After scoring just 7 points in the second half, what they saw differently in 38-31 loss to BYU.
BYU takes lead back in fourth quarter over Hogs; KJ can’t get it back
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When it came down to needing to make a drive at the end to win a game, Arkansas couldn’t do it and BYU walks out of Razorback Stadium with a shocking 38-31 win over Saturday night before over 74,000.
The Razorbacks got the ball back with 68 yards to go and less than two minutes and in a drive that had some promising plays, in the end three holding calls and an illegal procedure on an offensive line Sam Pittman said all week was coming together showed there are a lot of questions left bfore starting SEC play next Saturday night at LSU and indications on the answers aren’t looking great right now.
Arkansas’ game with BYU is bigger than many originally thought when making those summer picks. The Cougars’s 2-0 record to start the season is identical to the Razorbacks’ same start and will be the biggest non-conference challenge for both teams.
The Hogs are looking for answers with the running game and there are still questions about a go-to No. 1 receiver. The new defense under Travis Williams will be tested for the first time, especially in the secondary.
We’ll have the complete scoring blog here and maybe other information as the game progresses.
1Q 13:21: Well, that didn’t take long. The Hogs took the opening kickoff and needed just three plays before AJ Green took off up the right sideline for a 55-yard scoring jaunt. That was about as good of a start as Sam Pittman could have wanted. Hogs 7, BYU 0
1Q 11:29: After the Cougars can’t do anything on offense, going three-and-0ut, they make the mistake of punting to Isaiah Sategna, who brought the ball across the field for an 88-yard punt return for a score. He was never touched. Hogs 14, BYU 0
1Q 8:28: This time BYU didn’t take long after exchanging punts and Max Fletcher’s 54-yard punt out of the back of the end zone, the Cougars only needed two plays for Parker Kingston to hit Deion Smith down the left sideline for an easy score. Hogs 14, BYU 7
1Q 2:24: Okay, this one has gotten wild and we’re not even done with the first quarter. After BYU was the benefactor of a pass interference call against Luke Hasz that had Pittman jumping up and down, the Cougars needed just one play before LJ Martin broke free over the right side for a 45-yard scoring run. Hogs 14, BYU 14
2Q 12:54: In just over a quarter of game time, the Hogs have managed to blow a 14-0 lead, with BYU getting a three-and-out stop, then 10 plays to move 70 yards and score on a 1-yard run by Martin. The Cougars have their first lead of the game. BYU 21, Hogs 14
2Q 1:43: This finally slowed down some. The Hogs are finally able to get some momentum back just before halftime with quarterback KJ Jefferson finding Luke Hasz open just over the goal-line near the boundary for a 19-yard touchdown. Hogs 21, BYU 21
Halftime: The Hogs’ Hudson Clark jumps on a loose ball to set up the offense, but the drive stalls inside the 10 and Cam Little kicks his first field goal of the year from 26 yards out and a lead — somehow — at halftime. Hogs 24, BYU 21
3Q 11:41: Hogs come out after halftime similar to starting the game, but this time with a methodical 53-yard march that Green converted into a 7-yard scoring run to get a little cushion. Hogs 31, BYU 21
3Q 4:43: BYU manages to stop the bleeding for a bit with a drive to set up a 41-yard field goal by Will Ferrin and chip into the Hogs’ double-digit lead. Hogs 31, BYU 24
3Q 1:52: Okay, game is on once again. Hogs’ Jefferson throws his first interception of the season and BYU converts it into a 20-yard scoring pass completion from quarterback Kedon Slovis to Kingston. Game on in the fourth? Hogs 31, BYU 31
4Q 8:00: BYU not going away, which doesn’t appear to be what Hogs really expected. Cougars go 69 yards in nine plays to re-take the lead on a 7-yard pass to Aidan Robbins from Slovis. It’s crunch time for the Hogs. BYU 38, Hogs 31
ANDY’S PICKS: Sam Pittman knows final chance before SEC today
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman knows the stakes today at Razorback Stadium. He really doesn’t have another opportunity to keep fiddling around with position rotations and things of that sort before SEC play starts next week. Those REALLY count.
