11:15 – Aaron Torres
12:15 – Tommy Craft
1:00 – Matt Jones
Ask Phil from Stadium Shoppe; Big Saturday of CFB to Preview; Thursday Night NFL Snoozer vs. Thursday Night NCAA Thriller; Call or text, 877-377-6963
Matt Jones joins ESPN Arkansas
Matt Jones joins ESPN Arkansas
October 12, 2022
Matt Jones, former star quarterback at the University of Arkansas, is joining the on-air team at ESPN Arkansas as co-host of Halftime with Phil Elson.
Matt Jones grew up in Van Buren and had a playing career at Arkansas spanning the 2001 to 2004 football seasons. He was the full-time starter at quarterback from 2002 to 2004. Jones was drafted in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 21 st overall pick. In addition to football, Jones also played two seasons with the Razorback Basketball team, 2001-02 and 2003-04, appearing in 28 games in his career.
“I am excited about the opportunity to be back on the air as part of the talented team of people at ESPN Arkansas,” Matt Jones said. “Being able to talk about the Razorbacks with Phil Elson every day on the show will be fun and I appreciate Tommy, and everyone involved for making this a reality.”
During his freshman season in 2001, Jones led the Razorbacks to a thrilling 7 overtime win against Ole Miss. In 2002 Matt led Arkansas to a share of the SEC Western Division Championship with one of the most iconic finishes to any game in Razorback history. Jones’ pass to Decori Birmingham in the closing seconds of the season finale against LSU has become known by most Arkansans as “The Miracle on Markham.” In 2003, Jones led Arkansas to another 7-overtime victory, this time defeating Kentucky en route to consecutive 9-win seasons.
“The story of Razorback Football over the past 25 seasons cannot be told without a few chapters being written about Matt Jones” Tommy Craft, General Manager ESPN Arkansas said. “Razorbacks fans everywhere have vivid memories of Matt during his playing days, and we are excited to have him on our team to talk with the people of Arkansas every day. Matt will be able to give all of us his unique insights as a former football and basketball player at Arkansas and I can’t wait to hear him with Phil on Halftime.”
Matt Jones will begin co-hosting Halftime on Monday, October 17th at 11am. Jones will also be appearing on other programs and podcasts produced by ESPN Arkansas.
Halftime can be heard on the four ESPN Arkansas stations across Arkansas every weekday from 11am- 2pm. ESPN 99.5 in Northwest Arkansas, ESPN 95.3 in Fort Smith, ESPN 96.3 in Hot Springs/Southwest Arkansas and ESPN 104.3 in Harrison and Mountain Home as well as the company’s digital hub www.hitthatline.com.
ESPN Arkansas is owned and operated by Pearson Broadcasting.
The Morning Rush is LIVE from Wheels RV and Provo this morning… 877-377-6963
LIVE from Wheels RV and Provo
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BYU announcer Greg Wrubel on what Razorbacks facing Saturday
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Halftime Pod Presented By Eastside Liquor- October 13, 2022
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How to watch-listen to Razorbacks-Cougars on Saturday
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas (3-3, 1-3 SEC) suddenly finds itself at a crossroads halfway though the season and they have to go to Provo, Utah, to figure out the direction it goes.
The Razorbacks face BYU (4-2) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.
It is the first time the two teams have met.
The Hogs will become just the second team to ever play in Provo (Mississippi State is the other).
The Cougars are 4-6 all-time against SEC schools with their most recent experience being a 29-26 win in double-overtime at Tennessee during the 2019 season.
“A lot of respect for BYU and the way they play. Boy, they play hard,” said Hogs coach Sam Pittman this week. “They have a lot of good players, starting with their quarterback Hall. But I don’t think anybody on our team has been to BYU and we’re excited to play an out of conference game with a great opponent like BYU. Looking forward to it.”
Game Notes
• BYU is receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. All six of Arkansas’ FBS opponents this season have either been ranked or received votes. Since 2020, 22 of Arkansas’ 28 FBS opponents have either been ranked or received votes in the national polls.
• Under Pittman, the Razorbacks are a perfect 7-0 against non-conference opponents. Pittman is the first Arkansas head coach since Lou Holtz (1977-78) to win his first seven games against non-conference foes.
• Quarterback KJ Jefferson, who did not play in the contest against Mississippi State, has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses through the air and on the ground. Jefferson has completed 80-of-121 passes (66.1%) for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception while rushing for 312 yards and four scores in five games. Entering this week, Jefferson is one of two SEC quarterbacks to throw for over 1,000 yards and run for over 300 yards this season.
• Running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders is the Hogs’ leading ball carrier through six games, totaling 695 yards on 125 carries (5.6 avg.) with five scores on the ground. He leads the SEC in both rushing yards (695) and rushing yards per game (115.8), and he ranks second in all-purpose yards per game (146.7) this season. Sanders, who has caught 14 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, is one of three FBS players with 600+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards this year.
• Wide receiver Jadon Haselwood leads Arkansas’ receiving corps with a team-high 27 catches for 364 yards (13.5 avg.) and a pair of touchdowns. A transfer from Oklahoma, Haselwood has caught three or more passes in each of his first six games as a Hog and has tallied at least one catch in 18 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2021 season.
• Linebacker Drew Sanders has emerged as one of the top defensive playmakers in college football, racking up 59 total tackles with a team-leading 7.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 6.5 sacks through six games. Sanders, who leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in sacks, has four double-digit tackle games this season, most among all Hog defenders.
Game Information: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. BYU Cougars
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Lavell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah
Betting via SI SportsBook
Spread: Arkansas minus 1.5
Over/Under: 66
Moneyline: Arkansas -125, BYU +100
TV/Streaming: ESPN (Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Tom Luginbill).
Radio: Online at HitThatLine.com and on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.; SiriusXM channel 121 or 192 and SXM App channel 963.
RECRUITING THURSDAY: Democrat-Gazette’s Richard Davenport
With no home games for a month, it probably didn’t affect a lot of recruits coming into town for visits.
Democrat-Gazette’s Tom Murphy on position changes plus Odom being on sidelines
Moving Sam Mbake and Quincey McAdoo have chance to contribute in secondary plus defensive coordinator Barry Odom on sidelines again.
