62 F
Fayetteville

GAMEDAY BLOG: Arkansas manages to close out 21-14 win over MSU

Andy Hodges
-
0
GAMEDAY BLOG: Arkansas manages to close out 21-14 win over MSU

The streak is over.

Arkansas managed to hang on in Starkville on Saturday night for a 21-14 win to break a 20-game losing streak in the SEC.

Can Arkansas figure out how to win a game?

They go into the fourth quarter in Starkville with a 21-14 lead, but Mississippi State is driving and continuing to gain ground in small chunks, but keep the chains moving.

The Bulldogs have the ball in Arkansas territory starting the final quarter.

The biggest question may be if the defense can get at least one stop.

Hudson Henry got wide open and Feleipe Franks delivered a 12-yard pass to complete a scoring drive to open the second half and give Arkansas a 21-7 lead, but Mississippi State answered quickly.

It was Henry’s first touchdown with the Razorbacks.

It’s a good bet Barry Odom got ahold of some film of Mississippi State coach Mike Leach’s problems against Washington when he was coaching at Washington State.

It’s pretty simple. Rush three, drop eight into coverage and get the guy with the ball on ground by cutting his feet out from under him.

That’s exactly what Arkansas did in the first half to take a 14-7 lead into halftime that probably should have been considerably more.

The Razorbacks had just one turnover, Feleipe Franks managed the game at quarterback and Trelon Smith stepped up when Rakeem Boyd was injured and left the field.

But the key has been the defensive game plan that was executed perfectly in the first half.

The Bulldogs had 163 passing yards and 206 overall but they weren’t able to get the big plays like they did against LSU.

If there is reason for Hog fans to be concerned it’s Boyd, wide receiver Treylon Burks and Grant Morgan being dinged.

No statuses available yet on any of them.

After getting stopped near the Mississippi State goal, the defense (that is playing lights-out) got a stop and Feleipe Franks looked like he did at times at Florida.

With Rakeem Boyd in the medical tent, the Hogs drove 69 yards in eight plays with Franks finding De’Vion Warren without a defender in the same zip code for a 19-yard scoring play.

Arkansas goes back on top of the 16th-ranked Bulldogs, 14-7.

The Hogs decided to go with redshirt freshman K.J. Jefferson in the red zone against Mississippi State after moving it downfield and he couldn’t produce points.

On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Jefferson tried the middle and ended up fumbling, giving it back to the Bulldogs.

In what was thought to be a high-scoring affair, it’s starting off bumpy, but the Hogs’ offense has managed to get to 100 yards … but couldn’t convert in the Red Zone.

It’s 7-7 with 10:29 to go in the second quarter as State takes over.

But Mississippi State answered on the next series, going 76 yards in 14 plays with Dillon Johnson scoring on a fourth-and-1 from the 6 to cut the lead to 21-14.

The Hogs’ defense did make the Bulldogs use 7:21 of the third quarter on the drive.

Now the Arkansas offense has to answer or this is going to get interesting quickly.

Mississippi State has held onto the ball for nearly the entire first quarter as Arkansas’ offense may finally get on the field for the first time with less than four minutes to go in the period.

Razorbacks defensive coordinator Barry Odom has gone with a zone pass protection and the Bulldogs have just hit crossing routes and converted a pair of fourth-down runs.

Quarterback K.J. Costello scrambled out of the pocket and found JaVonta Payton in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard scoring play with 3:59 to play in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.

Arkansas’ defense made a big play early as Greg Brooks hauled in a pass thrown directly to him by Mississippi State’s K.J. Costello, returning it 69 yards for a score.

The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and managed to get 39 yards, including getting a break when running back Kylin Hill appeared to fumble and the Razorbacks’ Bumper Pool jumped on it.

Review apparently didn’t think it saw enough evidence to call it a fumble, then Costello tried one of the crossing routes that had been working for State and completely missed anybody in a maroon jersey.

