It ain’t easy rebuilding in the SEC West given the current state of the division’s landscape. One could reasonably argue that the division has never been as competitive as it is now. But, that’s just what Chad Morris has been tasked to do for the Arkansas Razorbacks – reload.
Of all the teams one could write about as the 2019 season approaches, you might be asking, “why Arkansas?” I actually think they’re one of the most interesting stories in the SEC right now.
There has been a dramatic shift in philosophy from former Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema (2013-17) to Morris (2018-present). It’s something you don’t see too often in college football, but the team underwent a complete and total identity transformation in the matter of a year. That led to a 2-10 record (0-8) in the SEC) as Morris had to try and fit square pegs into round holes, implementing his offensive system with players recruited for Bielema’s scheme.
Under the previous regime, the Razorbacks wanted to beef up and run the ball. Under Bielema, they did just that. Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins were both in the top five of the SEC in rushing yards in 2014 (they were #8 and #10 respectively in 2013). Collins finished third in the SEC in rushing yards in 2015. In 2016, Rawleigh Williams III took over in the backfield, and finished third in rushing behind only Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette. The Razorbacks failed to product a top 10 rusher for the first time under Bielema in 2017.
His teams wanted to put big beef up front and just pound the ball. For the most part, they were successful in that regard, but it didn’t equate to wins at Arkansas the way it did at Wisconsin for Bielema. In his five seasons at Arkansas, he failed to get over the hump. Largely, I think that’s because he never really tried anything new. I just don’t think you’re going to beat the Alabamas of the world playing that style.
Enter Morris. A guy who was 2-10, 5-7, and 7-5 as the head coach at SMU. To say his hiring raised a few eyebrows back in December of 2017 would be an understatement. Those 2015-17 SMU teams were never major players on the national landscape, but if you look at the marked improvement that offense had from 2014 to 2017, it’s pretty clear that the Morris effect is real.
In 2014, SMU ran 66 plays per game, averaged 268.8 yards per game, and averaged 4.1 YPP. That offense was dead last in the American conference. Those numbers jumped to 72.4 plays per game, 382.8 YPG, 5.3 YPP in 2015 when Morris was hired, and as a result, the offense jumped up to 8th in the conference. In 2016, the Mustangs averaged 77.8 plays per game, 427.3 YPG, and 5.5 YPP. In 2017, they jumped up to the 4th offense in the American, averaging 74.8 plays per game, 478.5 YPG, and 6.4 YPP. The only offenses better were UCF, Memphis, and South Florida. While that may not have translated to wins, the offense (which, to be clear, is Morris’ specialty) saw marked improvement every season under Morris.
But, before SMU, Morris was the offensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers from 2011 to 2014. He helped coach Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson to stellar careers, and at one point, he was tied with Gus Malzahn as the highest paid assistant coach in college football.
People seem to have lost sight of that, citing Morris’ 14-22 record at SMU and questioning the hire because of it. But, I’m looking at the grand vision here, and I’m telling you guys….it could work.
A lot of folks came out and said, “ah, great – Morris is bringing the spread to the SEC…” While that’s true to a certain extent, Morris’ offense is actually closer to Malzahn’s than it is than the pure Air Raid offense of Mike Leach that everyone seems to think it is. It’s not your typical up-tempo spread. Morris like to utilize motions (specifically from tight ends) to create mismatches, and he even has elements of the option in his scheme. It’s more of a deception game. They’re trying to get match-ups they like. It’s not necessarily all about pure speed and slinging the ball 60 yards downfield. In fact, there’s a lot of jet sweeps and inside zone running littered across Morris’ history.
You’ll see him send everyone right and then the quarterback keeps the ball and runs up the middle for a nice gain. He’ll send a guy outside and then have the quarterback turn and throw it up the middle. It’s a big time timing and misdirection offense.
And, the thing is….that’s been an Alabama kryptonite under Nick Saban. Which brings me back to the ‘grand vision’ I mentioned earlier. If you’re in the SEC, your goal is not ‘bowl game,’ it’s ‘National Championship.’ If you can’t beat ‘Bama, you’re not winning the SEC. And, you’re not going to win a National Championship if you can’t win the SEC (most years – 2011 and 2017 Alabama squads notwithstanding). Saban’s program is still the gold standard in the SEC, as after all this time, no one’s been able to unseat him just yet.
But, if you look back at the teams that have beaten Alabama under Saban, you’ll notice a trend. Dynamic offense – teams that mix up the offense, equal parts run and throw, tend to move the ball more efficiently against the Tide. Explosive plays – you have to have a play-maker or two. The dynamic quarterback – Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel, Trevor Lawrence, etc.
You have the philosophy in place in Arkansas. Now, it’s about filling in the talent holes. The Razorbacks had a solid year in recruiting, hauling in the #23-ranked class. They have options at receiver this year, but they’re still hunting that quarterback who can be “the guy.” If Morris finds that quarterback, if he continues to recruit well, and if he gets time to work out the kinks, this program could be one to watch.
I applaud the move to bring in Morris. It’s something different. It’s calculated. And, if it works, could yield major results. I don’t expect this team to make a whole lot of noise in 2019, but I do think they’re capable of surprising some people. In five years time (if Morris gets it), though, we could be talking about a legitimate contender in the SEC.
For my full preview on the 2019 Razorbacks season, click here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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