SEC sets kickoff for Saturday’s season-ending Alabama game, television network

Andy Hodges
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SEC sets kickoff for Saturday’s season-ending Alabama game, television network

Despite what a lot of folks thought in the summer, Arkansas is within a week of actually managing to complete a 10-game football season.

The SEC made the announcement Sunday it’s game on Saturday, which will bring the regular season to an end.

With the entire bowl season completely turned upside down this year, the Razorbacks will likely land a bowl spot somewhere even with just three wins. Anybody can go to a bowl and the SEC teams will likely all get a chance to turn one down.

The Hogs and Alabama will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday at Razorback Stadium and the game will be televised on ESPN.

You can also listen to the game online HERE and on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 5, but moved back a week so the Crimson Tide could meet LSU, then come to Fayetteville before facing Florida in the SEC Championship game Dec. 19.

Covid issues forces Tulsa to postpone Tuesday’s game with Hogs

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Covid issues forces Tulsa to postpone Tuesday’s game with Hogs

Eric Musselman’s schedule has cleared up this week with Tulsa’s announcement Sunday they’ve had a positive covid test and quarantining of players the issue.

Tulsa was scheduled to host the Razorbacks on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

No make-up date has been set.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.

Fantasy Football Sunday — w/ Joe Bartel of Rotowire

Tye Richardson
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Fantasy Football Sunday — w/ Joe Bartel of Rotowire

Tye & Evan talk with Joe Bartel of Rotowire about moves before Fantasy Playoffs, Taysom Hill and more!

 

Don’t blame offense for loss … it was a complete defensive collapse

Andy Hodges
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Don’t blame offense for loss … it was a complete defensive collapse

On a day when Arkansas’ offense broke out with a redshirt freshman quarterback, the defense broke down and folded up like a cheap lawn chair.

Despite blowing a fourth-quarter lead for the third time in a five-game losing skid against Missouri, K.J. Jefferson took the Razorbacks 75 yards down the field in 13 plays. Then a miracle two-point conversion pass to Mike Woods put the Hogs in front, 48-47.

For some, that was about as Arkansas of a thing happening as you could imagine.

Except the defense did an even more Arkansas thing by letting the Tigers have a redshirt freshman quarterback of their own go 60 yards in seven plays, setting up a true freshman to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Behind Treylon Burks’ 220 yards of offense and Trelon Smith’s 173 yards, the numbers say the Hogs should have won this game. When the offense scores 48 points in an SEC game, that should be enough to win.

Except the Hogs’ defense wasn’t very good at the start of the season and has had big games when the other team helped them out a little with turnovers.

Missouri didn’t commit any turnovers (neither did the Hogs, by the way), so it came down to a defense missing linebacker Grant Morgan, who basically served as an on-field coordinator, getting everybody in place.

Morgan’s leaving in the third quarter left the Hogs without a rudder as the ship sailed towards some rough water and they weren’t able to figure out what to do about it the rest of the day.

“They beat us up,” Sam Pittman said later. “Their offensive line whipped us on our defensive line.

“Their receivers were open. They beat us in man coverage and they beat us in zone coverage. We couldn’t get to the quarterback. We couldn’t get either runner on the ground.”

While Pittman said they’ll get to work and do a better job, well, that’s coach-speak for not having a single answer to do anything about the problem immediately.

Before you start blowing up the comments about being negative, the defense gives the effort and defensive coordinator Barry Odom comes up with some pretty solid plans.

They just don’t have the players in the interior line to turn that into a plan hoping for some mistakes by the other team to have success.

They got all that in wins over Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

By this point of the season, teams have a pretty good take on what to do against the Hogs’ defense and that’s avoid turning the ball over, be patient on offense and just move the sticks.

Oh, and throw on first down. That’s what you do against the Hogs’ style of defense because  it’s not a pressure defense, instead focusing on being ready to pounce on other team’s mistakes.

When Arkansas doesn’t get that and the opponents’ offense doesn’t shoot itself in the foot or make a mistake, they are in trouble.

Tigers running backs Larry Rountree (185 yards, three touchdowns) and Tyler Badie (79 yards) ran the Hogs silly, each breaking loose on a 46-yard touchdown run,

Arkansas’ offense answered most of the time with Jefferson having a big game that will have fans buzzing, but don’t expect that when a team can prepare a game plan for him.

Missouri didn’t and made Jefferson look like a freshman All-American (18-of-33 for 274 yards and three touchdowns). Now opponents have film of what he can do best and will prepare for him because the Tigers probably didn’t.

The result will be anticipation for the Alabama game, but not much hope. The Crimson Tide are playing for the College Football Playoff.

The Hogs are just trying to finish this weird year.

A season that has shown marked improvement. In his first year Pittman has nearly doubled the winning percentage, winning a third of the games played. The previous three years produced a 22% win percentage (17% the last two seasons).

That’s improvement, especially considering it probably should be five or six wins right now.

But it’s not.

And if they don’t fix the line of scrimmage (and special teams) issues, it’s about as good as it’s gonna get.

Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles knows he’s just about got to hang 50 on people to win games. That’s a tall order, but apparently not as tall as suspected earlier in the season.

The regular season finale probably won’t be a win. The Hogs couldn’t beat Alabama if everything fell perfectly.

Which means all that’s left to hope for is a bowl game … or next sesaon.

And that doesn’t bode well for anybody.

Smith on Razorbacks’ improved defensive play in big win over Lipscomb

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Smith on Razorbacks’ improved defensive play in big win over Lipscomb

Arkansas’ Justin Smith (9 points, 6 rebounds) talked with the media after the 86-50 win Saturday night where the defensive play was better.

