The two teams were trading blows in the first half, just pounding their offensive lines and blocking backs into the defense, getting enough rushing yards to keep drives alive. Auburn was able to mix in some passes (more effectively than Arkansas was) as well. Eventually, the Arkansas o-line just wore out the Auburn front and Arkansas took control of the game. It was a shocker as I fully expected Auburn to make their stake for the national championship this year.
PRO PROSPECTS
College: Arkansas
Conference: Southeastern
Columnist: Jeff West
Name # Ht Wt Speed Pos Class Game Notes
Zac Tubbs 69 6' 6.0" 360 5.50 OT 2007
Tubbs is an enormous man. He’s not very fast and not very athletic. His footwork isn’t particularly pretty either. But he’s a very effective RT at the collegiate level because of his strength and his ability to just engulf one or two defenders. He has good balance and uses his arms and hands well. He was able to just drive defenders out of the play entirely. Unfortunately, I think he lacks the requisite athleticism for success at the next level. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
Tony Ugoh 66 6' 5.0" 315 5.20 OT 2007
Ugoh seems determined to shed his finesse label and has played much more physically in the two games I’ve seen him in this year. He finished his blocks and punished the defenders. He has decent quickness and displays good footwork. Groves was able to beat him with speed a couple times, but Ugoh won the majority of the battles. I think Ugoh is going to climb the draft boards as Arkansas gets more and more visibility. (POSITIVE)
Stephen Parker 74 6' 4.0" 314 5.25 OG 2007
Parker played an outstanding game. He’s always solid in close quarters, using his strength and his size to great advantage. He’s been shaky at times when he’s asked to pull or move to the second level. Not tonight. On McFadden’s long TD run, Parker pulled and got around the edge quickly and eliminated a couple would-be tacklers with a solid block. Parker plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but plays under control. (VERY POSITIVE)
Keith Jackson 99 6' 0.0" 285 5.00 DT 2007
Jackson started slowly in the game, facing a very solid pair of guards in Grubbs and Duckworth. They kept punching him in the mouth and he kept taking it until they tired in the second half. Then Jackson started to take control of the game. He flashes some explosiveness and is able to shoot the gap and be disruptive in the backfield. He moves well for a DT (he is a tad undersized), but can be overwhelmed by a more physical offensive lineman. He flows well with the action and is able to track down the ball carrier through the trash. If he can keep the lineman from tying him up, he’s very effective. He has a future in the NFL if he can add some strength without sacrificing his quickness. (POSITIVE)
Sam Olajubutu 24 5' 9.0" 225 4.60 LB 2007
Many will knock Olajubutu for his lack of size, but he’s got to be one of the most powerful players (pound for pound) in the NCAA. He moves well and just has amazing football instincts. He’s always around the ball and, more likely than not, making the first (and last) contact. He doesn’t miss tackles. On one rushing play, Olajubutu was able to shoot the gap and get into the backfield, but he got plowed from behind by a big OT. While lying on the ground, Olajubutu was able to spring towards the runner, wrap both arms around his legs, and bring him down for a loss. (VERY POSITIVE)
Jacob Skinner 14 6' 3.0" 215 4.80 P 2007
Skinner only got a few chances, but acquitted himself very well. He was consistently hitting his punts for 45 yards or so, and only had one returned (and that was a wild return where he gave his coverage plenty of time to get downfield, but the returner reversed field and ran backwards before turning upfield for a short gain). He really gets good hang time on his punts. I counted one of them at more than 5 seconds. (POSITIVE)
Marcus Monk 85 6' 6.0" 222 4.60 WR 2008
Monk had one of the highlight plays of the game, but wasn’t much of a factor otherwise. Monk got downfield against Wilhite, Mustain threw a prayer of an ugly pass, and Monk used his size to knock Wilhite off balance before the ball arrived. With Wilhite on the ground, Monk lumbered the rest of the way for an easy 50-yard TD. That was his only catch of the game. Arkansas is using the passing game very sparingly with the young QB, so Monk won’t get as many chances. I see Monk adding some weight to become a TE at the next level. He just doesn’t have the speed or quickness to be an effective WR. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)
Peyton Hillis 22 6' 2.0" 238 4.65 FB 2008
