the fact the Arkansas Razorbacks had a train wreck on that side of the ball last season. That led to Bobby Petrino's celebrated return as the offensive coordinator (a position he's probably better suited for than head coach).

We just might have forgotten a little about the defensive side of things since it improved last year with new defensive coordinator Travis Williams, who didn't exactly have a high bar to clear to accomplish that way of looking at the stats. There are still questions and expectations have to be adjusted right along with today's game. Everybody can move the ball, it seems. Okay, except the Hogs last year but we've already addressed that.

The Razorbacks' defense has as many question marks coming into spring practice. We haven't considered the questions to ask and we won't really know those until sometime in September or October after they have played a couple of SEC teams. Sorry, it may be the best defense in the SEC, but until they do it in league play, excuse me if I don't make any guarantees yet.

After Saturday's scrimmage, defensive back Jaylon Braxton felt the defense won because they started slow, but finished strong with a Hudson Clark interception putting what he considered a dramatic close to the whole argument.

"It’s not about how you start," he said later. "Offense came out with a hot start, but we finished the practice hot and sealed it with a pick. So I say we got the dub."

The film will tell the coaches more. That pretty much changes opinions on what people thought right after practice, or even games. Players have thought they played well in a game and turns out that big play the coach was talking about is the only one they made all day. Everybody is more confident with Williams' defense. That includes Braxton heading into his second season as the best cornerback on the team.

We'll know in November how it all turns out, but after a first half of spring practice with far more talk and buzz about the offense, maybe now might be the time to start looking a little closer at the defense. That's been a footnote, for the most part.

Part of that's understandable. It's a little shallow to praise the offense for scoring more than 40 points in a game if the Hogs still get beat by double digits. We've seen that a few times in the last couple of decades. Nobody thinks to bring that up in December looking back.

HOGS FEED:

• It hasn't taken long for Hogs' quarterbacks to appreciate Petrino's orchestrated approach to offensive footbal

• Peyton Stovall's return to Razorbacks' lineup providing huge benefits in field and at plate

• Montana 2026 quarterback sees everything positive in highlight video from visit to Fayetteville

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