Brooks made the catch and was untouched down the left sideline for the score and a 7-0 lead with 3:16 gone in the first quarter.

Here’s 10 things you need to know before Arkansas GameDay starts at 1:30

ESPN Arkansas News Services
-
0
Here’s 10 things you need to know before Arkansas GameDay starts at 1:30

Arkansas hits the road for the first time in 2020 when they travel to face No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on SEC Network Alternate and the ESPN app.

You can listen live HERE at HitThatLine.com and ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

• 1:30 p.m.: Arkansas GameDay with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft.

• 3:30 p.m.: Pregame show from Starville from the Learfield/IMG Radio Network.

• 6:30 p.m.: Hogs-Mississippi State with Chuck Barrett and Quinn Grovey.

10 things to know before kickoff

1. Arkansas is coming off a 37-10 defeat to No. 4 Georgia in the 2020 season-opener but did lead 7-5 at halftime. The Razorbacks struck first in the opening quarter when senior QB Feleipe Franks found sophomore wide receiver Treylon Burks for a 49-yard touchdown toss.

2. Burks had a game to remember and recorded career-highs of seven catches and 102 receiving against the Bulldogs in Week 1. Three of his receptions on the day eclipsed 20 yards, including a 49-yard career-long grab for his first career touchdown. Last year, Burks finished second among SEC freshman averaging 16.4 yards per catch on 29 receptions.

3. Franks made his Arkansas debut after grad transferring in the offseason from Florida, where he served as the starter from 2017-19.

The Crawfordsville, Fla., product completed 19-of-36 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown while chipping in 13 yards on the ground.

He engineered a seven-play, 91-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter that was Arkansas’ first 90+ yard scoring drive since 2018 against Vanderbilt.

4. The linebacker duo of senior Grant Morgan and junior Bumper Pool were the two leading tackles for defensive coordinator Barry Odom’s unit, combining for 24 stops against Georgia.

Morgan, a native of Greenwood, made his first career start while appearing in his 37th consecutive game, and totaled a career-high 13 tackles with ten coming in the first half. The team’s second-leading tackler a season ago, Pool picked up where he left off, recording 11 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 1.0 tackle for loss with a pass breakup.

The pair teamed up for a crucial four-and-one stop in the second quarter, forcing a turnover on downs by wrapping up UGA running back Zamir White for no gain at the Arkansas 24-yard line.

5. The Razorback secondary forced Georgia into two turnovers by generating an interception and a fumble.

Redshirt junior defensive back Montaric Brown picked off the second pass of his career when Georgia was threatening inside the red zone.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Jalen Catalon forced a fumble which was scooped up by true freshman defensive back Myles Slusher for a seven-yard return.

6. Nine different Hogs made their first career start last weekend including De’Vion Warren (WR), Beaux Limmer (RG), Brady Latham (LG), Isaiah Nichols (DT), Julius Coates (DE), Grant Morgan (LB), Jalen Catalon (S), Simeon Blair (S) and Jonathan Marshall (DT).

7. Razorback players selected four seniors in Boyd, Franks, Marshall and LB Grant Morgan to serve as team captains for the 2020 campaign.

8. This weekend’s matchup against No. 16 Mississippi State is the first of three Arkansas matchups this year to pit two first-year SEC head coaches against one another.

Arkansas’ Sam Pittman is in his first year as an FBS head coach, while the Bulldogs’ Mike Leach is starting his first year in Starkville, and his 19th year as a head coach after previously guiding Texas Tech and Washington State.

Later this season, Pittman and the Hogs will also take on first-year SEC head coaches Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss) and Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri).

9. Despite meeting just twice before 1992, the Razorbacks and Bulldogs have met every year for the last 29 seasons, with Arkansas holding a 16-13-1 all-time series edge.

The series is deadlocked at 7-7 when games are played in the Magnolia State. Arkansas’ last win in the series was a 58-42 triumph on Nov. 18, 2016, in Starkville.

