8 days til @RazorbackFB ? pic.twitter.com/thcZeYOMY9
— Tye Richardson (@TyeSportsRadio) August 24, 2018
T-DUBBBBBBBBB
Photo Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Bud Light Countdown: 8 days until Hogs kick off the season
Hogs announce men’s SEC schedule for coming season
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas announced the Razorbacks’ 2019 men’s basketball conference schedule Friday.
It was also announced that Arkansas will travel to Texas Tech for this year’s Big 12-SEC Challenge.
No Place Like Home, Especially on SEC Saturdays
For the second straight year, Arkansas will play five Saturday SEC games in Bud Walton Arena, including each of the Razorbacks’ last four home games of the regular season. Arkansas is an impressive 25-5 in Saturday SEC home games under eighth-year coach Mike Anderson, including a streak of nine consecutive wins.
While Arkansas will open SEC play at Texas A&M on Jan. 5, the Razorbacks will play its first home game of the 2019 SEC season on Jan. 9 as Florida comes to Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas will turn around to host LSU on Jan. 12 for the first of five Saturday home league games.
Other SEC home games include:
Missouri (Jan. 23 / Wednesday)
Georgia (Jan. 29 / Tuesday)
Vanderbilt (Feb. 5 / Tuesday)
Mississippi State (Feb. 16 / Saturday)
Texas A&M (Feb. 23 / Saturday)
Ole Miss (Mar. 2 / Saturday)
Alabama (Mar. 9 / Saturday)
Postseason Teams at Every Turn
Arkansas, one of the record-setting eight SEC teams to reach the NCAA Tournament last season, will welcome fellow NCAA Tournament teams Alabama, Florida, Missouri and Texas A&M while Mississippi State reached the semifinal of the NIT last season.
The nine road games will be just a daunting as Arkansas will have to travel to NCAA Tournament teams Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn and Kentucky as well as play at NIT participant LSU.
Familiar Foe in the Big 12/SEC Challenge
The SEC also announced the matchups for the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge. On Jan. 26, Arkansas will travel to Texas Tech, which reached the Elite 8 last season before falling to eventual national champion, Villanova.
In the 78 previous meetings with the Red Raiders, Arkansas and Texas Tech are all square with each team winning 39 contests in the series. The last time the teams met, which was in the 2016 edition of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Razorbacks won, 75-68, in overtime. Arkansas has won five of the last six in the series with TTU and 11 of the last 15.
Arkansas will be playing in its fifth consecutive Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Razorbacks are 2-2 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge with wins over Texas Tech (2016) and Oklahoma State (2018). Arkansas lost at Iowa State in 2015 and at Oklahoma State in 2017.
Season Tickets
Tickets for the 2018-19 men’s basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 1-800-982-4647 or online by clicking here.
SEC Tournament Returns to Bridgestone Arena
After a one-year hiatus, the SEC Tournament will return to downtown Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. The event has been contested there seven times over the last 18 years and, including this season, will be the home of the SEC Championship for six of the next seven years.
Two of the last three times the SEC Tournament was held in Bridgestone Arena, Arkansas was runner-up (2015 and 2017).
2019 Men’s Basketball SEC Schedule
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday
Tyler Wilson joins John and Tommy to hit on his former plays, problems in college football and interview former Hog Raymond House III.
Former Hog QB Tyler Wilson recalls TD’s from his career on T-Dub Day
Photo Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Apparently all quarterbacks in mix for Hogs, even Jones
Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock made it clear Wednesday there are six quarterbacks … he even mentioned walk-on Jack Lindsey without saying anything about just holding.
That includes John Stephen Jones, who is quietly having a good start to fall camp, according to everyone we’ve talked to.
Now don’t misunderstand that. In no way is that a prediction of him being the starter next Saturday against Eastern Illinois. In fact, I wouldn’t make a prediction on anybody when it comes to who will take the first snaps.
In the limited availability we’ve had, he has looked as good as the others. Every single one of them has done some really good things we’ve seen. Others have drilled passes into the ground or overthrown receivers by a country mile.
All of which is why Craddock and Chad Morris seem perplexed at times over the lack of anyone separating himself from the others.