With the likes of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in the Razorback backfield, a guy like Peyton Hillis just doesn’t get to touch the ball often enough. Hillis reminds me quite a bit of the Rutgers do-everything back, Brian Leonard. Hillis is an effective lead blocker who identifies his targets and eliminates them. He got to catch a couple balls and shows nice soft hands and is a powerful runner once the ball is tucked away. I’d love to see him get more opportunities to make plays with the ball in his hands. (POSITIVE)
Desmond Williams 45 6' 2.0" 207 4.55 S 2008
DNP - Injury
Players to Watch: RB Darren McFadden (So) Was the player of the game. His 63-yard scamper for a TD opened the game up for Arkansas. He’s a very powerful runner who finds the seams in the line and pounds through them. If he gets daylight, he’s gone with his speed. RB Felix Jones (So), McFadden’s backfield mate, got things started early with a couple nice runs. Jones appears to be a bit quicker and shiftier than McFadden, but he also has the ability to be a feature back and has the speed to go the distance. CB Chris Houston (Jr) is one of the better man corners I’ve seen. He’s very physical and confident, and made a couple nice plays early before Auburn stopped throwing at him. DE Jamal Anderson (Jr) He's a big DE with excellent speed for his size. He was very disruptive, especially late in the game. DT Ernest Mitchell (So) He consistently blew up the interior line (usually the center) or forced a double team with his play. He's one to watch closely for the future.
……………………………………………………………
College: Auburn
Conference: SEC
Columnist: Jeff West
Name - # - Ht - Wt - Speed - Pos - Class
Kody Bliss - 30 - 5' 10.0" - 177 - 4.90 - P - 2007
Bliss was bad tonight. He hit one big punt late (when Arkansas had no one back to return) that inflated his average, but hit some real stinkers too, including one in the 3rd Q that set up the third Arky TD. In a conference with some really good punters, Bliss needs to show more consistency to be considered the best of the bunch. He was outperformed by Skinner in this game. (VERY NEGATIVE)
Kenny Irons - 23 - 5' 11.0" - 200 - 4.45 - HB - 2007
Irons was playing with a bad case of turf toe, and had a flat steel shank inserted in his shoe (which had to affect his running some). Despite his injury, Irons ran the ball well. He uses his blockers well, showing patience and then choosing his holes effectively. Once he’s in the hole, he shows good burst and gets through quickly. He’s a relentless runner, keeping his legs going after contact. He just didn’t have that little bit extra tonight that he usually can find. Auburn also went to the air late and cut into his opportunities. (POSITIVE)
Courtney Taylor - 86 - 6' 2.0" - 210 - 4.55 - WR - 2007
The QB didn’t have a lot of time to look for receivers, and as such, Taylor had to resign himself to making a few shorter grabs as a hot read. He didn’t have much opportunity to make anyone miss or pick up extra yards. The one big chance he had to make a deep catch (that likely would have been a TD) went awry as Taylor misplayed the ball when he slowed down to adjust to it. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)
Cole Bennett - 87 - 6' 4.0" - 260 - 4.85 - TE - 2007
DNP – Injury
Ben Grubbs - 69 - 6' 3.0" - 300 - 5.10 - OG - 2007
Grubbs played well, although he (and Duckworth) really needed to help a new C who struggled mightily. Grubbs has excellent strength and can hold position very well. He is able to get to the second level fairly quickly and identifies and engages his target effectively. Whenever Irons was making yards downfield, Grubbs could be seen nearby. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
Joe Cope - 50 - 6' 0.0" - 276 - 4.95 - C - 2007
DNP – Injury
Tim Duckworth - 76 - 6' 4.0" - 318 - 5.25 - OG - 2007
Duckworth isn’t quite the prospect that Grubbs is (at this point), but I think Duckworth probably has a higher upside as he’s a more physically gifted player. Duckworth’s technique is still inconsistent, but it’s improved since the last time I evaluated him. He played a pretty good game against Arkansas, although he did struggle with Keith Jackson and Ernest Mitchell as the game wore on and missed a couple assignments. (NEUTRAL)
King Dunlap - 77 - 6' 8.0" - 318 - 5.15 - OT - 2008