The year’s meeting marks the first time since a Sept. 30, 1939 meeting in Memphis, that the two have not squared off in November. The Razorbacks have won all three overtime games against Mississippi State, with the last a 38-31 double overtime thriller in 2010.

10. According to the latest edition of the AP Poll (Sept. 27), eight of Arkansas’ 10 opponents this year are ranked inside the top 25.

For the first time in school history, the Razorbacks are facing back-to-back ranked teams to begin the season.

Pittman was also the first head coach in school history to take on a ranked opponent in his first game. In both 2014 and 2016, Arkansas faced eight ranked teams, finished 7-6 and made bowl appearances.

PETER’S PICKS: After days of debating, just can’t see Hogs getting win

Pete Morgan
-
1
PETER’S PICKS: After days of debating, just can’t see Hogs getting win

Thoughts of grandeur … Admit it, you had them in the first half against Georgia last week.

You probably even envisioned the “bottom line” of ESPN flashing yellow to indicate an upset alert.

Minus the staunch doubting Thomases many of us did, and it was fun for a recent change.

No one expected Arkansas to conquer an impressive Georgia team with an already stellar defense from last season returning eight starters.

No one even anticipated the Hogs holding an oddly scored 7–5 edge going into halftime.

And absolutely no one predicted how fantastic the Razorbacks defense would perform, especially early in the contest.

That’s the past, and the focus shifts to this weekend with an entire evolving scope of expectation.

When surveying the condensed 2020 football schedule, most chalked up Week 4 as a loss with the glimmer our second game against Mississippi State could finally be the conference victory which has eluded us for two straight seasons.

Fast forward to now, and an entirely new assessment has to be pondered based solely upon how the “Air Raid” offense Mike Leach has installed in Starkville completely bewildered the defending national champions (LSU in case you missed it) all game long … at home … in Baton Rouge … Louisiana … DEATH VALLEY people.

Therefore, we reassess, and we try to look at how Arkansas can possibly win this game… on the road … in Starkville … Mississippi… DAVIS WADE STADIUM people.

You’re right, the latter just doesn’t quite have even an ounce of as much as intimidation as the prior, but I tried.

Why Arkansas will win:

Confidence on the defensive side of the ball. Arkansas showed last week Barry Odom can develop and execute a defensive strategy competitive in the SEC.

Devin Bush. The word is he has been asked to step up with Jarques McClellion respectfully (and rightfully) optioning out of the 2020 season. Remember Bush?

He’s instinctive, and many of us were sweating his decision to enter the transfer portal after last season. A choice he thankfully later rescinded and will verify against the Bulldogs.

The offense will arrive. This is a very, very bold prediction, but MSU’s defensive front is not as versatile and talented as Georgia’s.

Additionally, our offense showed some flashes of positivity which Kendal Briles can utilize to build a better strategy this week.

Why Mississippi State will win:

Bulldogs quarterback K.J. Costello has a 60% completion percentage, he threw for 623-yards against LSU, and he has a passer rating of 168.1. Those numbers alone would beat most SEC teams.

Three of State’s receivers caught for over 100-yards last week, and four had a catch for at least on touchdown. Has Mike Leach really made such an instant impact, or was it a fluke? Please let it be a fluke.

And, unfortunately, there is more. Even though attendance will be limited, my understanding is the fans will still have those daaa … blasted cowbells.

Seriously, they brag about it being the best tradition in college sports, and it’s based upon an alleged (and thus unverified) story of a jersey cow wandering onto the football field in the 1940s in a game against Ole Miss.

Sounds made up. This won’t really impact the game, I just do not like them. Sound fair?

Final Thoughts:

With the above nods to my football intellect, I know the limb I just crawled onto, and I am aware of the pitfall underneath, so, despite multiple warnings from those closest to me, I will see you on social media around 9:30 p.m. Saturday evening

I want every Bulldog fan to realize this: when the SEC voted in 2010 to allow you to “bring the ring,” you guys weren’t any good in the timeframe, and the conference probably thought, “Well, how much of a distraction can 18 fans ringing cowbells at designated times really be? We’ll allow it.”

