Arkansas has the most complete run game in college football

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When it comes to the combination of scheme and personnel, the University of Arkansas has the most complete running game in the nation — with much respect going to the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University.

While the lion’s share of the credit usually goes to the running backs, and rightfully so as Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins are the best duo in the nation, it’s the totality of the offensive line and the effectiveness of the tight ends that puts Arkansas in the elite of the elite.

But moreover, it’s the diversity within the rushing concepts that sets the Hogs apart.

Head coach Bret Bielema made a career out of assembling top blocking talent in his time at the University of Wisconsin: Joe Thomas (tackle), Gabe Carimi (G/T), Peter Konz (G/C), Kevin Zeitler (G), John Moffitt (G), Ricky Wagner (T), Travis Frederick (C), Ryan Groy (G), Kraig Urbik (G), Owen Daniels (Y), Lance Kendricks (Y/U) , Garrett Graham (U/Y), Jacob Pedersen (Y), Bradie Ewing (F) and now Rob Havenstein (T) all contributed to the most physical run game in the country (man, I love me some Wisconsin football).

Now in his brief tenure at Arkansas, Bielema has been around some legit blocking talent in Travis Swanson (C/G), Denver Kirkland (G/T), Dan Skipper (G/T), Sebastian Tretola (G), Frank Ragnow (G), Patrick Arinze (F), A.J. Derby (Y), Hunter Henry (Y) and Jeremy Sprinkle (Y) — with much more talent on the way.

Additionally, the move from an offensive coordinator with a spread-to-pass background (current University of Pittsburgh OC Jim Chaney), to one with a background deeply rooted in no-nonsense, shorten-your-neck-while-we-lay-you-on-the-grass-like-fertilizer smashmouth football — former Central Michigan University HC Dan Enos — only means a more multiplicative rushing attack is being brewed in the Natural State.

While a 7-6 finish to the 2014-15 season is nothing to phone home about, the arrow is certainly pointing up for Bielema and the boys when you possess the style of rushing attack, and personnel, the Razorbacks do.

Base Power Concepts

As someone who played an off-the-ball linebacker position — albeit at the semi-professional level — any rushing play with the word “Power” in front of it just sends chills down my spine (and not in a good way).

I knew that when we played a team whose rushing style was rooted in this scheme, it was time to brings an extra chinstrap and a clean set of underoos (wait, I worded that weirdly).

Teams running Power do so through a gap- or man-blocking scheme designed to isolate certain players in and around the front seven on the defense. Down blocks, combo blocks, kick-out blocks, wham blocks, trap blocks and back-side pulls, ran out of a variety of personnel groupings, are just some of the aspects that make up the best run concept in football, in my not-so-humble opinion.

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