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BAMA GAME: Hogs still stumbling, bumbling in 48-7 loss to Tide

Nobody expected Arkansas to come out on top against another No. 1 Alabama team on Saturday night, but Nick Saban self-imposed a mercy rule in the second half in a 48-7 win.

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Nobody expected Arkansas to come out on top against another No. 1 Alabama team on Saturday night, but Nick Saban self-imposed a mercy rule in the second half in a 48-7 win.

It was 41-0 at halftime with three interceptions thrown by Razorback quarterback Nick Starkel, who also threw in a fumble leading to 24 of those points.

Yes, it was that bad.

The Hogs couldn’t sustain any momentum offensively again, primarily because Starkel kept giving the top-ranked team gifts. It didn’t help when Nathan Parodi fielded a kickoff and stepped out of bounds on the 2.

If there was a positive in the carnage of an Arkansas team that is now 2-6 on the season and an 0-15 start for Chad Morris in SEC games, it was John Stephen Jones, who made a couple of cameo appearances in the first half of this one before somebody finally sat Starkel down.

Starkel finished 5-of-19 passing for 58 yards with three interceptions (one returned for a score) and a fumble when he couldn’t field the snap from center (which was fine) and it sailed downfield before Alabama fell on it.

By the time Jones got into any sort of rhythm, it was 41-0, but he did lead a 13-play, 85-yard drive that consumed 7:34 and ended with an 8-yard scoring pass to C.J. O’Grady.

About all it did was avoid a shutout, but it did show what the coaches talked about all August: Jones could get the team into the end zone more than the other quarterbacks.

He finished 6-of-7 for 49 yards and the scoring pass, but no interceptions and he also seemed more adept at the run-pass options this offense needs to have any shot at being successful.

It’s not important how far the quarterback runs, but that he can turn sacks into any kind of positive yardage and avoid turning the ball over.

Jones accomplished that.

The Hogs fell to 2-6 on the season with the loss and 0-5 in the SEC. They will host Mississippi State next Saturday on homecoming in a 3 p.m. game.

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole Miss11:00 AM
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Sat, Nov 16vs Texas11:00 AM
Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana TechTBD
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Sat, Nov 30@ MissouriTBD
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (18)8-02521
2.Conway (6)8-02302
3.Greenwood (2)8-02103
4.Little Rock Parkview7-11714
5.Bentonville5-31416
6.Benton7-11265
7.Fayetteville6-21008
8.Pulaski Academy6-2757
9.Rogers5-3459
10.Shiloh Christian6-24010
Others receiving votes: Marion 13, Valley View 9, Joe T Robinson 8, Mountain Home 4, Cabot 3, Elkins 3.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (20)8-01241
2.Conway (6)8-01052
3.Bentonville5-3753
4.Fayetteville6-2455
5.Pulaski Academy6-2354
Others receiving votes: Rogers 5.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (26)8-01301
2.Benton7-11022
3.Shiloh Christian6-2713
4.Marion7-1524
5.Mountain Home7-131
Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 4.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (23)7-11271
2.Joe T Robinson7-1902
3.Valley View (3)8-0803
4.Hot Springs Lakeside7-1484
5.Farmington7-130
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 4, Maumelle 4, Morrilton 3, Greenbrier 2, Harding Academy 1.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (19)8-01161
2.Arkadelphia (5)6-2792
3.Little Rock Mills (1)8-0703
4.Warren6-2404
5.Malvern (1)8-0315
Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 22, Southside Batesville 11, Mena 8, Bauxite 7, DeWitt 4, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
4.Bismarck (15)8-01054
5.Fordyce (4)8-0765
Prescott (3)7-1531t
1.Osceola (2)6-149
3.Mayflower (1)8-036
Others receiving votes: Booneville (1) 31, Rivercrest 19, Mansfield 14, Charleston 4, Rison 3.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (21)8-01211
2.Conway Christian (4)8-01042
3.Des Arc7-1663
4.Bigelow (1)6-2455
5.Murfreesboro6-230
Others receiving votes: Marked Tree 10, Mineral Springs 6, Junction City 5, Cross County 1, Mount Ida 1, Poyen 1
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (25)5-0761
2.Midland (1)7-0502
3.Cedar Ridge7-1253
Others receiving votes: Rector 5.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.