That being said, we are not good now, so maybe we should bring in every artificial noise maker known to man and call it a tradition.

I once saw Chad Morris run onto the field at Razorback Stadium; maybe the fine folks from Franklin County can bring their turkey calls to the games for a trial run.

The Bulldogs are hyped and confident, but hopefully they celebrated their victory over LSU all week, and this is a trap game. I fear this is not the case, specifically because their subsequent opponent is Kentucky.

Mississippi State 30 Arkansas 20

Be certain to listen to the game Saturday at 3 p.m. via HitThatLine.com, and on the air at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

SEC Picks for Week 5

South Carolina at (3) Florida: As predicted, the Gamecocks kept it close at home versus a ranked Tennessee team. Oddly enough, after the fact, the Vols dropped in the rankings thus saying a lot about the national perspective of both teams. How does this have any bearing on South Carolina’s game versus Florida. Easy deduction summed up: the Gators will not drop in the rankings next week. Florida by 24.

Missouri at (21) Tennessee: Do not let the Tigers’ 38–19 score against Alabama fool you. What’s the phrase, “mop-up duty”? The Vols still do not have me convinced they are worthy of any ranking; however, they are at home, and that gives them the edge in a game which narrowly missed being given the “SLOPFEST OF THE WEEK” moniker. Tennessee by 18.

(13) Texas A&M at (2) Alabama: CBS is giving this contest their “Game of the Week” honors, yet with Texas A&M’s poor showing HOSTING Vanderbilt, I simply cannot. Let the record show I do not think this game will be close past midway through the second quarter. Maybe I am wrong, and perhaps those predicting the Aggies to complete an upset are better at the picking game than I … Not in this case. Tide by 31.

Ole Miss at Kentucky: Someone will get their first conference win in this one. Will it be Kentucky, who we all knew coming in was overrated? Or will it be the enthusiastic Rebels after giving Florida a decent (yet never really in doubt) game in Oxford last week? Smart money is on the Black Bears (or whatever they’re calling themselves these days). Ole Miss by 14.

(7) Auburn at (4) Georgia [GAME OF THE WEEK]: Let’s put it all on the table. Georgia is not as good as they were last season, and Arkansas may have exposed some weaknesses Kirby Smart may not have been able to cinch up within a week’s time. Gus Malzahn is a smart enough coach to recognize the Bulldogs’ issues and estimate how they intend to fix them so Gus can game plan around it. Unfortunately for Auburn, Chad Morris – whose name I hope to never mention again (even though the Hogs play Auburn next week) – is still calling the offense. Will Malzahn (who looked quite fetching in his short-sleeve button up shirt and oversized cap last week) tighten the reins a little bit in such an early, highly profiled contest? You bet he will. Will it work? Doubtful. Georgia by 3.

Arkansas at (16) Mississippi State: Andy is probably wondering what is taking me so long to submit this week. Well, it’s because I still have not made up my mind. If you’re reading this, it means I forgot to come back and edit this one particular prediction, most likely from thinking about #12 things. That will make sense later. Arkansas may pull off what some would deem an upset. I just don’t see it happening, yet it will be close. Bulldogs by 10.

(20) LSU at Vanderbilt: You know, I almost feel bad for LSU given Ed Orgeron is such a nice guy, and they had mild aspirations of being able to repeat based upon the set expectations from last year. No one really expected this team to be as good as the national championship team, did they? In more recent news, neither Andy or I saw the loss to Mississippi State coming from the Natural State. However, this week we clearly see LSU taking out their disappointment against the Commodores. Tigers by a brutal 32.

Here’s to predicting a loss but hoping for a victory.

Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS

Fantasy Football Sunday — w/ Zach Williams of Nashville Sports Radio

Tye Richardson
-
0
Fantasy Football Sunday — w/ Zach Williams of Nashville Sports Radio

Tye & Evan talk about the Jets ruining Sam Darnold, early buys/sells, death row meal and more!

