The Missouri Tigers 2024 season will come to an end on Thanksgiving weekend when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This will be a crucial year for the future of the Arkansas program. Head coach Sam Pittman’s job will likely be at stake if a 4-8 season in 2023 is followed up by another disappointment. Here’s an early look at the 2024 Razorbacks.

The Arkansas offense was the second-worst in total yards per game (326.5) last year in the SEC and fifth-worst in points per game (26.6). There’s few reasons to believe the Razorbacks will take any major steps offensively in 2024.

In a hope to right the ship offensively, Arkansas hired a familiar face in Bobby Petrino. The hiring of the long-time coach will certainly make the team more interesting and entertaining but he’ll have a big challenge to help the Arkansas offense take a step forward.

Arkansas will also have a new starting quarterback in Boise State transfer Taylen Green after KJ Jefferson transferred to UCF. Green has started the past two seasons for Boise State and threw for 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games in 2023.

Arkansas returned most starters at running back and wide receiver but no rusher besides Jefferson tallied over 300 yards last year and only Andrew Armstrong eclipsed 400 receiving yards. Armstrong, entering his sophomore season, could grow into more of a weapon this season at 6’4″ and 201 lbs.

The Arkansas offensive line had its struggles in 2023, allowing the most sacks in the conference in 2023. This season, the Razorbacks are expected to have two transfers starting along the line.

Arkansas did add some exciting players to their skill position groups through the portal, however. Four-star running back Ja’Quinden Jackson comes over from Utah while three-star receiver Jordan Anthony joins the team after two seasons at Texas A&M.

The Razorbacks’ 2023 defense was close to the middle of the pack in yards per game (eighth, 357.12) but its 27.9 points per game was the second-worst. In SEC play, Arkansas allowed 32.3 points per game.

But defensive coordinator Travis Williams did help the Razorbacks make some big strides in his first season. In 2022, Arkansas ranked No. 124 in the nation with 465.2 yards per game. In the first year under Williams, the defense jumped to No. 80. There’s reason to believe Williams will continue to steer his unit in the right direction.

In contrast to its offensive line, the defensive line was one of Arkansas’ best units in 2023. The Razorbacks had 41 tackles for loss and 29 total sacks in 2023. The group is led by Landon Jackson, a First Team All-SEC member in 2023 after compiling 6.5 sacks and 44 total tackles. The group possibly became stronger this offseason with the addition of Anton Juncaj, rated as the No. 12 defensive lineman available in the portal.

The Razorbacks did lose productive linebacker Chris Paul Jr. to Ole Miss through the portal but did add linebacker Xavier Sorey Jr. from Georgia in hopes to replace Paul’s presence over the middle of the field.

The Tigers will have to stay present on this late-November game instead of being distracted by the approaching selection day, set for the following Sunday. Rivalry week is always full of surprises and upsets. With Missouri expected to be in playoff contention, Arkansas could have a chance to play spoiler.

Missouri will be coming off of a two-week road trip with stops at South Carolina and Mississippi State. Arkansas, however, will be coming off three-straight home games ahead of the road trip. In the preceding week, the Razorbacks will be hosting Louisiana Tech.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 30

Time: Afternoon window (2:30-3:30 kickoff)

Location: Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri

Series History: Missouri leads 11-4

Last Meeting: Nov. 24, 2023: The Tigers saved a feast for the day after Thanksgiving, closing out a historic regular season with its highest scoring performance of the season in a 48-14 thrashing in Arkansas. The Tigers scored 41 unanswered points in the first thre e quarters before pulling their starters in the final quarter. Running back Cody Schrader decimated the Razorback defense, gaining a combined total of 220 yards and rushing for one touchdown.

Head Coach: Sam Pittman, entering his fifth season with Arkansas.

Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino, hired by Arkansas in November of 2023, entering his 42nd year in coaching.

Defensive Coordinator: Travis Williams, entering his second season with Arkansas. Former All-SEC Second Team linebacker with Auburn.