Musselman after team plays well, fast start pacing 86-50 win over Lipscomb

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman liked the really fast start his team got, then better defense in rolling to 36-point win Saturday evening.

Pittman disappointed in defense’s play after Missouri’s comeback win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Sam Pittman vows after watching the Tigers to score 21 straight points to come from behind, downing Hogs, 50-48, on Saturday.

Smith says Jefferson ‘did a tremendous job’ filling in at quarterback for Franks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks running back Trelon Smith said main focus for offense was “four yards here, five yards there” in 50-48 loss to Tigers on Saturday.

Moody on performance against Lipscomb his coach called ‘flawless basketball’

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas’ Moses Moody (18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal for good measure’ played what Eric Musselman said later was “flawless basketball.”

Pool on defense’s “positively heartbreaking” inability to make a play at end

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks linebacker Bumper Pool said the defense simply didn’t make plays when they needed to in fourth-quarter collapse.

GAMEDAY BLOG: Hogs-Missouri commentary through second half

Andy Hodges
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GAMEDAY BLOG: Hogs-Missouri commentary through second half

4Q 4:47: In the span of just a few minutes in the fourth quarter, the Hogs are dangerously close to blowing a fourth-quarter lead to Missouri … again. Tyler Badie sprinted in from 25 yards out and now the Tigers have the advantage. Missouri 47, Hogs 40

4Q 7:46: Larry Rountree scores from 9 yards out and that’s how quick the Hogs’ two-touchdown lead has evaporated, mainly because the offense is suddenly not getting first downs. Over 1,000 yards of offense and this one isn’t over yet. Hogs 40, Missouri 40

4Q 12:41: Tyler Badie goes 46 yards down the left sideline for a score and cut the Hogs’ lead back to a touchdown. Hogs 40, Missouri 33

4Q 13:15: Trelon Smith and Treylon Burks are having monster days. Behind a circus catch by Burks, the Hogs drove 75 yards in seven plays to score on a 16-yard run by Smith, who has 153 yards on the ground. Burks has seven catches for 179 yards. Hogs 40, Missouri 26

4Q 14:51: Missouri puts together a 14-play drive but has to end up settling for a 40-yard field goal from Harris Mevis, cutting the Hogs’ lead to one score. Hogs 33, Missouri 26

3Q 8:18: The Hogs’ offense holds the Tigers to a field goal, then K.J. Jefferson directs a 75-yard drive in eight plays with Trelon Smith doing much of the work, scoring on a 15-yard run. The extra point was blocked. Hogs 33, Missouri 23

3Q 10:23: After Arkansas goes three-and-out coming out of halftime, Missouri moves down and gets a 37-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis. Hogs 27, Missouri 23

K.J. Jefferson is proving me wrong in the first half against Missouri because I didn’t believe he was ready to be an SEC quarterback, but Kendal Briles has him playing like one.

It helps his roommate Treylon Burks is one of the Hogs’ most dynamic players (you have to put Trelon Smith in that category now) and it’s starting to look like a threat as Arkansas takes a 27-20 lead at halftime over the Tigers.

The announcement came just before kickoff Feleipe Franks was out with rib injuries and Jefferson would start.

The redshirt freshman has responded.

Burks has six touches, 116 total yards and three other passes were thrown his direction and fell incomplete.

2Q :20: Arkansas’ defense figured out a way to force Missouri to punt, then K.J. Jefferson directed a 70-yard drive with big runs from Trelon Smith and a fake field goal where holder Jack Lindsey ran right up the middle for 20 yards. That set up Jefferson’s 1-yard sneak to give the Hogs a lead with 20 seconds to go to halftime. Hogs 27, Missouri 20

2Q 3:39: The Hogs answer with offense as K.J. Jefferson has settled down in this game and the moves them 75 yards in 13 plays with Trelon Smith running in from 6 yards out as this one is starting to look like a shootout. Hogs 20, Missouri 20

2Q 7:45: If the Hogs can’t figure out a way to at least slow down Larry Rountree this game is going to be tough to win as the senior running back has 73 yards and added a 6-yard touchdown run to put the Tigers back on top. Missouri 20, Hogs 13

2Q 11:16: Roommates Treylon Burks and K.J. Jefferson catch the Missouri secondary moving the wrong way and connect on a 68-yard scoring play and get the Hogs right back in the middle of things. Hogs 13, Missouri 13

2Q 11:56: Arkansas’ defense trying to hang on and keep them in the game as Larry Rountree has 57 yards on the ground early in the second quarter as the Tigers get a 29-yard field goal when a drive stalls. Missouri 13, Hogs 6

1Q 1:48: After a rough start, K.J. Jefferson settles down and makes enough plays scrambling and hitting key passes to lead a 12-play, 75-yard drive and flipped a 2-yard scoring pass to tight end Blake Kern. Special teams problems pop up as A.J. Reed pulls the extra point to the left. Missouri 10, Hogs 6

1Q 6:17: The Tigers limit the Hogs to just 2 yards of offense after taking the lead, then proceed to go 69 yards in 12 plays and Larry Rountree ran the ball in from 2 yards out with 6:17 left in the first quarter. Missouri 10, Hogs 0

1Q 12:12 Missouri’s offense dominating Arkansas’ defense as K.J. Jefferson only managed three passes, one of which was backwards to Mike Woods for just a 2-yard gain. The Tigers’ offense got a 51-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis with 12:12 left in the first quarter. Missouri 3, Hogs 0

The news broke just before kickoff Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks might be out for the game with injured ribs, which is a complete surprise to everyone.

That means redshirt freshman K.J. Jefferson may be the starter, which nobody saw coming.

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