The Arkansas Razorbacks will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 20 days when Western Carolina visits War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday, September 2 for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff.
Here at HawgBeat, we will count down the days until head coach Sam Pittman and his team run through the “A” for the first time.
With 20 days remaining, we will take a look at a current player, former player, some interesting scores, highlights and other miscellaneous things in Razorback history tied to the number 20.
A freshman linebacker from Oxford, Mississippi, Sanford totaled 104 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior for Oxford High School. The 6-foot-1 former three-star prospect chose the Razorbacks over Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee and others.
Sanford played in Arkansas’ first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday and received high praise from head coach Sam Pittman.
“I’ll tell you who shined a little bit today that is coming on is (Alex) Sanford,” Pittman said. “Sanford made several plays today.”
Former Player: #20 Fred Talley
After signing with the Razorbacks as a defensive back, Talley moved to the running back position and played considerably during his sophomore year.
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In 2000, he registered 768 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He was named Second Team All-SEC by the coaches in 2001 after running for 774 yards and four touchdowns. Talley rushed for 1,119 yards and two touchdowns as a senior in 2002, when he averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
Talley went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft before signing with the Atlanta Falcons. He was released during training camp and ended up in the Canadian Football League for a short time before hanging up the cleats.
1995: Arkansas 20 – Alabama 19
In a thrilling low-scoring affair, the Razorbacks beat the Crimson Tide for the first time since entering the SEC in 1995.
Arkansas was 1-1 overall and an underdog going into Bryant-Denny Stadium against then-No. 13 Alabama. Quarterback Barry Lunney Jr. completed 15 of 26 passes for 181 yards, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver J.J. Meadors on fourth and goal with six seconds remaining in the ball game to take the victory.
The catch came with controversy, as replay showed the ball skip off the grass before landing in Meadows’ arms. Nevertheless, Arkansas won 20-19.
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Alex Collins’ 20 rushing touchdowns in 2015
One of the best running backs to come through the program, Collins capped off his collegiate career with a bang during the 2015 season.
In 13 games, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native accumulated 1,577 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. That touchdown mark is the most in a single season in program history by a running back.
Collins had two games with two touchdowns (Tennessee and LSU), two games with three touchdowns (Missouri and Kansas State) and one game with five touchdowns (Tennessee-Martin).
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