FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — So much for a nice, comfortable end to fall.
When Arkansas and Ole Miss kick things off Saturday night, the temperature will be cold. Sorry, chilly or any other fancy descriptions done’s cut it.
It will be cold for both teams.
About the only good news is there won’t be any wet stuff falling so the heaters on the sidelines will help.
As far as the game goes, the Razorbacks should have quarterback KJ Jefferson back and that may or may not invigorate the offense, but fans will be holding their breath every time he gets hit.
The Hogs need to win and get all the bowl drama behind them. A win also gives them a shot of finishing just one less win away from last season.
With a road trip to Missouri next week for another game where it will be cold, nothing is a guaranteed win and two wins will get the Hogs to somewhere other than Birmingham for a bowl game.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
• The Hogs and Rebels will meet under the lights at Razorback Stadium in the penultimate game of the 2022 regular season.
Arkansas, looking to reach the six-win mark for the second year in a row and become bowl eligible for the third straight season, hosts No. 14 Ole Miss at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, on SEC Network.
• With a win against Ole Miss, Sam Pittman would become the fourth Arkansas coach to earn bowl eligibility in each of their first three seasons, joining Lou Holtz (1977-79), Ken Hatfield (1984-86) and Houston Nutt (1998-00).
• The temperature at kickoff for Saturday’s home finale is projected to be 30 degrees. It would be coldest game played in Fayetteville since Nov. 2, 1991, when the temperature at kickoff between Arkansas and Baylor was 29 degrees.
• Quarterback KJ Jefferson does his damage through the air and on the ground. Jefferson has completed 148-of-222 passes (66.7%) for 1,981 yards and 17 touchdowns with just three interception while rushing for 425 yards and six scores in eight games. Despite missing two contests, Jefferson, who has eight career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown, is one of two SEC quarterbacks with 15 passing touchdowns and at least five rushing scores this season.
• Running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders is the Hogs’ leading rusher through 10 games, totaling 1,147 yards on 185 carries (6.2 avg.) with seven scores on the ground. Sanders, who ranks second in the SEC in both rushing yards (1,147) and rushing yards per game (114.7), only needed eight games this season to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark, matching RB Madre Hill’s program record of eight games set in 1995.
• Wide receiver Jadon Haselwood leads Arkansas with a team-high49 catches for 592 yards (12.1 avg.) and three touchdowns through nine games. A transfer from Oklahoma, Haselwood has caught three or more passes in each of his first 10 games as a Hog and has tallied at least one reception in 26 consecutive games played dating back to the 2019 season.
• Linebacker Drew Sanders has emerged as one of the top defensive playmakers in college football this season, racking up 86 total tackles with a team-leading 12.0 tackles for loss and a team-high 8.5 sacks through 10 games. His 8.5 sacks are the most by a Razorback defender since DE Chris Smith totaled 8.5 sacks in 2013, which is tied for eighth most in a season in school history. Sanders leads the SEC in sacks, sitting a half-sack ahead of Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr. (8.0).
How to Watch-Listen to Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
• Who: Ole Miss Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Arkansas (5-5, 2-4 SEC) with Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic
• When: Frank Broyles Field at Razorback Stadium (76,000), Fayetteville, Ark. at 6:30 p.m.
• When: 6:30 p.m., radio pregame gets under way at 3:30 p.m.
• TV: SEC Network and Fubo.tv with with Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline).
• Radio: You can listen to the game online at HitThatLine.com. Listen to Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and central Arkansas, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and on satellite radio at Sirius 135 and XM 202.
• Latest Line: Ole Miss is a 1.5-point favorite over Arkansas, according to SISportsbook. The over/under is 66.5. The latest moneyline Saturday afternoon has Ole Miss at -112 and Arkansas is +100.
• Poll rankings: Ole Miss is ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press media and USA TODAY coaches polls and 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Game notes from Arkansas Communications
