Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara obviously thought Sarah Fuller being the first female to play football in the SEC, then firing the coach.
Pittman expecting close to full roster for Saturday’s game with Missouri
Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman’s weekly press conference Monday after game with Tigers delayed a week expects nearly everyone back.
Butkus Award names Morgan one of finalists for nation’s top linebacker
CHICAGO — Grant Morgan has been named one of 16 finalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation’s best linebacker, the organization announced Monday.
Morgan has made a nation-leading 104 total tackles while registering 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one interception, five passes broken up and two quarterback hurries this season.
He has recorded 15 or more tackles in four games, the most in a single-season at Arkansas since Ken Hamlin in 2002 and the most by an SEC player since Missouri’s Kentrell Brothers in 2015.
The former walk-on became the first Razorback since Tony Bua in 2003 to record consecutive 15+ tackle games with his second 19-tackle performance of the year against LSU.
His first 19-tackle game came in the 33-21 win over Ole Miss while adding 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two passes broken up and an interception return for a touchdown, becoming the second FBS player since 2000 to total at least 15 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception return for a touchdown.
For his performance, he was named SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week, Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week and Athlon Sports Defensive Player of the Week.
Both of Morgan’s 19-tackle performances are tied for the second-most in a single-game by an FBS player this season.
LSU’s Kevin Minter (2012) was the last SEC player to have two 19-tackle performances in the same year.
Butkus Award Semifinalists
Christian Harris, Alabama
Grant Morgan, Arkansas
Nate Landman, Colorado
Nakobe Dean, Georgia
Monty Rice, Georgia
Jabril Cox, LSU
Nick Bolton, Missouri
Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
Pete Werner, Ohio State
Olakunle Fatukasi, Rutgers
Ernest Jones, South Carolina
Buddy Johnson, Texas A&M
Zaven Collins, Tulsa
Devin Lloyd, Utah
Charles Snowden, Virginia
The Greenwood, Ark. native began his career as a walk-on and was placed on scholarship ahead of the 2018 campaign.
After redshirting in 2016, he has played in all of Arkansas’ 44 games since 2017.
Finalists are expected to be announced December 7, and winners will be announced on or before December 22.
The Butkus Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 800 since 1935.
The Hogs travel to Missouri to play for the Battle Line Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 5. The game will kick off at 11 a.m. and air on SEC Network.
Pittman’s program could get boost getting win over rival Missouri
The Democrat-Gazette’s Tom Murphy talked with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft about beating the Tigers would boost Sam Pittman’s program.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – Best of Both Worlds this week
Tye & Tommy on the win over North Texas, getting to see both teams, Tom Murphy and more!
Burks added to watch list for Biletnikoff Award for top college football receiver
Arkansas sophomore Treylon Burks has been added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Monday.
The Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the season’s most outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position.
Playing in seven games this season, Burks has totaled a team-leading 39 receptions for 598 yards (15.3 ypc) and six touchdowns.
He ranks sixth in the SEC and 25th nationally in touchdown catches while ranking fifth in the league in receiving yards, receiving yards per game (85.4) and ninth averaging 5.6 receptions per game.
The sophomore is tied for fifth nationally and one of only three Power 5 receivers to register five 90+ yard receiving games this year.
He eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards against LSU in his 18th career game, tying Boo Williams (1999-00) as the fastest Hog receiver to 1,000 yards since 1997.
The wide receiver made a touchdown grab in three straight games against Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Tennessee, becoming the first Hog receiver to grab a touchdown in three consecutive games since Jonathan Nance in 2017 (Texas A&M, New Mexico State, South Carolina).
At No. 8 Texas A&M, he recorded his first career two touchdown game with scoring snags in the first quarter on a six-yard catch and a 16-yard grab in the fourth quarter.
Against Ole Miss, Burks had 137 receiving yards and 46 rushing yards, becoming the third FBS player this season to eclipse 100 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards in the same game.
The award is named in honor of Fred Biletnikoff, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame, and was a consensus All-America receiver at Florida State, and an All-Pro receiver for the Oakland Raiders.
He caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his 14-year Raiders career from 1965 through 1978 and, was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XI.
The Hogs travel to Missouri to play for the Battle Line Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 5. The game will kick off at 11 a.m. and air on SEC Network.
Hogs’ game with Tigers set for Saturday at 11 a.m. on SEC Network
The Southeastern Conference has announced Arkansas’ game at Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 5, will kick off at 11 a.m. and air on SEC Network.
Next weekend will feature a CBS doubleheader with Florida at Tennessee in the afternoon and Alabama at LSU in primetime.
The traditional SEC Network triple-header on December 5 will feature Arkansas at Missouri in the first game of the day, Vanderbilt at Georgia in the afternoon window and South Carolina at Kentucky in primetime.
• Texas A&M at Auburn, 11 a.m. on ESPN
• Arkansas at Missouri, 11 a.m. on SEC Network
• Florida at Tennessee, 2:30 p.m. on CBS
• Vanderbilt at Georgia, 3 p.m. on SEC Network
• South Carolina at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
• Alabama at LSU, 7 p.m. on CBS
The Arkansas men’s basketball home game on Dec. 5 against Lipscomb will tip at 5 p.m.
The time and television network for the Alabama game scheduled for Dec. 12 has not been announced.
