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Missouri football post-spring preview: Where Arkansas made biggest offseason strides

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Missouri football post-spring preview: Where Arkansas made biggest offseason strides


The Battle Line Trophy has had an extended stay in Columbia.

Missouri football won its third straight game in its series over Arkansas in a rare snow game on Faurot Field last season, as Brady Cook provided the game-winner to cap his final home game as a Tiger with a 30-yard rushing touchdown with 1:53 left on the clock.

The Tigers have won eight of their last nine games against Arkansas, and MU head coach Eli Drinkwitz is 4-1 since taking over in Columbia. 

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Both teams will look significantly different from the 2024 matchup — and so, presumably, will the playing conditions. But who has handled their turnover better?

The Tribune is analyzing the offseason of each of Mizzou’s 2025 opponents to get you up to speed with the new rosters and coaching staff changes after a busy offseason.

Here’s what to know about Arkansas in 2025, including key additions, coaching changes and playmakers to keep an eye on when the Tigers visit the Razorbacks to close the regular season:

Who are opposing names to know when Missouri football visits Arkansas?

Quarterback: Taylen Green is back for a second season under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. The 6-foot-6 QB passed for 3,154 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and he rushed for 602 yards and eight scores. But, he was one of the most sacked and most fumble-prone quarterbacks in college football last season, taking 32 hits in the backfield over 13 games and coughing up the ball eight times — both bottom-15 marks in the FBS.

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Offensive playmaker: O’Mega Blake isn’t likely to be a name you’re too familiar with, but the Charlotte transfer at wide receiver is a solid, somewhat under-the-radar pickup for the Razorbacks. He caught 795 yards and nine touchdowns worth of passes for a woebegone Charlotte squad last season, and at 24.8 yards per catch, he gives Green a true deep ball threat.

Defensive playmaker: The Southwest Times Record reported that Arkansas likely will run a 3-3-5 base defense, and that’s because of the anticipated quality it has at linebacker. That group is led by Xavian Sorey, who led the Razorbacks with 99 total tackles, including two sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. He ought to be considered for some preseason All-SEC recognition.

What did the offseason look like for the Razorbacks?

Notable additions: Corey Robinson II (LT, Georgia Tech); Blake (WR, Charlotte); Shaq McRoy (RT; Oregon); Caden Kitler (C; UCF); Phillip Lee (DE, Troy); Jordan Young (CB, Cincinnati); Courtney Crutchfield (WR, Missouri)

Notable losses: Landon Jackson (DE, NFL); Isaac TeSlaa (WR, NFL); Andrew Armstrong (WR, UDFA); Ja’Quinden Jackson (RB, UDFA); Doneiko Slaughter (DE, UDFA); Hudson Clark (DB, UDFA); Brad Spence (LB, Texas); TJ Metcalf (S, Michigan) 

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Notable coaching changes: N/A

The biggest difference on Arkansas’ 2025 team will be its offensive line. Green was constantly in a battle to stay upright last season. 

With Robinson in from Georgia Tech at left tackle and last season’s LT, Fernando Carmona, moving inside, the Razorbacks look improved on that side of the line. McRoy and Kitler are transfers who appear to be on track for starting roles, too.

That’s where the Razorbacks could use the most year-over-year improvement. Green’s a good athlete at QB, and the offseason focus appears to have been directed toward giving him more time to show that.

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Beyond the O-line, there aren’t many SEC teams that lost as much as Arkansas did this offseason. The Razorbacks had 39 outgoing players via the transfer portal, with a not-insignificant number of those players among their two-deep in the 2024 campaign. 

Spence and Metcalf stand out from the outgoing group, and combined with some graduated NFL talent, the Razorbacks have 54% of their defensive production from last season returning. That ranks outside the top half in the FBS, per ESPN.

The Razorbacks also got caught in the crossfire of the Tennessee-Nico Iamaleavea saga, as the quarterback’s younger brother — four-star QB Madden Iamaleavea — followed his sibling to UCLA after spring camp in Fayetteville. That shouldn’t impact the 2025 roster, but it is worth mentioning.

One of the more surprising notes here is the lack of coaching turnover. There wasn’t overflowing optimism for Sam Pittman to retain his job at this time last year, but he is back for his sixth season in charge of the program. There likely needs to be tangible signs of improvement for Pittman to reach Year 7.

Early forecast for Mizzou at Arkansas

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Missouri has been dominant in this series, and the early indications suggest the Tigers, even on the road, will be favored heading into the regular-season finale in 2025.

Arkansas standouts like Landon Jackson, TeSlaa and Armstrong were impactful players and will be missed. Losing as many players as the Razorbacks did in the transfer portal is not necessarily a great sign for depth, either. Arkansas has attacked the portal well, but there are a number of questions for them to answer this year.

To get to where it wants to go, this is one of those must-wins for Mizzou. 

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There’s always the possibility that Arkansas is better than the preseason prognostications suggest, and the regular-season finale proves to be a tricky road trip, but pound for pound, the Tigers look deeper and like the more rounded roster.



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Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems

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Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems


Most people can barely conquer the monkey bars at a playground, but Joshua Harris is out here tackling American Ninja Warrior obstacles and using that spotlight to help Arkansans eat healthier.

Harris recently competed on American Ninja Warrior for the second time, calling it “an incredible experience” and saying it’s fun to be part of a national show while taking on the obstacles.

