Winning Friday huge, plus facing a running back that’s on level with the best they’ve seen this season.
Myron Cunningham, Tyson Morris looking ahead to Friday’s game with Mizzou
What closing season with win would it mean to finally get win over Tigers after five straight losses.
Loss to Alabama doesn’t knock Hogs out of CFP rankings
Apparently losing to one of the top four teams in the College Football Playoff won’t necessarily knock you out.
Especially if you started there
Arkansas lost to Alabama on Saturday, 42-35, but it didn’t affect them in the all-important CFP rankings. The Crimson Tide did fall, though, down to No. 3.
The Razorbacks stayed at No. 25.
“Obviously we played a really good team,” Hogs coach Sam Pittman said. “They’re the University of Alabama. They’re a very, very physical football team. Obviously, they have a Heisman Trophy candidate throwing the ball and they did an outstanding job.
“Jameson Williams is a special, special player. But I was very proud of the way we kept coming back, the physicality of our program.
“We did not come here to lose by seven. We came to win the game and I think you could see that by the way that we played. We just ran into a team that was seven points better than us tonight.”
That’s pretty much how the committee that does the rankings saw things, too.
Now they’ve got to stay there for one more week. All they can do at this point is win Friday against Missouri in a game at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
We’re excited to play Missouri,” Pittman said. “They’re a hot team right now, they’ve won their last two games. They’re coming in here I’m sure with a lot of confidence, and we’re excited to have a big crowd here.”
That big crowd has made a difference at times this season, notably against Texas in September and in the last home game.
“Razorback nation helped us win the Mississippi State game,” Pittman said. “We’re encouraging everybody to have a whole lot of turkey and come out and help us win on Friday.”
Hogs’ Kennedy named one of 15 semifinalists for Broyles Award
Arkansas offensive line coach Cody Kennedy is one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
The Razorbacks’ offensive line has blossomed under Kennedy’s watch this year, paving the way for the SEC’s second-best rushing attack.
Four Arkansas ball carriers have gained 400-plus yards on the ground this season, marking the first time a Hogs’ offense has had four 400-yard rushers since 1975 when they averaged 320 rushing yards per game and totaled a then-school record 3,523 yards on the ground.
Big day for our offensive line.@CoachCKennedy is a semifinalist for the @BroylesAward, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. pic.twitter.com/W0ilODZAJ8
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) November 23, 2021
Thanks in part to the offensive line, Arkansas is averaging 222.3 yards per game on the ground, the program’s best mark since 2006 when the Hogs averaged 228.5 rushing yards per game behind the legs of two 1,000-yard rushers in running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.
Kennedy’s unit is also a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive line in the country.
A 43-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, broadcasters and a committee representing the Football Writers Association of America will next choose five finalists from the list of semifinalists and then an overall winner.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story
HawgSports’ Danny West: Montaric Brown’s play may have boosted his ranking
With the end of the season near, looking at some of the Razorbacks deciding to come back for another year or not.
Scorebook Live’s Nate Olson: Fike bouncing back from last year’s disaster
Bulldogs quarterback Bladen Fike’s handling of embarrassing finish last season is key to big season now.
Halftime Pod Presented by Eastside Liquor: West, Olson
Two Hoops Victories; Do You “Turkey Bowl” Get Off My Lawn and much more!?
Guests- Danny West & Nate Olson
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11:30 – Danny West
12:00 – Nate Olson
Two Hoops Victories; Do You “Turkey Bowl” Get Off My Lawn and much more!?
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast: 1-0 in KC… Cincy tonight
Tye & Tommy on the win over K-State, Pittman on Burks’ health, Clay recaps Bama and more!
Hogs hang on in second half to down Kansas State in Hall of Fame Classic
KANSAS CITY — Chris Lykes made 10-of-10 free throws inside the final 1:46 to lead No. 12-13 Arkansas to a 72-64 victory over Kansas State on Monday night.
It was a good start on the first day of the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center.
Lykes finished with 14 points, as did Connor Vanover. Au’Diese Toney added 13 while JD Notae scored 10 points and Stanley Umude had 10.
Arkansas led by as many as 18 late in the first half and took a 42-24 lead into the locker room.
Kansas State, which shot just 25.9 percent in the first half, made 46.9 percent of its shots in the second half to out-score the Razorbacks 40-30.
The Wildcats got to within eight (60-52) with 4:43 remaining, which was the first time K-State trailed by single digits since being down nine (17-8) with 12:26 left in the first half.
Later, Arkansas used a 9-2 run to push its lead to 17 (30-13).
The Wildcats scored first to open the second half and used a 14-5 run in the second half to get to within nine.
Notae made two jumpers in the lane and Toney had a layup to hold the Wildcats at bay.
Nijel Pack sank to free throws with 1:53 left to cut the K-State deficit to six (62-54).
From that point, Lykes made 8-of-8 free throws for the Razorbacks and pushed its lead to 10 (70-60) with 30 seconds left. K-State once again got to within six before Lykes sealed the win with two free throws with eight ticks left for the 72-64 win.
Arkansas will face Cincinnati on Tuesday for the Hall of Fame Classic championship. Tipoff is set for 8:30 pm (CT) on ESPN2.
FIRST HALF: Arkansas 42 – K-State 24
• Arkansas jumped out to a 10-2 lead to start the game, including four points from Connor Vanover.
• Arkansas had back-to-back steals to force a K-State timeout at 13:17. The first my Stanley Umude led to him slamming home a fast-break dunk. The second by JD Notae forced the timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Umude hit a jumper in the lane for a 17-6 lead.
• Behind 10 points from Au’Diese Toey, Arkansas led 30-13 with 6:46 left in the first half.
• Connor Vanover was 7-of-7 at the free throw line and had 10 points at the half, tying Toney for team-high honors.
• Arkansas held K-State to 25.9 percent shooting in the first half.
• Both teams relied on the free throws as Arkansas was 15-of-17 and K-State was 10-of-14.
• The 15 free throws makes by Arkansas is the most by the Razorbacks since making 18 vs Morgan State on Nov. 24, 2009.
GAME NOTES
• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Davonte Davis – JD Notae – Au’Diese Toney – Jaylin Williams – Connor Vanover for the third straight game.
• Arkansas won the tip for the fourth straight game.
• Connor Vanover scored the game’s first points on two free throws at 19:43.
• Stanley Umude was the first Razorback sub.
• Lykes scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
• The last Razorback to shoot 100 percent from the FT line (with at least 10 attempts) was Isaiah Joe, who was 12-of-12 vs Tennessee on Feb. 26, 2020.
• Arkansas is now 4-8 all-time versus K-State, thanks to three straight wins in the series. Arkansas is now 1-2 versus K-State in Kansas City.
• Arkansas is now 7-6 all-time in games played in Kansas City.
• This was the first game of the year Arkansas did not have a double-digit run. Its best run versus K-State was 8-0 at the 16:40 mark of the first half.
• Au’Diese Toney was one rebound shy of a double-double, getting 13 points and nine boards.
• JD Notae was just 4-of-17 from the field (2-of-10 3PT) but he made two of Arkansas’ three 3-pointers (3-of-22). He finished with 11 points and is the only Razorback to score in double figures all four games.
• Arkansas has made a 3-pinter in 1,079 straight games, the third-best active streak in the NCAA behind UNLV and Duke.
• Arkansas is now 407-10 when ranked in the top 25, including a 114-47 mark in such games at neutral sites. Arkansas is 16-5 all-time when ranked #13 in the AP poll.
• Musselman is 51-14 when his college teams are ranked, including a 13-2 mark at Arkansas.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