This is also the best team they’ve played this year and Razorback fans are confident being an SEC team with better players is why they should win this game. Oh, and mainly they beat BYU last year in Provo, Utah. The Hogs were the only team to improve in the off-season in a lot of folks’ minds.
Last year has nothing to do with this game. It was Lou Holtz that preached to us kids in the media last week has nothing to do with this week. It’s why handicapping college football games take about half the season to figure out who’s really going to do what. The problem with the Hogs is we’re not there yet.
With Raheim “Rocket” Sanders sidelined for another week, the entire running game seemed off-kilter most of the game against Kent State last week. That was probably due to everybody still getting comfortable with everybody else as much as anything. Especially in the offensive line.
Does he have it figured out this week? The Hogs haven’t exactly had a huge amount of success with Big 12 teams in recent years. Especially at home where the Hogs have won once in the last 10 years. A lot of folks don’t remember the Cougars are now members of the Big 12.
The Hogs are trying to figure out the running game and find a No. 1 receiver. They have a whole gaggle of guys that haven’t shown they are the one that can make that play in the fourth quarter of a close game. You can win by spreading the ball around but the Hogs are still looking for somebody that can make the plays consistently Treylon Burks made before going to the NFL
It still should be a win for the Hogs, but it probably won’t be easy and could be considerably closer than anything we’ve see so far. With LSU coming up next week, they’ll need a big game, but BYU knows how to score points.
Hogs 35, BYU 21
Looking across the SEC, the biggest game really is Tennessee going to Florida. Nobody has been particularly impressed with the Gators and the knee-jerk reaction is laugh at their problems and assume the Vols will win it in an easy game. Nothing is ever easy there for anybody.
The rest of the games are rather ho-hum as teams are starting to get everything settled a little bit before playing conference games. It’s entertaining to watch Pete’s serious attempts to get back into the race after blowing off so many to start the season.
(14) LSU at Mississippi State – A lot of folks thought this was going to be a tight game, but I haven’t even suspected that as a possibility. LSU is a better team than the final score showed in the opener against Florida State. It was one of those games where it just got away from them as the Seminoles got the momentum and ran with it. Tigers by 21.
(15) Kansas State at Missouri – It’s Kansas that Mizzou wanted to get away from leaving the Big 12, not their little brothers down the road in Manhattan. The Tigers have problems of their own and I’m not even going to start doing coaching comparisons Hog fans would grasp immediately. Wildcats by 13.
South Carolina at (1) Georgia – Some people really think this is going to possibly be a close game. Not unless Georgia decides to try and sleepwalk their way through it like they tend to do a couple of times every year. Bulldogs by 24.
(10) Alabama at South Florida – There may finally be a quarterback change at Alabama after a loss to Texas at home where the Crimson Tide got shoved around. Poor South Florida is going to have to pay the price for that. Crimson Tide by 35.
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas A&M – The Aggies didn’t get rolled in Miami due to offensive struggles. The defense couldn’t stop the Hurricanes much at all. That’s a little surprising, but they’ll probably have a couple of big wins by the time they roll into Arlington against the Hogs. Aggies by 42.
(11) Tennessee at Florida – Too many goofy things happen in Gainesville to be picking anybody to go there and get a huge win. Peyton Manning wasn’t even able to get a close game in four seasons. The Gators were better then, too, but that still shouldn’t have happened a couple of times. When something unusual happens repeatedly over a long time, it might not be a fluke. Vols by 2.
Samford at Auburn – This one’s easy. Hugh Freeze will do some tweaking, but stay pretty basic and pretty much do whatever they want to do. Tigers by 51.
Vanderbilt at UNLV – CBS picked up this game because it meets their requirement to air each team. Barry Odom will be on one sideline but probably doesn’t have enough players to make much of a difference in this one. Vandy by 14.
Georgia Tech at (17) Ole Miss – Nobody in Arkansas wants to believe the Rebels have a good team, but Lane Kiffin did a heckuva job in the transfer portal. He doesn’t particularly care for it but that’s not going to stop him from rounding up a lot of really good players. Ole Miss by 21.
Akron at Kentucky – We’re about a week ago before wild projections about Kentucky’s season starts because it’s relatively soft on the front end. Watch it if you need something to help the sleeping pill really kick in. Wildcats by 35.