2023 Record: 4-8 (1-7)

Biggest Question: Will Pittman’s trust in Petrino be validated by a productive offense? Pittman’s job could depend on it.

National Championships: 1 (1964)

Conference Championships: 13 (all in the SWC)

Bowl Record: 17-24-3

Last Bowl Appearance: 2022 Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas – 55-53 Win in 3OT

Early Opponent Preview Series:Murray State|Buffalo |Boston College|Vanderbilt|Texas A&M|UMass| Auburn|Alabama|Oklahoma|South Carolina| Mississippi State

Meet The Freshman: Defensive Lineman Elias Williams

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The fight over the future home of the Chiefs and Royals continues.

On Thursday, Missouri Governor Mike Parson said he expects the state to produce an aid package to keep the teams in the Show Me State by the end of the year Missouri governor says he expects public aid plan to keep Chiefs, Royals in state.

This comes after Kansas put together a plan last week to try bring both teams to its side of the state line. Kansas is offering to pay for up to 70 percent of the cost of two new stadiums over 30 years through sales tax and revenue (STAR) bonds.

Gov. Parson did not provide specifics of what Missouri’s deal for the teams would look like, but he’s confident Missouri will win out.

“Missouri’s in a much better financial shape than Kansas is, but it depends on how much you want to tie up for a 25- to 40-year lease with a team,” Parson said. “I don’t know what that amount will be, but I think Missouri is in a much better position than what Kansas’ bonds are.”

Locally, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says the city and state never stopped talking to the teams. He is glad to see Missouri start to act at the state level.

“We’ve known all along that Missouri would continue to be competitive. The city of Kansas City will, as well,” said Lucas. “The Chiefs and Royals belong in Kansas City, Missouri.”

READ MORE: Discussions of new sales tax proposal for Chiefs stadium delayed by Jackson County legislators

Lucas thinks the state of Missouri may need to get involved in the stadium discussion as it may be an economic pool too deep for the city to swim in.

“The state of Kansas threw out some fairly extensive tools. I don’t know to what extent they are ones that could ever work objectively,” Lucas said. “I think that when we are talking about the size of particularly a football stadium, the tens of thousands of parking spots, the expense, the billions of dollars, we owe it to our taxpayers in Kansas City to make sure that conversation gets beyond just the 508,000 people in Kansas City and is something far more extensive.”

Lucas sees Kansas’ STAR bond legislation as a clear violation of the border war truce between Kansas and Missouri. He says the failed vote in Jackson County doesn’t mean the state of Missouri wants the teams to leave.

READ MORE: Pasquantino hits go-ahead sacrifice fly as Royals rally to beat AL Central-rival Guardians, 2-1

“The border war truce was about not using economic development tools to poach a business from another jurisdiction that has been there for a long time. The Chiefs and Royals have been in Missouri for years. There are economic tools being used to steal them,” said Lucas. “Jackson County alone does not speak for the entire state of Missouri or the city of Kansas City, and those discussions are ongoing.”

Now, Lucas fears Kansas’ STAR bond legislation will start an arms race of incentives to keep the teams in the metro – to the franchises’ benefit, and not to metropolitan Kansas City as a whole.

“I think what people of our community will see, for better or worse, is competing incentives,” Lucas said. “Usually when you have a battle like that, it’s only the taxpayers who lose. That’s what happens in battles like this, but we’ll still work to get to the best deals possible.”

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A 50-year-old Missouri man was seriously injured Thursday morning in a single-vehicle crash on a rural highway.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said 50-year-old Ronald Watson of Leeton, Mo., was seriously injured after crashing his motorcycle on Missouri Highway 23 at Route WW.

While attempting to drive around a curve, Watson activated the clutch instead of the brake on the motorcycle, causing the bike to overturn, MSHP officials said in a crash report.

The crash happened shortly after 6:15 a.m. Thursday. According to the crash report, Watson was wearing a helmet.

He was ejected from the bike after the bike overturned and skid off the right side of the highway.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.