HawgBeat – HawgBeat Staff Predictions: Arkansas vs Western Carolina

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The Arkansas Razorbacks and Western Carolina Catamounts are set to open their respective seasons Saturday at noon CT at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Saturday will mark the first-ever matchup between the two programs. Western Carolina finished the 2022 season with a 6-5 overall record and winners of its last three games against Wofford, East Tennessee State and Chattanooga.

Arkansas is a -34.5 favorite over the Catamounts (BetSaracen). The Razorbacks haven’t lost a home opener against a non-conference opponent since falling to USC, 50-14, in 2006 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville

Here is how the HawgBeat staff is predicting Saturday’s game, which will be streamed live on the SEC Network+ and ESPN+…

Let’s keep this short and sweet, because there is no real conversation of which team is going to win.

Western Carolina has an 0-61 record against FBS teams dating back to 1977 and it is also 0-20 against SEC opponents. On top of that, the Razorbacks’ starters outweigh the Catamounts’ starters by more than 15 pounds.

This will be a great game to answer some questions, work out some kinks and have a couple of fun big plays.

Arkansas 49, Western Carolina 14

I might be a bit naive to believe this, but I think Arkansas’ offense will come out humming in its first game under new offensive coordinator Dan Enos. The All-SEC backfield duo of KJ Jefferson and Raheim “Rocket” Sanders should have a field day against a lesser-talented Catamounts defense.

On the flip side, I do expect the Razorbacks’ defense to go through some growing pains under new defensive coordinator Travis Williams’ aggressive-style scheme. At the end of the day, though, the talent disparity is too much to overcome and the Arkansas defensive line showcases why they’ve received so much praise this offseason.

The Hogs play a smooth, clean matchup and get their backups some meaningful playing time in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas 55, Western Carolina 17

The Arkansas Razorbacks come into the 2023 season boasting third-year starters at quarterback and running back, along with new-look coordinators on both sides of the ball, and the expectations are high.

Western Carolina may look like a middle-of-the-pack FCS team, the Catamounts could cause problems for the Hogs if problems from last year have not been addressed.

Arkansas’ most-maligned position group will be tested Saturday, and while the score might end up lopsided, it will tell us a lot about the Razorbacks defense.

Western Carolina is a team that throws the ball around 35 times per game, meaning the defensive backs will need to keep big plays to a minimum and get off the field on third down.

Ultimately I think they do that. Arkansas is too big and too strong, the Hogs run all over the Catamounts.

Arkansas 55, Western Carolina 17

Arkansas has a new look team this year across the board. New coordinators on both sides of the ball, new playmakers on both sides of the ball, and likely some new schemes to go along with all of it.

The constant, though, being the faces of this team KJ Jefferson and Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. The two leaders of the Razorback offense look to have their best year yet. For Jefferson that means staying healthy and working on some intermediate throws and reads. For Sanders, it’s continuing to produce as a primary back in the SEC.

I expect some growing pains early on with so many new pieces and the new systems, but nothing majorly concerning. Arkansas should be able to score at-will on Western Carolina and swarm to the ball defensively.

It would be nice to see the defense force some turnovers and prevent big plays, two areas where they were inconsistent last year.

Even with working out some kinks, Arkansas should run away with it.

Arkansas 45, Western Carolina 10

There’s once again a lot of hype surrounding Sam Pittman’s team entering his fourth season. There are also a lot of unknowns as new faces are present on the depth chart and sidelines.

The non-conference slate sets up well for the brutal SEC West stretch next month. While there are some potential injuries to projected starters, this will be a game where depth will not be needed and a number of players should see game action.

I expect a quick start on offense as that has been a focal point under Dan Enos. I’m excited to see the new and improved defense. They’re already improved based on off-season results. Can they translate off-season gains to in season success? Saturday will be a glimpse for sure.

Western Carolina has defeated Arkansas in an athletic competition once before in Stan Heath’s first year as the men’s basketball head coach. That will not happen at War Memorial on Saturday. The Hogs will get to show off a stable of running backs and KJ Jefferson will develop in game rapport with a new receiving corp as the Razorbacks roll.

Arkansas 48, Western Carolina 10

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