Arkansas

Taylen Green provides offseason hope in Arkansas football’s Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech

Published

1 year ago

December 28, 2024

Taylen Green provides offseason hope in Arkansas football’s Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hope springs eternal every offseason, but Arkansas football got the optimism train for 2025 off the tracks Friday night in its 2024 season finale.

The Razorbacks (7-6) led from start-to-finish in a 39-26 victory over Texas Tech at the Liberty Bowl. The Hogs racked up 559 yards on offense, held the Red Raiders (8-5) to just seven points in the second half and played a near-perfect game on special teams. In all three phases, Arkansas executed, giving the Razorbacks their third winning season in the past four years under head coach Sam Pittman.

But there is also a beacon to the hope in the form of redshirt junior quarterback Taylen Green. The Texas native was dynamic against the Red Raiders, throwing for 341 yards and running for 81 more. He accounted for three touchdowns, and as Arkansas ran away in the second half, Texas Tech’s defense had no answer.

Green will return to Arkansas for his final college season next year, and why shouldn’t coaches or fans believe he can give SEC defenses the same issues in 2025?

“Taylen took over,” Pittman said. “We have Taylen Green, a lot of teams don’t, and it gives us opportunity to win.”

Green did all of the things Arkansas fans have seen in flashes throughout the season Friday night. He hit receivers in stride and extended plays with his legs. Some of those resulted in long runs, and others finished with him finding an open target on the move.

The quarterback led Arkansas to touchdowns on its first three possessions of the game and slammed the door shut on a potential Texas Tech comeback with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Reed Jr. in the third quarter. It was the first reception of Reed’s Arkansas career.

A similar milestone was set in the first quarter. The first catch of Dazmin James’ college career resulted in a 94-yard touchdown that gave Arkansas a 21-3 lead. It was the longest touchdown reception in Arkansas history and the longest pass in Liberty Bowl history.

“It’s crazy, we were talking about that slant in the hotel, the whole week, and it came to fruition,” Green said.

Reed and James’ production keyed the Arkansas victory, but it also represented a question answered for Green’s development.

All season, Green relied heavily on wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, who accounted for more than 30% of Green’s passing yards in the regular season. Sometimes, Green keyed too much on Armstrong.

Against Texas Tech, Green showed he can thrive regardless of his weapons. In addition to Armstrong, Arkansas was without the services of Luke Hasz and Isaiah Sategna. James finished with three catches for 137 yards, and freshman CJ Brown had four catches. The only familiar target, Isaac TeSlaa, had three catches for 107 yards.

“It just speaks to our depth, not just at the receiver position, but the running backs, tight ends, O-line,” Green said. “That’s the one thing you know I knew when I committed here — I knew y’all probably didn’t know yet — but just the weapons that we have offensively. I’m just grateful and excited that they have their opportunity.”

Just as he has all season, Green deflected the praise to his teammates and coaches. He walks the walk and talks the talk as a starting quarterback and program figurehead in the SEC.

Arkansas will have plenty of holes to fill this offseason. The Hogs need to find three new starters on the offensive line and three more at wide receiver. They’ve already started finding replacements through the transfer portal and have a good foundation returning on defense.

But Green is the central focus for any offseason hope. It will be nine months before Arkansas takes the field against Alabama A&M in the 2025 season opener. Taylen Green will be under center, and that’s as good a starting point the Razorbacks can ask for.

Source link

Click to comment

Arkansas

#24 Arkansas Explodes for Eight Runs in Eighth to Race past Missouri State in Midweek Rematch

Published

47 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

#24 Arkansas Explodes for Eight Runs in Eighth to Race past Missouri State in Midweek Rematch

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 24 Arkansas (27-15) used an eight-run eighth inning, punctuated by home runs from Ryder Helfrick and TJ Pompey, to race past Missouri State (26-12) in a 12-4 win Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With their win in the rematch against the Bears, the Razorbacks improved to 9-2 in midweek games, including a 7-1 mark in midweek matchups at home, this season. Arkansas will conclude its midweek slate next week with a double midweek series against Northwestern State from April 28-29 inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium.

Entering the bottom of the eighth tied at four, the Hogs exploded for eight runs on seven hits, including four extra-base hits, to blow the game open. Carter Rutenbar’s go-ahead two-run single through the right side put Arkansas up 6-4 and set the table for Camden Kozeal’s RBI double, Helfrick’s three-run blast and Pompey’s two-run shot later in the frame.

When the bottom of the eighth was all said and done, the Razorbacks had opened a commanding 12-4 lead after they were shut out through the game’s first five innings. Kozeal finished the night 3-for-5 with a double, home run and two RBI to lead Arkansas offensively and raise his season slash line to .305/.394/.604 with 11 homers and a team-high 48 RBI.