And it’s also why Jones and fellow freshman Connor Noland are still in the mix.
Too many people, including several of the national talking dunderheads, think this is a passing offense. I will not be surprised if there’s far less passing in this offense than what we have seen the last two years.
Don’t discount Jones. Craddock was seen Wednesday working with him on technical things. Not in a negative manner, either. The day before we saw Craddock go off on the entire offense and at one point had guard Kirby Adcock doing up-downs beside him.
“I had to re-focus him,” was how Cradock described it Wednesday.
Some have referred to Jones as a midget, which is not totally off-base from a visual standpoint when the 5-11 quarterback is standing next to 6-foot-7 Cole Kelley.
In reality, though, height doesn’t seem to be a big deal in winning college football games these days. Jones is the same height as Drew Brees, Johnny Manziel and just a shade shorter than Shea Patterson. He’s considerably taller than Doug Flutie.
I’m not basing it on what’s in the program … those are the ones I’ve stood next to and when it comes to that height range it’s easy for me to judge.
Baker Mayfield is another one. He’s shrunk nearly two inches since being a freshman at Texas Tech, where he was listed at 6-foot-2, then 6-1 at Oklahoma and under 6-1 at the NFL Combine. The Browns have rounded him back up to 6-1, but he might be just a shade over 6-0 from folks I know that have seen him up close.
No, height won’t be a factor with Jones.
Don’t give me that about quarterbacks taking a beating playing in the SEC. Not anymore. With the rules favoring offense nowadays, you just about can’t breathe hard on the quarterback anymore.
I’m trying to remember the last time a diminutive quarterback got beat to death and I’d have to go back over 30 years. In fact, most quarterbacks these days get hurt running down the field or getting twisted and it happens more to the bigger guys, it seems.
The guess here is Craddock and Morris are looking for the quarterback that makes the most plays. Whether that be with his feet or arm is probably not relevant.
It’s who makes decisions after the ball is snapped quickly and correctly. From the limited looks we’ve had in the media, Jones appears to be near the top in that area.
For that you don’t need height.
Which is why you shouldn’t discount Jones being prominent in the mix.
But nobody knows anything for sure.
And that may be the way Morris wants it, too.
Arkansas opens home schedule against Omaha on Friday
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas opens the home portion of its schedule Friday night when it hosts Omaha at 7 p.m. at Razorback Field.
Following their match with the Mavericks, the team will hit the road south to take on McNeese State on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The match with the Cowgirls will be broadcast on Cox Sports and ESPN+.
Match Three Info
Opponent: Omaha Mavericks
Date: Friday, Aug. 24
First Kick: 7 p.m.
Live Stats: ArkansasRazorbacks.com
TV: None
Match Four Info
Opponent: McNeese St.
Location: Lake Charles, La.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 26
First Kick: 4 p.m.
Live Stats: McNeeseSports.com
TV: Cox Sports and ESPN+
Arkansas (1-0-1), fresh off its undefeated weekend at the Penn State Invitational, will be going for its ninth home-opening victory in the last 10 years.
Last week, the Razorbacks earned a season-opening shutout of Duquesne and then a draw with then-No. 9 West Virginia.
Junior Kayla McKeon provided the game-winner against the Dukes, while it was fellow junior Stefani Doyle who found the back of the net against the Mountaineers. Arkansas’ defense, however, was the story in both results.
For the first time in program history, Arkansas did not concede a single shot when Duquesne was unable to make an attempt last Friday. The Dukes only took two corners in the entire match as possession was kept heavily in Arkansas’ favor all afternoon.
As for the Mountaineers, sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Harris made a career-high nine saves and the only West Virginia goal came on a penalty kick in the 61st minute.
Arkansas will look to continue its hot start defensively when it takes on Omaha and McNeese State. This weekend’s matches will be the first regular-season meetings between the two programs.
Tickets are available via the Razorback Ticket Office starting at $5 with kids 17 or younger getting in free. Fans can also buy season tickets for $25 and will receive a free 2018 Razorback Soccer scarf with their purchase.
