Roberts Had To Ask Several Tough Questions Of Arkansas Defense During Loss To A&M

FAYETTEVILLE - It didn't have any help from Arkansas' largely inept offense, but Arkansas' defense did not play nearly well enough against Texas A&M.

Knowing that their best chance to stay in the game was going to force struggling TAMU QB Marcel Reed to throw the football, Arkansas surrendered 231 rushing yards to the Aggies and didn't force a turnover.

Arkansas' defense hasn't played as poorly as its offense so far this year, but defensive coordinator Ron Roberts still had to ask his players some tough questions during UA's drubbing at the hands of the Aggies, especially after his unit allowed Texas A&M to convert on nine of their 16 third downs.

"Probably the third down conversion is probably the worst part of the ball game," Roberts said. "It's like the pressure or the moment gets too big for them. I'll be honest, that's it. That's the questions you got to ask. "

His defense, which ranks near the top-50 nationally in total yards allowed, has enough talent to keep opposing offenses at bay. However, there are some moments in a game where players are taking bad angles or missing assingments that puts them in no-man's land on any given possession.

"'Is the moment too big for you? What is it? Why are you doing stuff - do you know what to do," Roberts continued. "Yeah. Hey, what are you supposed to do here? I'm supposed to do this. Why didn't you? Okay. Let's convert it. Here we go. Now we got another set of downs. Hey, why didn't you do what you were supposed to do? Oh. I don't know. I got confused. '

"Well, if you do, he's covering your tail, so now that should have been what? That's a sack. And when you start doing that in consecutive, it don't matter when you stick it in, but if it's on third downs, third down conversions, it's on the goal line and you're leaving them on the field with a pass interference, 12 men on the field or stuff like that, it's just like you're killing yourself."

The most scrutinized mistake by Arkansas against Texas A&M was a crucial 12 men on the field penalty in the second quarter that wiped out a TAMU field goal and instead gave the Aggies another shot at the end zone. After another apparent third down stand, Arkansas was called for holding. Texas A&M scored on the next play.

"We're killing ourself," Roberts said. "We're all in this dadgum thing together."

The Razorbacks will have to play much more sound defensively against No. 15 Tennessee, which will look to pound the football on the ground with star RB DeSean Bishop.

Backup QB George MacIntyre will get the start for the Vols, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel, as QB Faizon Brandon is nursing a shoulder injury suffered in Tennessee's Sept. 26 loss to Texas.

Kickoff between Arkansas and No. 15 Tennessee is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT on Saturday inside Razorback Stadium, with coverage on the SEC Network and the Razorback Sports Network.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Roberts Had To Ask Several Tough Questions Of Arkansas Defense During Loss To A&M.