Helfrick, meanwhile, swatted his team-leading 14th home run in Tuesday night’s win against the Bears. The Razorbacks’ superstar catcher is now slashing .293/.430/.626 with 14 homers and 40 RBI through his 41 games played this season.

In addition to Kozeal, Nolan Souza (3-for-5), Reese Robinett (2-for-5, 2B) and Kuhio Aloy (2-for-4, RB) logged multi-hit games. Along with Helfrick and Kozeal, Rutenbar (1-for-4, 2 RBI) and Pompey (1-for-1, HR, RBI) tallied multiple RBI.

On the mound, Tate McGuire made his third start of the season for Arkansas and worked 3.2 innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts. In relief, Colin Fisher (3.1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 SO), Steele Eaves (0.1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO), Parker Coil (0.2 IP) and Cooper Dossett (1.0 IP, 2 SO) combined for 5.1 innings of two-run ball (one earned) with eight strikeouts to seal the win.

Up next, the Hogs will hit the road for an SEC weekend series from April 23-25 in Columbia, Mo. First pitch in the series opener between Arkansas and Missouri (20-21) is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, on SEC Network.

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).

Source link

Arkansas

Effort to cut former Arkansas corrections secretary’s position as adviser to governor fails – Arkansas Times

Published

13 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Effort to cut former Arkansas corrections secretary’s position as adviser to governor fails – Arkansas Times

A legislative panel rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have eliminated former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri’s job as an adviser to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

A top lawmaker also suggested that Profiri may return to his job overseeing the state prison system, two years after he was fired by the state Board of Corrections as part of a dispute with Sanders.

The proposal rejected by the Joint Budget Committee’s personnel subcommittee would have written into the appropriation for Sanders’ office language eliminating Profiri’s position from the Republican governor’s staff. Subcommittee members voted 9-6 against the amendment, with Rep. Lane Jean not casting a vote.

Republican Sen. Terry Rice introduced the proposal last week, a little over six months after Profiri didn’t appear at a hearing on the now-stalled Franklin County prison project before a committee that Rice co-chairs.

Rice called this a “major trust-breaker.”

“The Board of Corrections members asked Mr. Profiri to share his intended plans as secretary, and they would work with him. He ignored multiple attempts,” Rice said. “I was told during that meeting, he was in the Capitol, had been seen in the hall at the same time. He didn’t even reply and chose to snub legislators’ questions.”

Profiri was fired by the Arkansas Board of Corrections as the leader of the state’s prison agency in 2024, following months of increasing tensions between the constitutionally-independent board and Sanders over opening new beds when the Department of Corrections already struggled to find sufficient staffing. Those tensions eventually resulted in lawsuits, which are still unresolved, and Profiri’s firing.

After he was fired, the Republican governor hired Profiri as a senior advisor, making him the highest paid staffer in her office. Profiri is paid $183,699.98 a year, according to the Arkansas transparency portal.

Jean, a Republican from Magnolia who co-chairs the Joint Budget Committee, asked Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Jim Hudson and Board of Corrections member Lee Watson “what the timeline was” for Sanders to rehire Profiri as corrections secretary, pointing to the new makeup of the board.

“I don’t think there’s any objection to the board, or certainly a majority of the board, to hire him (again). What are we waiting on?” Jean asked.

“What I can say is Secretary (Lindsay) Wallace, she is the secretary, and she will continue as secretary until the governor decides she’s not secretary,” Hudson said. “In the interim, (Profiri) continues to do his job as an adviser to the governor.”

The ongoing lawsuit between the Board of Corrections and Sanders centers on who has the authority to fire the corrections secretary. A Pulaski County Circuit Court judge ruled last year that the board does. Sanders appealed the ruling.

The board’s new Sanders-appointed majority voted to accept a settlement agreement accepting her position that she is the one with firing authority earlier this month, though the lower court order remains in force until the Arkansas Supreme Court rules on the matter.

Sam Dubke, Sanders’ spokesperson, referred the Advocate to Hudson’s remarks when asked for comment on whether Profiri would be rehired as corrections secretary.

Source link

Arkansas

TST Images: Tulsa Drillers defeat the Arkansas Travelers, 11-3, in Tulsa

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

TST Images: Tulsa Drillers defeat the Arkansas Travelers, 11-3, in Tulsa

TULSA, Okla –The Tulsa Drillers defeat the Arkansas Travelers, 11-3, on April 19, 2026 at ONEOK Field and The Sporting Tribune’s Robert Sloter was there to capture the following TST Images.

Luke Fox #15 of the Tulsa Drillers throws a pitch during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.