Quick Kicks
• Arkansas opens its 2018 home schedule with Omaha on Friday night at Razorback Field. It will be the first time the Razorbacks and Mavericks have faced off in their programs’ histories.
• After Friday’s match, Arkansas goes back on the road to Lake Charles, Louisiana to take on McNeese State on Sunday. This will also be the first meeting between the two programs.
• The Razorbacks have come out victorious in eight of their last nine home openers dating back to 2009. Under Colby Hale, the Hogs have won five of their six home openers.
• In its last seven matches against top-10 opponents going back to 2016, Arkansas has won or tied four times. Sunday’s match against West Virginia was its second-straight result over a top-10 team.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Harris got the start in both matches last week and made a career-high nine saves in 96 minutes against the Mountaineers.
• Senior Carly Hoke and sophomore Haley VanFossen played all 110 minutes against West Virginia last week. For Hoke, it was the third time in her career she’s played the maximum amount of minutes in a match.
• The 1-0 shutout of Duquesne was the first season-opening clean sheet by a Razorback team since 2013 when it defeated Kansas, 1-0, on August 23.
• On Friday, Duquesne was not able to register a single shot in 90 minutes of play against Arkansas. It was the first time in program history an Arkansas team did not concede a shot in a match.
• The shutout over the Dukes was Arkansas’ sixth-straight victory via shutout going back to Oct. 5, 2017.
• Carly Hoke was named the SEC Defender of the Week on Monday after helping Arkansas to an undefeated weekend against Duquesne and No. 9 West Virginia. Hoke was in her first action since suffering a season-ending knee injury last year against Vanderbilt (Sept. 21).
• Juniors Kayla McKeon and Stefani Doyle provided both goals in last week’s matches. McKeon and Doyle combined for nine of Arkansas’ 44 goals a year ago. McKeon has scored a goal in two of three season-openers in her career.
• In Friday’s win over Duquesne, sophomore Brooke Pirkle logged a career-high 76 minutes in the midfield and made the third start of her career.
• Four Razorbacks made the SEC Preseason Watch List last week, including Stefani Doyle, Parker Goins, Haley VanFossen, and Taylor Malham.
Razorbacks’ women’s basketball releases SEC schedule
FAYETTEVILLE — Five teams who reached the postseason, four teams in the top-30 RPI and the NCAA runner-up are just a few of the highlights of the 2019 Southeastern Conference home schedule for coach Mike Neighbors and Arkansas.
The league office released the composite schedule Wednesday with the Razorbacks hosting national runner-up Mississippi State in the conference opener on Jan. 3. Arkansas’ other home SEC games include Vanderbilt on Jan. 13, Alabama on Jan. 24, Georgia on Jan. 31, South Carolina on Feb. 3, Auburn on Feb. 10, Ole Miss on Feb. 24 and Missouri on Feb. 28.
The 16-game schedule also features a Big Monday road contest at Tennessee on Jan. 21, as part of the SEC’s We Back Pat initiative.
The Razorbacks have home-and-away series with Ole Miss, Missouri and Georgia this season. Times for all of Arkansas’ games will be released when they are available.
From Mike Neighbors:
“The start of the football season is coming fast and the release of the SEC women’s basketball schedule means that we are getting closer to tipping off as well. We are all excited about this team and about getting started. It is always fun to get out the calendars and update them with our great league opponents.
“Our fans will have a chance to see many of the SEC’s perennial powerhouses in Bud Walton Arena this season. When you combine our SEC schedule with our non-conference opponents, it’s easy to see that we have a great challenge in front of us but one we will embrace and start working toward today to be ready when November rolls around.”
In his first season with the Razorbacks, Neighbors guided the team to 13 wins, improved their SEC record and won the first game in the SEC Tournament.
The Razorbacks graduated the services of its second-leading scorer in Devin Cosper but return four of the top 5 point-getters from a year ago.
Senior Malica Monk leads a 16-player roster that is both deep and full of talent. She is joined by fellow seniors Raven Northcross-Baker, Keiryn Swenson and Bailey Zimmerman.
The team got a jump-start on the 2018-19 season with a 10-day exhibition trip to Italy taking on three international teams.
Junior college transfer Alexis Tolefree paced the team on the foreign tour averaging 15.0 points per game.