PETE’S PICKS: Hogs riding undefeated, but now stiffer opponent
Two weeks in and Arkansas is 2-0. But with two less than stellar opponents to open our schedule, is it a deceptive two wins on the young season?
The huge question mark is no surprise: run-blocking by the offensive line. And if you have ever had the (dare I say) opportunity to cross paths with me at church, a ballgame, or the McDonald’s drive-thru, you might look at me and think I played somewhere on the line myself. The truth is, I have not, so I have no idea what the Hogs need to do to vamp up our rushing production.
Here is what I do know, or what I fear, perhaps. When Brigham Young University comes into Donald W Reynolds on Saturday, they could expose even more issues with our offense. In fact, the possibility exists their defense could do a strong enough job to keep our offense from forming enough rushing yards to keep the game close.
That is my fear. But, for clarity, it is not what I am saying is going to happen.
In watching the first two games, multiple times I sat back and pondered, “Is Pittman scaling back the offense for these two cupcakes?”
Those familiar with football will know this is not a foreign strategy; however, I also take pause because Pittman stated that against Kent State, the decision was made at half-time to run Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson more frequently. Yet, in coaching world, this could also be purely smoke and mirrors.
Against the Golden Flashes, Kent State managed to speed up the game thus giving the Razorbacks’ offense less possession time. Arkansas also seemed content in passing the ball more without running back Rocket Sanders on the field.
Regardless of what took place in the first two games, BYU is in town, and we can turn our focus upon them.
Why BYU will win
Cougars Senior quarterback Kedon Slovis. He has the capability to pass for big yardage if our “new” secondary is not up to the task. Remember, Arkansas has had issues having a consistent defense against mid- to upper-tier gunslingers, but they have looked sharp to this point in 2023.
A freshman in the backfield. BYU running back LJ Martin runs like he has seven mothers chasing after him for not attending institute this week.
No Rocket. Hear me out. Arkansas has some great players in the backfield, but they are even stronger with Rocket Sanders, who is out for the game. BYU has an aggressive defense which will try to swarm anyone carrying the ball.
Why Arkansas will win
Improvement on the offensive line. This is a prediction, of course, but if the Hogs have made improvement in that key area this week, then the loss of Sanders (who had a huge Saturday in Provo last season) will easily be offset by AJ Green, Rashod Dubinion, and Dominique Johnson.
Tackles for loss. I have a sneaky suspicion the Razorbacks defense is ready to step up even more to show what they can achieve. If BYU tries to go pass-heavy, our defensive front will be pressuring Slovis all night. And with our defense and its coordinator, Travis Williams, salivating to make their mark in the college football world, I do mean all night.
No more Puka Nacua. The BYU wide receiver lit up the stat board in Provo last year, and his play was the biggest reason the game stayed close during the first three quarters. He is a Los Angeles Ram now, and, I for one, am thankful.
Fans in the house. This game will not fill every seat, but there will be at least 70,000 Razorback fans in the seats for the first big game of the season. With it being a night game, if Arkansas comes out hot, the “tailgate happy” crowd will be into this game big time. Let’s show the newest Big 12 member how loud an SEC crowd can be and disrupt the Cougar offense.
Arkansas 31 – 28
Random Thoughts
Do not forget, KJ can tuck the ball and gain some major yardage on the ground as well. That said, KJ, if you are reading this, my anxiety shoots through the roof every time you take a hit.
Also on that note, I felt bad for the Kent State defensive player who fell victim to KJ’s power.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Arkansas and BYU had never met in football until last season. Which other popular Christian school have the Hogs never faced but will welcome into Fayetteville in 2025?
I am leaving this up until it is no longer a truth: Pittman STILL has a lot to prove for himself and his coaching staff. He may turn up the jukebox early just to prove a point.
I am no stranger to social media, and the number of Arkansans who have an axe to grind over the Mountain Meadows Massacre remains strong. Are some commenting on this topic doing so tongue-in-cheek? Sure. Have I spoken with some who are 100% serious? Absolutely. I feel ya.
TRIVIA ANSWER: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will grace us with their presence in 2025, and we will repay the favor with a trip to South Bend in 2028.
