Arkansas Football Update: Not Concerned About Upcoming Road Trip.

The Arkansas Razorbacks will have their first true road game at Mississippi State in over a month on Saturday in Fayetteville.

Arkansas has not had an away game since beating Auburn 24-14 on Sept. 21. The Razorbacks then went to Arlington, Texas, the next week and lost 21-17 to Texas A&M, who is currently ranked No. 14 in the AP poll.

The Razorbacks are accustomed to packing up and lodging in hotels following four out of their first five games being played off-campus.

Senior receiver Andrew Armstrong stated that whether at home or away, he always approaches every game in a consistent manner. The only thing that changes is you need to board the plane and travel to that destination. You still receive an equal amount of rest as you do in your own home.

The sole distinction is that you need to make the journey. However, we will continue to take the field and perform to the best of our capabilities. Lately, our performance on the road has been excellent and that is exactly our strategy.

The Bulldogs’ waiver from the SEC’s ban allows Mississippi State to use cowbells, which can disrupt communication, but center Addison Nichols said the Razorbacks are getting ready for them.

Nichols stated that when they play a game away from home, they consistently train with noise in their practice sessions. “This week, we are clearly rehearsing with a crowd noise featuring cowbells.”

It is clearly a situation we must get ready for, and I believe we will be prepared for it as a unit. As for me, I believe we will be fully prepared and will not encounter any problems or issues due to our week-long preparation.

Defensive end Nico Davillier mirrored Armstrong’s sentiments.

“what he said was just perfect,” Davillier commented. “Step outside and it’s simply another match.” Simply go out and regain our confidence, then focus on playing football.

Kutas is okay.

Patrick Kutas, a veteran offensive lineman, potentially returning, along with Keyshawn Blackstock and E’Marion Harris swapping positions, are the main stories for the Razorbacks’ offensive line this week.

In the recent 34-10 defeat against No. 8 LSU, Blackstock made his debut of the season as a left guard while Harris played his first game as a right tackle.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said on Monday that he believes shifting Harris to tackle was beneficial for the team. “I agree.” I believe that will benefit us in the long term, too.”

Nichols stated that the offensive linemen trust each other regardless of their positioning.

“He stated that we have performed excellently during the transition.” It hasn’t impacted us. We trust one another and are confident they’ll perform their duties to the best of their abilities.

“It’s thrilling.” The coaches are making decisions they believe are most beneficial for the team, and we have faith in their choices.

Kutas, who had taken a break following the initial week of camp, is now participating in two weeks of practice to assess his potential for this season while also aiming to keep his redshirt status.

“It’s kind of like he didn’t have the exact training you get for two-a-day practices or camp, but he did have two complete practices,” Pittman mentioned. We believed he would be prepared by Saturday and we informed him of that. If necessary, we would have used him in the game. We are clearly aiming to preserve his eligibility by redshirting him, so we hope to use him in only four games.

“He will be prepared for the game and whether he starts will be determined by his performance in practice that week.” I have confidence that he is completely healed and prepared to start.

Dog makes a ringing sound.

Mississippi State had two starters get injured in their 34-24 loss to Texas A&M last Saturday, and the update on freshman receiver Mario Craver and senior defensive end De’Monte Russell’s statuses will likely come on Wednesday night when the SEC’s mandatory availability report is released.

Craver required assistance from the team’s medical staff when he was exiting the field in the third quarter, unable to put any weight on his right leg, as stated in reports from the game day.

Craver is third on the team, totaling 16 catches for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns. Heading into last week, he was the fourth highest ranked FBS freshman with 313 receiving yards and expanded on that by making 5 catches for 42 yards and scoring 1 touchdown against the Aggies.

Russell, a 6-4, 285-pound player with 13 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry, exited the game due to an unannounced injury. During his Monday press conference, Coach Jeff Lebby did not provide any updates on the players and announced that there would be no updates until Wednesday.

First time acting mistake

Pittman highlighted a specific harm caused by the Razorbacks’ three turnovers in their recent defeat against LSU.

Every turnover occurred immediately after a turnover in possession.

The three crucial turnovers were Rashod Dubinion’s fumble at the Hogs’ 38, Taylen Green’s interception from the Arkansas 14, and Isaiah Sategna’s fumble after a 10-yard reception.

Pittman stated that all of their turnovers occurred on the first play, on possession-and-10, putting the defense right back out on the field.

Pittman brought up the interception made by LSU linebacker Whit Weeks at the Arkansas 2, which was tipped before being caught.

“We couldn’t bounce back from that play’s significant momentum shift,” he stated.

Arkansas had three turnovers in losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, but the games were distinct.

In the game against the Cowboys, Green scores a touchdown from an interception on the 11th play of a 55-yard drive. Ja’Quinden Jackson fumbles a pitch on the sixth play of a 26-yard sequence which had advanced to midfield. Sategna mishandles a punt.

The Aggies caused a fumble on the first play at the Arkansas 10 yard line, leading to a touchdown that tied the game. The additional turnovers included a Green interception near the end of the first half at the Arkansas 48 and a Green strip-sack that sealed the game at the Hogs’ 34.

Projections for bowl games

The Razorbacks, with a record of 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC, need to win two additional games to qualify for a bowl game for the fourth time in five years under Pittman.

Numerous websites predict that the Hogs will make it to the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, possibly facing off against Illinois coached by former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, as projected by CBS Sports.

Athlon Sports is foreseeing that Arkansas will receive another invitation to the Texas Bowl to face Texas Tech on Dec. 31, with the Action Network and the Last Word on Sports also predicting the same outcome. 247Sports is predicting a potential Arkansas-West Virginia game at the Liberty Bowl on December 27th.

The Razorbacks may face Duke in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 27 according to The College Football Network, while USA Today predicts a matchup with Georgia Tech in the same bowl.

Arkansas has won two bowl games under Pittman, defeating Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl after the 2021 season and Kansas 55-53 in triple overtime in the Liberty Bowl after the 2022 season.

The Hogs were unable to capitalize on their 2020 Texas Bowl invitation against TCU as the Horned Frogs dealt with roster restrictions caused by covid-19 concerns.