Razorbacks suffer first loss of season against Terps, wrap up Florida trip
FORT MYERS, Fla. — No. 14 Arkansas fell in the fourth game in five nights, losing to No. 12 Maryland, 115-96, on Sunday night inside Alico Arena.
Arkansas was doubled-up at the three-point line (16 to 8) and outrebounded (51 to 31) by the Terrapins.
Sophomore Makayla Daniels, a Maryland native, led the Razorbacks on the scoresheet, going for 21 points against the Terps.
She also chipped in with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee had 18, Destiny Slocum had 16 against her former team, and Marquesha Davis had a career-high 15 points in the loss.
Turning point
Maryland came out of the gates hot early, opening up a 27-17 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter was even better for the Terps, as they scored 30 in the frame on 55 percent shooting from the field, while making four of their five threes attempted in the frame.
However, the third frame turned out to be the knockout punch, as the Terps dropped 41 in the period, shooting 57 percent on their 23 shots attempted, while making five triples in the frame.
Katie Benzan had 11 in that quarter alone, while Diamond Miller had eight.
Hogs highlights
• Daniels’ 21-point game was her first 20+ point game of the season, and the third such game of her career.
• Davis had another solid game against the Terps, notching a team-high three steals to go along with her career-best 15 points.
• Slocum once again led the Hogs in assists, dishing four of them.
Next game
The Hogs return home after three straight games away from Bud, as they face Louisiana Monroe on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m.
The game will air on SEC Network.
Vanover’s career-high rebounds, balanced offense keys Hogs’ win
Four Razorbacks scored in double figures and Connor Vanover pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds with six blocked shots to lead Arkansas to a 69-54 victory over defending C-USA champion North Texas on Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena.
With the game tied at 19-19 midway through the second half, pulled away over the final eight minutes to lead by 11 (38-27) at halftime, thanks in part to a 10-0 run.
The Razorbacks then held the Mean Green scoreless for the first 4:55 of the second half to race out to a 20-point lead (47-27) and never looked back.
Justin Smith led all scorers with 18 points while JD Notae pumped in 16 points coming off the bench. Both players also had six rebounds. Desi Sills added 14 and Moses Moody 11.
Vanover scored six points — making three field goals with two dunks — and was a significant presence in the middle for the Razorback defense.
He is the only Razorback (since 1996) to have at least 16 rebounds and six blocked shots.
Terrence Lewis II led the Mean Green with 12 points and Zachary Simmons had 10. A perennial leader in 3-point shooting, North Texas was just 2-of-13 (15.4%) from beyond the arc.
Arkansas will return to Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday (Dec. 2) to host Texas-Arlington. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and will be telecast on the SEC Network.
First half: Arkansas 38 – UNT 27
• Arkansas started quickly but North Texas battled back to tie the game at 17-17 with 9:44 left and once again at 19-19 with 8:02.
• Arkansas missed 11 of its 12 shots over a stretch. Moses Moody ended the dry spell with an old fashion 3-point play.
• That spurred a 10-0 run by the Razorbacks with JD Notae scoring seven straight points for a 29-19 lead with 4:51 left.
• Notae led Arkansas with 11 first-half points. Moses Moody and Justin Smith each added eight.
• Arkansas shot 41.1% from the field but was just 3-of-13 from 3-point range.
• North Texas was just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
Second half: Arkansas 31 – UNT 27
• Arkansas held North Texas scoreless the first 4:55 seconds of the second half. (In game one, Arkansas kept Mississippi Valley scoreless the first 2:57).
• After going down 20, North Texas made 7-of-8 shots to temporarily grab the momentum, cutting the deficit to 10 (55-45).
• However, Arkansas answered with a 7-0 run and led by at least 15 the rest of the way.
• Smith scored 10 of his 18 in the second half.
• Vanover had nine of his 16 boards in the second half.
Game notes
• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jalen Tate (G) – Desi Sills (G) – Moses Moody (G) – Justin Smith (F) – Connor Vanover (F).
• Arkansas won the tip and is 2-0 this year when winning the tip.
• For the second straight game, Justin Smith scored the first points of the game, a jumper from the right lock at 19:48.
• K.K. Robinson was the first sub for Arkansas.
• Jalen Tate is 36 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
• J.D. Notae is 42 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
• Connor Vanover is the only Razorback (since 1996) to have at least 16 rebounds and six blocked shots (HogStats.com). Vanover’s 16 rebounds doubled his previous career-high (getting eight in game one and once getting eight as a freshman at Cal). Vanover tied his career-high with six blocked shots.
• Moses Moody was 6-of-6 at the free throw line to score 11 points. He has scored in double figures both games and has tallied three steals in each of his first three games.
• Moody, who missed his first collegiate free throw attempt in game one, has made 15 straight from the charity stripe since.
• Arkansas has only committed 16 fouls in two games (12 in game one and 14 Saturday).
Musselman wanted contrasts in schedule as Hogs win in different style
North Texas played deliberate as opposed to Mississippi Valley’s fast pace, but Eric Musselman was glad to see team adjust in 69-54 win.
Smith with media after big night for Razorbacks in win over Mean Green
Arkansas’ Justin Smith (18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) including 2-of-3 on three-point shots in 69-54 win against North Texas.