Away from the course, Harris runs a nonprofit called Well Fed, which operates across Arkansas and provides healthy food for people struggling with diet-related illnesses. He said the goal is to improve health outcomes by helping people access healthier options.

“Well, Arkansas has a lot of bad statistics when it comes to health, and we need to find ways to help change those health outcomes,” Harris said. He added that healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, can help people dealing with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and that the mission fits with his own lifestyle of training, exercise and staying healthy.

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Harris said his Ninja Warrior training and his nonprofit work connect in more ways than one. He described the Ninja Warrior community as full of like-minded people, and said the show embraced the story behind his work on food access in Arkansas.

He also said Well Fed runs food-as-medicine programs across Arkansas, working with health care to bring fruits and vegetables to people who need them. Harris said the aim is to make a measurable difference, including the possibility of seeing “type two diabetes reversed.”

As for what it’s like competing on TV, Harris said many viewers don’t realize the show is filmed overnight.

“When I’m doing Ninja Warrior on the TV show, a lot of people don’t realize that’s filmed at night, so it’s like three in the morning,” Harris said. He said he focuses on staying awake and locked in, with plenty of distractions from crowds and bright lights, but called the crew and community “amazing.”

Harris said his episode is coming up soon and he hopes people will watch and cheer him on.

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And he’s not slowing down after that. Harris said he plans to keep training and will head to Ireland in August for the OCR (obstacle course racing) world championship, where he’ll represent Team USA.



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Tulsa downs Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Tulsa downs Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


SPRINGDALE — Tulsa scored two runs in the first INNING and four more in the second to grab an early lead en route to a 9-1 win over Northwest Arkansas on Friday night in front of 4,076 fans at Arvest Ballpark.

The Drillers (44-23) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Chris Newell’s two-out, RBI-single and a bases-loaded walk by Kole Myers. Tulsa snapped a two-game skid.

Naturals manager Brooks Conrad just gave credit to the Drillers for a strong effort.

“You’ve got to tip your cap to the opposing pitching staff,” Conrad said. “They threw great. We had one run in the first, then they blanked us the rest of the game. It wasn’t our lack of effort or lack of preparation. It was just one of those games where we couldn’t get anything going offensively.

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“I think the bright spot was our defense. (Carson) Roccaforte continues to do well. It’s a point now that I see him night in and night out, and it’s to the point I see him every night and it’s just another good night.”

Tulsa, which took advantage of 11 walks by Naturals pitching to go with 12 hits, has already wrapped up the Texas League North Division first-half title. The half ends on Sunday.

Myers added a two-run single in the second, while Zyhir Hope chipped in a run-scoring single and Jake Gelof drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 6-1.

Myers drove in three runs, while center fielder Mike Sirotka finished with three hits, scored a run and drove in one.

Naturals starter Hunter Owens (1-3) allowed six runs on seven hits over two innings of work to absorb the loss. He struck out one and walked four.

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Northwest Arkansas (29-36) got a run in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-out RBI single by shortstop Daniel Vazquez. But the Naturals had a runner thrown out at the plate when Rudy Martin Jr. tried to score from first on Colton Becker’s double.

Despite the back-to-back losses, the Drillers improved to 12-4 in June.

Drillers manager Eric Wedge declined to comment following the game.

Prior to joining the Drillers last year, he had previously spent ten seasons managing at the major league level, including seven years with the Cleveland Indians and three with the Seattle Mariners. His most successful season came in 2007, when he was named the American League Manager of the Year after finishing just one game shy of leading Cleveland to the World Series.

The same two teams continue the series on Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. The series concludes on Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

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Naturals 6, Drillers 5 (10 innings)

Martin singled up the middle to drive in the winning run and help Northwest Arkansas outlast Tulsa 6-5 in 10 innings in a game that started an hour late because of a rain delay on Thursday night.

Spencer Nivens started the 10th inning at second base, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Vazquez and scored on Martin’s hit.

Northwest Arkansas rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to claim the win. The Drillers scored four times in the top of the second, but the Naturals got three back in the fourth and tied the game on Colton Becker’s RBI triple.

Tulsa bounced right back with a run in the top of the seventh, but again Northwest Arkansas bounced back to tie the game in the eighth. Martin reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

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Martin and Vazquez had two hits each. They drove in a run each. Martin scored twice.

Augusto Mendieta (2-2) picked up the win in relief. He tossed two hitless innings of relief, struck out five and walked one.



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Authorities report 2 Tulsa residents found dead in Arkansas from apparent murder-suicide

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Authorities report 2 Tulsa residents found dead in Arkansas from apparent murder-suicide


BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — The Benton County Sheriff’s Office reported two Tulsa residents were found dead in a car parked off an Arkansas highway in what authorities believe is an apparent murder-suicide.

On Wednesday, deputies with the sheriff’s office stated they received a report about a car parked of Old Highway 68 near Siloam Springs with what appeared to be two deceased people inside.

Once authorities reached the scene, they were able to confirm both individuals had passed away.

Following an investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said they confirmed the individuals in the car were 26-year-old Kena Donshaie Knapper and 5-year-old Tyler Zane Winston from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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According to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner, Winston’s death was ruled as a homicide while Knapper’s death was ruled a suicide.

At this time, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory is still completing the final written report in this case.

FOX23 will provide more information in this case as it becomes available.



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