Be nice to our visitors this weekend, Hogs fans. They are a little cocky, but they are usually nice people. And for Pete’s sake, Andy, stop offering them sweet tea.
Does anyone else remember when Zach Arns said he was leaving on his Mormon mission (in 2002 I believe), or am I just fabricating memories now?
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. at Razorback Stadium and the game is on ESPN2. The weather should be great. You can listen to the pregame show from the Stadium Shoppe on Razorback Road with Tye Richardson, Tommy Craft and Christian Johnston presented by the Stadium Shoppe and KC Insurance Partners.
You can listen to the game on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. After the game the postgame show begins when the network broadcast decides to wrap up (probably about 11 p.m.), then Derek Ruscin, Zach Arns and DQ will be talking about the game. That is presented by the Teague Law Firm and Signature Bank.
SEC Picks for Week 3
A large percentage of SEC games this weekend will be starting at 6:00 or later, so at least during the trip up to ‘The Hill’, you will not have to feel like you are missing too many high-interest games.
Also, Andy has been extremely preoccupied this week. Last I heard he was looking for a missing little blue bird and a new crystal ball for his SEC picks. He will need the latter (no pun intended, BYU fans) this week.
(14) LSU at Mississippi State – You know it is SEC season when these two gritty programs square off. The Tigers have to win this game, or their season may begin to crumble. As good as he is, I do not believe Will Rogers can overcome LSU’s defense. Tigers by 14.
(15) Kansas State at Missouri – I thought the Tigers did not want to play Kansas State anymore. We will find out why this weekend. Wildcats by 20.
South Carolina at (1) Georgia – A notch in the win column will have to wait for those hoping Beamer Ball can pick up some momentum. Georgia has not looked like Georgia yet, so this game will be close going into the 4th quarter. Bulldogs by 21.
(10) Alabama at South Florida – Word on the streets is Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban has made a change at starting quarterback, opting to begin with redshirt sophomore Tyler Buchner in place of fellow redshirt sophomore Jalen Milroe. We have not seen the last of Jalen, though. So far he leads Alabama in rushing yards with 92-yards. You know, that’s actually a bad sign for Bama and a good sign for South Florida… but not good enough. The Bulls do not have the firepower. Crimson Tide by 32.
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas A&M – Have you seen the “SEC Shorts” crew on “YouTube” providing a parody of an Aggie fan visiting with the Grim Reaper? I will not give it all away, but here is a small spoiler alert: Fisher has been the head coach of A&M for six years now. SIX YEARS. Aggie fans will not feel better after this week, but they will have a win to enjoy. Aggies by 35.
(11) Tennessee at Florida – When I was a kid this was one of the best games in all of college football. Florida would like to make it that way again, but they seem to struggle each year they receive some preseason love from the pundits. This game will be in the Swamp, so that will help the Gators keep it close. Not close enough to save Billy Napier though. Vols by 22.
Samford at Auburn – Picking this game is about as fun as what I assume doing a live broadcast from a convenience store in Barling would be. Plainsmen by 41.
Vanderbilt at UNLV – CBS picked up this game because it meets their requirement to air each team, and it will probably be the best match-up for Vandy this season. We might actually see the Commodores 3 and 1 for the first time in a long time in Week 3 … or is it Week 4? Vandy by 4.
Georgia Tech at (17) Ole Miss – I am not convinced the Rebels are as good as the polls show; however, I know at home they are at least 17-points better than Georgia Tech. Ole Miss by 21.
BYU at Arkansas – GAME OF THE WEEK: The “GOW” honor was originally going to go to UT at Florida, but at the last minute I changed it to our favorite team and our visitors from the mountains. It has the potential to be the best match-up this weekend. Hopefully not, as I am certain most of us would prefer a blowout victory for our Hogs. Razorbacks by 3.
Akron at Kentucky – Kentucky will be 3 and 0 when they roll into Vanderbilt next week. Wildcats by 30.
Soller Opposites
This week was a tough choice for our local gambling expert, Eric. But in the end it was Minnesota traveling to North Carolina that grabbed his attention.
[Note: We do not promote gambling, and if you have an addiction to wagering money on any circumstances, please seek professional help. No, not me.]
