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HawgBeat – Brad Spence recounts memorable Arkansas debut

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HawgBeat  –  Brad Spence recounts memorable Arkansas debut


Most defenders will go their entire collegiate career without experiencing the rush of scoring a touchdown, but Arkansas freshman Brad Spence accomplished that in his first college football game Saturday.

A native of Houston, Spence entered the Razorbacks’ matchup with Western Carolina as a second team linebacker on the depth chart. He totaled two tackles in the 56-13 win, but his highlight came with 4:30 remaining in the game as he intercepted the Catamounts’ pass and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown.

“It was a pretty fun experience seeing the crowd roar after I get my first pick in collegiate game, so it was a moment to remember,” Spence said Tuesday. “Moment to cherish. You know, it’s not common for a freshman to get his first pick in his first game.”

Spence said the play really boiled down to him being in the right place at the right time.

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“You know, I played two coverages and I ended up seeing the ball and I had ball instincts,” Spence said. “So, seeing the ball and went to go get it and it was like a shock when I caught it. I only saw green so I just ran to the touchdown. It was great.”

Despite the Catamounts’ offensive linemen making a valiant effort, Spence said he knew he had it all the way. The product of Klein Forest High School already earned his fellow linebackers’ respect, but that play was another example of how bright Spence’s future is.

“He’s a ball player,” linebacker Jaheim Thomas said after the Western Carolina game. “He has a real bright future, so just seeing him out there and make plays and take it back, it was big for him.”

Spence logged 19 snaps and earned a 77.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. That grade was the highest of any linebacker and his 77.1 coverage grade on 12 snaps in coverage ranked second on the team behind Hudson Clark (80.2).

The 6-foot-2, 237-pound linebacker has been with the Hogs since the spring and he’s had plenty of time to grow in that span.

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“I feel like I have matured and really gained my confidence throughout the process,” Spence said. “It was something to get used to coming from high school to college, catching up on the speed was something I had to really focus on and tune in on.”

Arkansas will take on Kent State at 3 p.m. CT Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.



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Arkansas

DoorDash activates severe weather protocol, suspending service in parts of Arkansas

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DoorDash activates severe weather protocol, suspending service in parts of Arkansas


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Due to the ongoing winter storm sweeping through the Natural State, DoorDash has activated its Severe Weather Protocol and temporarily suspended operations in Little Rock and various parts of the Natural State.

According to a release Friday night, the precautionary measure comes as the winter storms deliver hazardous conditions across the city, including heavy snowfall and strong winds.

Cities with suspended operations include Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville, Cabot, Searcy, Malvern, Lonoke, Heber Springs, Star City, Clinton, Rison and Sheridan.

“With heavy snowfall and low visibility, the snowstorm is a serious threat to our community, and we’ve taken decisive action by activating our Severe Weather Protocol,” DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley said. “We deeply appreciate the patience and understanding of Dashers, merchants and consumers, and will resume operations as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

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Officials said they will continue to monitor conditions on the ground and will communicate additional changes to their operations as needed. 



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Knowing the Florida Gators Opponent: Arkansas Razorbacks

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Knowing the Florida Gators Opponent: Arkansas Razorbacks


Gainesville, Fla. – The Florida Gators men’s basketball team’s next destination is Fayetteville, Ark., as they’ll take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2) on Saturday for their third SEC matchup of the season. 

Florida is currently sitting at 14-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. They opened their SEC slate with a nail-biting loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, losing 106-100 in Lexington. 

However, the Gators were able to avenge this loss with one of the most dominant wins in men’s basketball history on Tuesday over No. 1 Tennessee. They trounced the Volunteers 73-43 in the O’Dome, marking the Gators’ first regular-season win over an AP No. 1-ranked team in program history and the biggest win over a No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA since 1968. 

But enough about what Florida has done this season, let’s shift the focus to their opponents, the Razorbacks, and see who they are. 

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Arkansas’ season started out nice with a win over Lipscomb. However, it wouldn’t be the same for them in their second game of the season against then-ranked No. 8 Baylor, as they found themselves on the losing end of a tightly contested battle. 

Then, following a good stretch for the team in red, they were tasked with the current No. 13 in the AP Poll, Illinois, and things wouldn’t go so well for new Razorbacks head coach John Calipari. His team was outclassed in this game 90-77, which ended their winning streak at four. 

Arkansas did make amends with their fans a few games later, though. While participating in the Jimmy V Classic, they matched up with then-ranked No. 14 Michigan, who they narrowed past 89-87. 

This win over the Wolverines helped maintain a three-game win streak that would eventually turn into a six-game streak. However, since SEC play started for the Razorbacks, they are 0-2 with losses to Tennessee and Ole Miss, who are currently ranked in the Top 25 AP Poll. 

These pair of losses put Arkansas at just a 1-4 record against teams on their schedule to have been ranked or that are currently ranked.

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While it was a complete roster overhaul for Calipari and the Razorbacks this offseason that was fueled by the transfer portal, their biggest grab has been from the high school ranks. 

They added highly ranked players like Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero and Jonas Aidoo all from the portal, but it’s former five-star guard Boogie Fland who’s been arguably the best player for the Razorbacks this season. 

Fland is averaging 15.5 points, 5.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game through 15 games this season. He is also connecting on 35.7 percent of his threes, which shows he’s more than just an inside scorer. Additionally, his 5.9 assists rank 24th among his competitors. 

But in these first two SEC games, Fland is just 10-for-35 from the field and 3-for-17 from deep. 

If the Gators can’t keep him in check like he’s been over these last two, then it might be a long afternoon for the visitors on Saturday. 

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Despite bringing in tons of talent that should’ve resulted in a great offense, Arkansas has been anything but that. 

They currently rank inside the bottom five teams in the SEC in scoring offense, averaging 79.4 points per game. They do have two players scoring at least 15.0 points per game, but that’s pretty much it. Outside of Thiero (16.9) and Fland, they only have one other player in double figures (DJ Wagner, 10.5). 

Moreover, if this becomes a free-throw-dominated affair, the Gators shouldn’t be too worried about the Razorbacks’ performance at the line. They are shooting 71.1 percent from the charity stripe, which is good for 12th in the league. 

And, lastly, they have little to no presence on the glass. They are the worst team in the SEC in offensive rebounding, and they are 13th out of 16 teams in overall rebounding. These are two areas where the Gators dominate, and if things play out like they have been this season, then the visitors should outmuscle their counterparts. 

This game will be televised on Saturday at 4 pm on ESPN. 

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Viewer pictures: The Natural State transforms into a winter wonderland

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Viewer pictures: The Natural State transforms into a winter wonderland


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A winter storm rolled into Arkansas Thursday and brought with it snow to the majority of western and central Arkansas.

Many from around the Natural State sent in pictures of their area covered in snow.

Though Arkansas is already full of natural beauty, there’s something about the state covered in snow that makes it even more of a winter wonderland.

Several kids from around the state got out and took advantage of the day off of school by throwing snowballs, digging up the snow, sledding and of course making snow angels.

Many who got out in the snow had enough accumulated to make snow men.

Share your snow day pictures at KARK.com/winter-pics.

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