 

ANDY’S PICKS: Hogs’ defense not key to staying close to Mississippi State

Andy Hodges
-
0
ANDY’S PICKS: Hogs’ defense not key to staying close to Mississippi State

Arkansas’ first road matchup of the year Saturday against Mississippi State is going to be a matter of which offense can score more points.

It’s not complicated.

The Bulldogs don’t have the defense Georgia did last week. As a team, their talent is actually about the equivalent of the Razorbacks … and a lot of people don’t buy that, but it’s true.

The Hogs’ shortcomings the past three seasons has been the players in Fayetteville haven’t been coached as well as the ones in Starkville. Coaching matters and I’m not talking about X’s and O’s, but developing the Jimmy’s and Joe’s which is what wins games.

Most of the last two coaching staffs at Arkansas couldn’t motivate a frog to jump into a clean pond on a summer day.

That’s why there’s an 8-28 record over the last three seasons and 1-23 in the SEC.

It has reduced the fan base to searching for little clues that offer a glimmer of hope, followed by paralysis by analysis.

Just winning should be the minimum standard. You can debate the details later, but until the Hogs figure out how to finish a game with more points than the other team all that other detailed analysis is a waste of time.

Arkansas at Mississippi State (-17)

The problem against Mississippi State is what the Razorbacks face isn’t complicated. Mike Leach is going to have quarterback K.J. Costello flinging the ball down the field until the Hogs show they can stop it.

Of course then Barry Odom will have to figure out how to keep Kylin Hill from running wild through the defense.

But none of that is the really burning question.

Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has to keep up because Mississippi State will be putting points on the board in bunches. The Hogs have to figure out how to stop the offense looking like first-graders playing a game of musical chairs.

The old axiom is the most improvement a team makes during a season is between the first and second games. Sam Pittman and the players are confident this week they have made progress.

Of course the wildcard in all this is whether Mississippi State can put together a game like they played against LSU for a second straight week.

That’s where any doubt that I have comes into play. One thing about Leach-coached teams is they are wildly unpredictable and that can be good or really bad.

It will not be surprising to see this game come down to who gets the ball for the last drive of the game … if Arkansas’ offense shows up.

Oh, and the guess here is taking the over of 69 on this game is a dead-solid lock.

Mississippi State 42, Arkansas 38

Peter Morgan got a break last week when I went for the South Carolina upset over Tennessee and, of course, the Gamecocks promptly blew an early lead and ended up fumbling away any shot at the end.

Peter is 6-1 after the first week and I’m stumbling around at 5-2 (we both didn’t see Mississippi State’s win over LSU).

This week I’m making my picks first so Peter, of course, has the option of trying to “run out the clock” by mirroring my picks … let’s see what he does.

South Carolina at Florida (-17)

There won’t be a problem with the Gamecocks throwing me a curve this week because they won’t be picked. Florida was my pick in the preseason poll to win the SEC East (as they have been every season since 1992). The Gators are good. Feleipe Franks is at Arkansas because Kyle Trask took advantage of his opportunity when Franks was injured.

Florida 41, South Carolina 10

Missouri at Tennessee (-12)

Sorry, but I’m still not a believer the Vols are really that good. They didn’t exactly run South Carolina of the stadium. Having said that, though, they are good enough to handle Missouri who couldn’t do a thing until Alabama started pouring in backups in the middle of the third quarter last week.

Tennessee 35, Missouri 10

Texas A&M at Alabama (-18)

The Aggies were the most over-rated team in the country and their struggle win over Vanderbilt only confirmed my suspicions. They didn’t give Jimbo Fisher a $75 million contract to struggle against bottom-feeders. He got that over-priced deal to beat the Crimson Tide and he might … but not this week.

Alabama 38, Texas A&M 10

Ole Miss at Kentucky (-6)

Maybe the most intriguing game on the schedule. The Rebels managed to move the ball against Florida last week while the Wildcats got a bad call from officials in a narrow loss on the road against Auburn. This one could likely be a track meet, but I’ll take Ole Miss on the road in a slight upset.

