Arkansas Football: Rebuild in full display in loss to Colorado State

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 01: Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Tennessee Volunteers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. Too many big plays allowed

Colorado State quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels wasn’t perfect, but his final stat line was impressive. He ended the game 32-for-47 with 389 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception. given how atrocious the CSU running game was (23 carries for 40 yards), Carta-Samuels was going to have to air it out.

Colorado State made due with a sporadic offense that included lots of chunk plays. The Rams produced six pass plays of 20 yards or more against a Razorback defense that looked particularly porous through the air.

The SEC has evolved from its ground-and-pound days of a decade ago. It’s no longer good enough to clog the running lanes and win at the line of scrimmage. If Carta-Samuels can make this defense pay through the air it’s going to be in trouble when it has to face Tua Tagovailoa, Jarrett Stidham, Nick Fitzgerald and Kellen Mond.

Arkansas struggled to make any adjustments that moved the needle against Colorado State. That doesn’t bode well for the future.

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