Dunlap should be one of the premiere OT prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft. He’s got fantastic size and strength, and decent technique already despite limited playing time. It’s very difficult to gain the edge on him because of his quickness (good feet!) and substantial wingspan. None of the DEs he faced were elite players, so he was able to control them without much problem. Despite his quickness and strength, Dunlap is not a particularly good athlete. He moves well enough in tight quarters, but ask him to pull or get to the second level and you may want to avert your eyes. (POSITIVE)
Brandon Cox - 12 - 6' 2.0" - 202 - 4.80 - QB - 2008
Cox was a bit inconsistent against Arkansas. Much of it had to do with pressure coming right up the middle or off the edge on his right side. He was wearing a brace on his knee and it seemed to limit him some, although he made some very timely throws and was forced to scramble much more than he wanted to. He had an apparent touchdown to Courtney Taylor that he floated a bit and then watched the ball go through Taylor's hands. He’s still a prospect for the 2008 Draft, but he’s not one of the studs at the position yet. I was impressed with his poise, especially in the face of pressure. He stood in and waited to the last minute for his receivers to clear, knowing he would take a hit. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
Quentin Groves - 54 - 6' 3.0" - 250 - 4.60 - DE - 2008
Groves hasn’t exploded on the scene as a top edge rusher the way I expected him to this year. He’s still explosive and is generally the first player out of his stance at the snap. He also shows good pursuit, chasing the ball carrier down the line and often catching him from behind, but he gets washed out of plays much too easily. He disappears for long stretches of the game. (NEGATIVE)
Marquies Gunn - 48 - 6' 4.0" - 254 - 4.70 - DE - 2007
Gunn is somewhat similar to Groves, but has less speed and burst, but better size and strength. He also got a lot less attention than Groves did and was able to make some plays as a result. Gunn moves well, and displays some nice moves from the DE position. He’s an athletic player and should make the switch to a 3-4 OLB successfully for the next level. (SLIGHTLY POSITIVE)
Kevin Sears - 40 - 6' 4.0" - 242 - 4.75 - LB - 2007
Sears played sparingly (he still isn’t starting despite having returned from his suspension). To be honest, I didn’t see him in on any plays at all and barely noticed him on the field. (INCOMPLETE)
Will Herring - 35 - 6' 3.0" - 220 - 4.70 - LB - 2007
Herring played relatively well, although he gets lost in the trash too often on running plays. He did get up in the box and take part in the run stopping, frequently getting the duty of dragging down McFadden once he broke through the line. Herring excels in open space, and he didn’t have enough of it tonight (although he did blow a tackle on Felix Jones' TD run). One of Herring’s strengths as a WLB (and a former SS) is his ability to excel in pass coverage. Unfortunately, with Arkansas only throwing a handful of passes the entire game, he didn’t get to display his wares there. (NEUTRAL)
Karibi Dede - 21 - 6' 0.0" - 216 - 4.60 - LB - 2007
Dede played a very solid game from his MLB position. He showed excellent range, getting to both sidelines to make tackles when the runs went wide, and he also was called on to fill the gaps as McFadden was bursting through. Dede is very active and generally around the ball. He isn’t as instinctual as you’d like in a LB, but he’s able to make up for it at the collegiate level with his athleticism and intelligence. (POSITIVE)
David Irons - 4 - 5' 11.0" - 190 - 4.45 - CB - 2007
Irons didn’t get tested much in the secondary, but the one time he did, he had very tight coverage and knocked the ball away. The rest of the time Irons had to resign himself to supporting the run. Generally, he was split out wide and didn’t get a shot as most of the runs went right up the middle. When the play came his way, he was a sure and physical tackler. (POSITIVE)
Jonathan Wilhite - 24 - 5' 11.0" - 182 - 4.45 - CB - 2008
Wilhite has a lot of potential, but has yet to realize it. He was knocked to the ground (a bit too easily) by Marcus Monk on his 50-yard TD catch and run. He allowed one other completion (a short one across the middle), but he had very tight coverage and was just beaten by a really nice throw. Wilhite immediately made the tackle on that play. (SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE)
Players to Watch: SS Eric Brock (Jr) is a solid all-around player. He’s physical and has good speed. RB Brad Lester (So) should step right in as Kenny Irons’ replacement next year. He’s a little bit smaller and quicker than Irons, but he showed some power on occasion tonight. He also had a tremendous KR. WR Rodgeriqus Smith (Fr) caught the lone TD for Auburn. He was able to get open early and often.