Hogs unlike any team Vols have seen

KNOXVILLE — Never have possessions been as precious for Tennessee as they will be this weekend.

If the Vols are to rebound from one of the most soul-crushing defeats in program history, a 28-27 loss at Florida in which Tennessee squandered a fourth-quarter lead, they're to do it against one of the country's best teams at controlling the football.

Arkansas prides itself on long possessions, and the Razorbacks have the ball for 36 minutes per game on average, more than all but two FBS schools. No other Tennessee opponent is among the top 25 possession teams.

It could make for a long day for the Tennessee defense on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN2).

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"You cannot have self-inflicted wounds," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said of playing the Razorbacks. "You can't have pre-snap penalties. You can't turn the football over. They have to understand that every possession does count."

Arkansas' possessions rarely end in punts. In fact, the Razorbacks are averaging fewer than two punts per game, compared with nearly six punts per game by Tennessee.

Texas A&M, Arkansas' Week 3 opponent, managed to run only 17 plays before halftime.

"It's taking advantage of those possessions," Jones said. "This is a game our players have never been in, in terms of the flavor of the game, the style of the game, everything that the game's going to be about."

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Despite losing star running back Jonathan Williams to injury before the season began, Arkansas has a very capable replacement in Alex Collins, who is aided by one of the biggest offensive lines in college football.

Arkansas' offense also places a heavy emphasis on tight ends in the passing game. Tight end Hunter Henry is the Razorbacks' second-leading pass catcher, behind receiver Drew Morgan, who has over three times the yards of the Vols' leading target.

"They have maybe the premier tight end in all of college football that will play a long time on Sundays," Jones said of Henry.

Jones also called quarterback Brandon Allen "one of the best quarterbacks in the country."

The Razorbacks also present unique challenges when the Vols are on offense, particularly because of their run defense, which ranks 17th in the nation and second best in the conference. Arkansas' physical defensive front could provide Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd, who is averaging over 100 yards per game, with his toughest task yet.

But the opportunity for Tennessee to re-establish some semblance of a downfield passing game should be there this weekend.

"In practice, I feel like we are getting better," receiver Josh Smith said. "Our execution is improving."

Arkansas' ability to stop the run will force Tennessee to effectively throw the ball or risk watching its season fall down the drain. With the losing team falling to 0-2 in the conference, this will have the feel of an elimination game.

Reach Matt Slovin at mslovin@tennessean.com and on Twitter @MattSlovin.

NEXT GAME

ARKANSAS (1-3, 0-1 SEC) at TENNESSEE (2-2, 0-1)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

TV/radio: ESPN2/104.5-FM