Minnesota @ North Carolina (-7 1/2 o/u 49 1/2)
Appalachian State is a solid football team who regularly gives its in-state opponents fits. As was apparent last week, Nebraska’s offense is ineffective. Why is this the opening to this game prediction? Entering the third week of the season, we now have an opportunity to analyze and compare prior outcomes while we ponder future results.
As I ponder, UNC will try to rebound from a dismal performance. The Heels will take advantage of an untested Gopher defensive secondary. The Gophers come in with a similar disappointing win and a gift-wrapped win over Nebraska. Their defensive secondary is untested but will be this Saturday. I’m taking NC to easily cover the 7-1/2 spread on this one.
UNC quarterback Drake Maye will use this game as an early opportunity to get the attention of Heisman voters’ focus off of the west coast. He is also trying to improve on his lackluster 200-yard, zero touchdown performance last week. With a predicted sunny day, I expect the ball to be in the air and end zone frequently, testing Minnesota’s secondary.
If this analysis holds true, I feel the 50-point plateau will be passed in the third quarter. So, I am also placing a wager on the over of 49=1/2 points in this game as well. This is an early line, so I would also take that total up through 51, if necessary.
UNC -7-1/2
Over 49-1/2 (play up to 51)
Great take, Eric. Let’s get ready to rock, Razobacks fans. We need the noise, and we need to excite our young men representing us in the cardinal red uniforms. We got this.
Thank you to the Masters and Kelly families for reading and for their support. It motivates me to finish these at 3:00 on Saturday mornings.
No parting shots at BYU, but I sure would like to.
Find me on ‘X’: @PeterMorganWPS
Go HOGS!!!
Ruscin & Zach give their final thoughts on the BYU game in Friday’s podcast
We get you set for the showdown against BYU Saturday night. DQ recaps the week that was in RZ land. Razor Bacon sings. And we can’t forget Sterling, who makes picks so we can make money.
Scorebook Live’s Nate Olson on short list of high school games tonight
Lot of teams taking week off and looking at what the big games are tonight across the state of Arkansas.
Halftime Pod Presented By Eastside Liquor- September 15th, 2023
Razorbacks take on BYU tomorrow night, Eagles beat Vikings on TNF
Guests: Aaron Torres, Nate Olson, Neal Atkinson
#Arkansas #ArkansasRazorbacks #Hogs #Hawgs #WPS #ArkansasRazorbacksPodcast #GoHogs #HitThatLine #WooPigSooie #RazorbackPodcast #ArkansasPodcast #HogPodcast
Halftime is LIVE. Razorbacks take on BYU tomorrow night, Eagles beat Vikings on TNF
Call or text in
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Democrat-Gazette’s Bob Holt on night games coming up for Razorbacks
With BYU, LSU first night games of the years but Sam Pittman knows Sundays a work day for coaches.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. at Razorback Stadium and the game is on ESPN2. The weather should be great. You can listen to the pregame show from the Stadium Shoppe on Razorback Road with Tye Richardson, Tommy Craft and Christian Johnston presented by the Stadium Shoppe and KC Insurance Partners.
You can listen to the game on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. After the game the postgame show begins when the network broadcast decides to wrap up (probably about 11 p.m.), then Derek Ruscin, Zach Arns and DQ will be talking about the game. That is presented by the Teague Law Firm and Signature Bank.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. at Razorback Stadium and the game is on ESPN2. The weather should be great. You can listen to the pregame show from the Stadium Shoppe on Razorback Road with Tye Richardson, Tommy Craft and Christian Johnston presented by the Stadium Shoppe and KC Insurance Partners.
You can listen to the game on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. After the game the postgame show begins when the network broadcast decides to wrap up (probably about 11 p.m.), then Derek Ruscin, Zach Arns and DQ will be talking about the game. That is presented by the Teague Law Firm and Signature Bank.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Hogs and BYU tomorrow night
Tye, Tommy and Chuck talk Hogs/BYU, Saban facing criticism, Deion on game with CSU and more!
#Arkansas #ArkansasRazorbacks #Hogs #Hawgs #WPS #ArkansasRazorbacksPodcast #GoHogs #HitThatLine #WooPigSooie #RazorbackPodcast #ArkansasPodcast #HogPodcast