Ole Miss 35, Kentucky 31

Auburn at Georgia (-7.5)

Nobody really knows who’s calling the plays at Auburn, but the guess is Chad Morris wasn’t brought in for a struggle win at home against Kentucky … taking advantage of an official’s call to do it. The only reason the line is this close is that Georgia didn’t look particularly strong in a 27-point win over Arkansas after trailing 7-5 at halftime. That will probably change this week in the Oldest Rivalry in the South.

Georgia 41, Auburn 17

LSU (-21) at Vanderbilt

If this one is close, the Tigers may slip back into town. After losing a ton of players following a national championship season, expecting LSU to not slow up a step or two probably wasn’t realistic. They aren’t Alabama in stacking the roster … yet. But the guess is they will likely take it out on the Commodores, who seem to be dropping back a little every year under Derek Mason.

LSU 38, Vanderbilt 10

? HALFTIME POD presented by Jeff’s Club House ? 10/2/2020

ESPN Arkansas News Services
-
0
? HALFTIME POD presented by Jeff’s Club House ? 10/2/2020

The Zone in Jackson’s Wimberly about Mississippi State matchup with Hogs

ESPN Arkansas News Services
-
0

THE MORNING RUSH: Jake Wimberly of The Zone, ESPN 105.9 in Jackson, talked with Tye and Tommy about Saturday’s game in Starkville.

Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – At least we aren’t Aggies…

Tye Richardson
-
0
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast – At least we aren’t Aggies…

Tye & Tommy on the SEC West, Arkansas vs. MSU, Jake Wimberly joins, plus is it okay for man to take a bath…

 

McClellion opts out of season before Hogs’ road trip to Mississippi State

Andy Hodges
-
0
McClellion opts out of season before Hogs’ road trip to Mississippi State

After Sam Pittman saying earlier Thursday he was taking just about anybody that’s played in the secondary to Starkville, cornerback Jarques McClellion announced via Twitter he’s opting out of the remainder of the season.

McClellion, the No. 3 cornerback, was likely to see significant playing time but chose to opt out.

Pittman apparently didn’t know that earlier or was letting the redshirt junior make the announcement when he chose to do it.

Pittman sort of implied he was expecting McClellion back when asked specifically about him and linebacker Devin Bush, who missed the opener against Georgia and were reportedly not on the sidelines.

“The guys have looked good, the two DBs,” Pittman said. “They’ve done a good job.”

Your guess is as good as ours about whether he knew anything or it was simply a generalized answer to a specific question that also had another part about artificial crowd noise at the game.

McClellion was listed on the depth chart as the backup to Montaric Brown at cornerback for Saturday’s game released Monday.

We won’t know who will be stepping into his spot or how cornerbacks coach Sam Carter handle McClellion’s departure because the press conference with Pittman on Thursday will be the last media appearance before the game.

The Hogs will face Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Alternate channel. If your television provider doesn’t carry that channel, you can watch online at ESPN+ or various streaming services.

Pittman planning on taking 15 defensive backs for game with Mississippi State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
-
0

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said they are taking more defensive backs for the Bulldogs’ high-flying offense Saturday in Starkville.

ON HALFTIME: Holt on Razorbacks’ matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
-
0
ON HALFTIME: Holt on Razorbacks’ matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday

Longtime Democrat-Gazette reporter Bob Holt with Phil Elson, Matt Jenkins and Matt Travis on ESPN Arkansas looking ahead to game with Bulldogs.

1...1,0911,0921,093...1,756Page 1,092 of 1,756

HitThatLine.com is the website for ESPN Arkansas. Listen at 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 FM in Fort Smith and the River Valley, 96.3 FM in Hot Springs and 104.3 FM in Harrison.

© Copyright 2017-25 by Pearson Broadcasting. All rights reserved.