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Final Huddle: Arkansas Handles UC 31-24 in Season Opener

UC couldn't overcome a bevy of mistakes and a smash mouth rushing attack.

Russ Heltman

© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

CINCINNATI — The Arkansas Razorbacks held off UC 31-24 in a back-and-forth affair that heated up in the second half.

Ben Bryant started shaky during his first start back with Cincinnati, and the team played a little bit too sloppy for a win.

Mix in another great rushing performance from the punishing Arkansas offense and it equals UC's first season-opening loss since 2010 against Fresno State. 

"Obviously that's a really tough one," Luke Fickell said postgame. "We've been very fortunate regular-season wise the last couple years, but this is an incredible learning experience, a growing opportunity for us as a team as we continue to find out what 'us' really looks like. I don't let those guys or myself or any of these coaches hang their heads. We found out a lot about ourselves and our fight and our toughness. We just didn't get it done."

Let's dive into the Final Huddle.

Hogs Run At Will

The SEC's top rushing team in 2021 did not disappoint in their 2022 return. Arkansas finished with 45 carries for 224 yards spearheaded by KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders (20 carries, 117 yards). Since 2019, only Ohio State and Alabama have rushed for 220-plus yards against UC.

The Bearcats did a decent job reacting to the read option game in the first half but the more Arkansas hammered them with an uptempo attack, the more they wore down.

Jefferson did a phenomenal job picking the right rushing lanes and keeping the pace heightened when he felt UC's fatigue. The Razorbacks dominated on runs to the outside in this game.

Sam Pittman's team unlocked their speed on the outside with sprinkled runs of A.J. Green and Malik Hornsby. Overall, Jefferson was the best player on the field. He flashed great talent with his arm and legs at 6-foot-3 and 230-plus pounds.

Jefferson finished 18-of-26 passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 18 carries for 62 yards and a score. It was a fantastic day for the bruising QB. UC hung tough with Arkansas but couldn't overcome enough mistakes to pull off their first SEC win under Luke Fickell.

Off-Kilter Cats

Saturday was an uncharacteristic afternoon for the Bearcats' offensive infrastructure. UC finished with nearly identical penalty yardage as Arkansas but they came at back-breaking times throughout the game.

"There are some things that we have to do a lot better," Fickell said about the penalties. "You aren't going to go down to a place like against a team like this and have some of those penalties and missed field goals...There was no hanging their heads. Just not enough to get it done."

From negating a few long third-down conversions to a punt inside the five. The Bearcats made too many mistakes with the play clock and lined up incorrectly too much after starting with a malfunctioning offense.

Bryant averaged less than five yards per attempt in the first half, making a fantastic start by the defense null and void. He turned things around to finish 26-of-42 for 325 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one fumble.

"Biggest takeaway is just missed opportunities," Bryant said about his performance. "Obviously I overthrew a couple that would have been TDs. We did a really good job in the second half of coming out and executing better, cleaning things up. This is a learning moment, I think we get a lot better from here."

It was too little too late. Some of Bryant's misses have to be more accurate the rest of the season—the athleticism isn't there to make up the slack on 62% completion.

"I thought Ben did a good job," Fickell said about his QB. "He took some shots too. First games are tough...Ben was really poised, really under control. Obviously the big turnover in the first half and the strip sack, but he took some shots and kept ticking."

The Bearcats' helmets also flew off a head-scratching amount of times. Multiple starters missed plays throughout the game after losing a lid. 

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know," Fickell said about the helmets. "Maybe you don't hit as much in practice, you take those beanies off the top of your helmet and those things start popping off? It's an issue. We gotta figure it out."

Back to the penalties, UC averaged around seven penalties and 55 yards per game last season. They can't afford to eclipse those numbers throughout 2022.

Ivan Pace Jr. Shows Up To The Party

The biggest silver lining from UC's first regular-season loss since 2019 was Ivan Pace Jr.

The transfer linebacker proved he should be a full-time starter by leading UC with a team-high 12 tackles, one sack, and 3.5 TFLs. The bowling ball was making plays all over the middle of Arkansas' rushing attack and headlined a linebacking unit that held its own for much of the game.

Pace plays with great instincts and rarely stalls. That's a great thing for his game as he looked like the fastest player in the hole throughout many snaps.

Add in a fantastic game from cornerback Jaquan Sheppard (nine tackles, one sack, one TFL, two pass break ups) and you get some great early returns on impact players in new roles. It's hard to say a defense played well when they allow 6.3 yards per play (would've ranked t-14th nationally in 2021), but there are building blocks there.

"A lot of things we're going to get a lot better at," Fickell said about  moving forward. "This is a team that is going to be much different as it continues moving forward. I promise."

Clean up some of the mistakes, and UC still has a great chance to win double-digit games for a fifth-straight season.

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Russ Heltman
RUSS HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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