Arkansas Game Report Card

Nov 1, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen brings his team onto the field prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs defeat the Razorbacks 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching: A

The coaching staff will probably get a lot of criticism for not blowing the doors off the Arkansas Razorbacks, but I really think they did a great job. When the Bulldogs wen down by 10, it would have been real easy for the Bulldogs to crumble and fold. They didn’t. The coaching staff kept the team focused on the task at hand, and pulled off a hard fought win. The coaches also did a great job of finding different ways of getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers.

Earning Extra Credit: Geoff Collins. Collins got a big pay raise after last season and he earned every bit of it against the Razorbacks. Arkansas only scored one touchdown, and it was due to the fumbled punt by Graham. He kept the Arkansas running game in check most of the night, and while Brandon Allen got some yards, he was inaccurate most of the night. The defense was put in some difficult situations all night, and they showed some serious resilience to hold Arkansas to just 10 points.

Forgot to put their name on their paper: John Hevesy. The offensive line was more than impressive against the Wildcats, but they struggled against Arkansas. There were a number of mistakes by the offensive line, and some very uncharacteristic false start penalties. That put even more pressure on the offense to have to make big plays on a night when they weren’t in much of a rhythm all night long.