Chelsea Dungee, who redshirted last season, added 9.3 ppg followed by junior Kiara Williams and Monk who both contributed 8.7 ppg.
Arkansas is scheduled to host an exhibition contest Nov. 1 followed by the season opener on Nov. 9 against Northeastern State.
Notes
• This is just the second time in five seasons that Arkansas has opened SEC play at home.
• Arkansas plays Ole Miss, Missouri and Georgia in a home-and-away series.
• The Razorbacks play at Tennessee as part of the SEC’s Big Monday coverage on Jan. 21. It is also part of the league’s We Back Pat initiative.
• Seven SEC teams reached the NCAA Tournament with an eighth team taking part in the WNIT.
Razorbacks open volleyball season at home Friday against Kansas
FAYETTEVILLE — After three weeks of preseason practices, scrimmages and an exhibition, Arkansas hits the floor Friday evening for its season opener against Kansas.
First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Barnhill Arena. The match is the first of two against Kansas this weekend coupled with Sunday’s road contest in Lawrence.
Individual match tickets are $5 while UA students—with valid ID—and fans 17 years and younger receive free admission at home matches.
Prior to the match, fans are invited to the Back to School Bash located between the Bev Lewis Center and the south entrance at Barnhill Arena.
Taking on the Jayhawks
The Razorbacks have played Kansas 11 times prior to this weekend’s matches. The teams split the first eight matches in the series but KU has won the last three.
There has only been one sweep in the all-time series with three of the last five meetings extending to five sets. Kansas is one of six opponents that appear in the AVCA preseason national poll; the Jayhawks are receiving votes to begin the year.
Season Openers
Arkansas has won 16 of 24 season openers in its program history including six of the last eight. The Razorbacks have also won their last four season openers played at Barnhill Arena with a 13-3 mark in those contests overall.
Oh Captain, My Captain
By way of a team vote, junior Rachel Rippee and sophomore Elizabeth Pamphile will serve as the Razorbacks’ captains. Rippee finished second in the SEC last season with 11.23 assists per set while Pamphile averaged 2.02 kills per set.
Silver Anniversary
The 2018 seasons marks the 25th anniversary of Arkansas Volleyball which first took the floor in 1994. As a program, the Razorbacks enter the year with 466 wins and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Fresh(man) Faces
Arkansas welcomes six newcomers-five freshmen and one junior-to this year’s roster. The team’s incoming class was named a Highest Honorable Mention group, just outside the top 30 by PrepVolleyball.com.
Sideline Additions
Justin Martin joined the program as volunteer assistant in July after six seasons at Ashland University that featured three Division II NCAA Tournament appearances. During the spring, Whitney Roth was named director of operations.
Razorbacks get 5 on All-SEC team, but none first team
No one in the media is giving Arkansas credit for much talent this year and apparently the coaches are thinking the same way.
Georgia placed a league-leading 12 representatives on the 2018 Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference Football Team, the SEC announced Thursday. Alabama was second with 10 representatives, while Auburn had nine.
This marks the 16th consecutive year of the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. All 14 SEC schools were represented on the All-SEC team, including seven schools with six or more selections. Ten schools had at least one First-Team All-SEC selection, including a conference-best five from Alabama.
Hjalte Froholdt, who is likely to be playing center this year, was voted second team by coaches. Third-team selections included offensive lineman Brian Wallace, linebacker De’Jon Harris, defensive back Santos Ramirez and kickoff returner De’Vion Warren.
Froholdt was a second-team pick and Harris and Ramirez were voted to the third team in the preseason media poll last month.
The Hogs’ five selections were tied with South Carolina, Ole Miss and LSU for seventh-most in the conference. Vanderbilt had two and Tennessee had one player on the three teams.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Bud Light Countdown: 9 days until Hogs kick off the season
9 days ? til Arkansas football pic.twitter.com/TGdKDyz4ZS
— Tye Richardson (@TyeSportsRadio) August 23, 2018
Ole Matt Jones
Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Thursday
John and Tommy welcome in Nick Mason to hit on another practice, Urban Meyer, interview Tom Murphy and more!
