We’ve made it to the finish line. Arkansas football season begins tomorrow against Arkansas Pine Bluff.
The Hogs will most likely be without left guard Patrick Kutas. However, the rest of the team is healthy and ready to take the field. It will be the first time in over a decade that Razorback fans will see Bobby Petrino’s offense on the home side in Fayetteville. It will also be the first time that Taylen Green will wear a Razorback jersey.
The defense will be just as aggressive as last year with defensive coordinator Travis Williams returning. Arkansas has many key players back like Landon Jackson and Jaylin Braxton, but there are also exciting new additions like Xavian Sorey and Anton Juncaj to keep an eye on.
The last time Arkansas and UAPB met, the game wasn’t a particularly tough contest. Arkansas won 45-3 without scoring a point in the second half. If the Hogs play smart, they should come away with a win just as easily tomorrow.
Sales margin
Last season, Arkansas led the nation in turnover margin after beating Western Carolina in the first game. The Razorbacks recovered one fumble and a whopping four interceptions against the Catamounts. Arkansas doesn’t necessarily need to force that many turnovers, but keeping the balance with the Hogs should keep the game out of reach.
Against UAPB in 2021, the turnover difference was even at two each. However, the Razorbacks don’t have to give the Golden Lions any breaks. Turnovers turn the momentum around and give the opponent additional possession.
Turnovers haven’t been a big problem in fall camp. However, interceptions seem to be more common than in previous years, especially when there were eight in one day.
If Arkansas can keep turnovers to a minimum, or at least force more turnovers than it allows, the Razorbacks can be very successful tomorrow.
Stay healthy
Quality of players has always been an issue for Arkansas since they’ve been in the SEC. And with Kutas out, the offensive line in particular can’t take many more losses, but neither can the rest of the team. If they can’t stay healthy at key positions, UAPB can make things interesting.
More importantly, Arkansas needs as many healthy starters as possible for next week’s game against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are the No. 17 ranked team in the nation and have arguably the best running back in the country. There’s no reason to risk injury to get the extra yard against UAPB when OSU is around the corner.
Take care of business
With all due respect, UAPB doesn’t have nearly as much talent as Arkansas. The Razorbacks should be able to hold their own for 60 minutes in tomorrow’s game. The Razorbacks shouldn’t be playing at the level of the competition. They need to go to War Memorial Stadium and play like the better team, because they are.
That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t respect UAPB, quite the opposite. Arkansas needs to play UAPB like it’s the No. 1 team in the nation.
