With fall camp just a few weeks away for the Arkansas football team, HawgBeat will take a look at crucial “toss-up” games on the Razorbacks’ 2024 schedule.
Breakout Candidate: Cam Ball
These are matchups that — at least on paper — can go either way and will prove pivotal in the Hogs’ momentum and success throughout the year.
Arkansas football announces 2024 SEC Media Days attendees
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HawgBeat has already pondered over the toughest home and road games that head coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks will have to face over the coming months, but now it’s time to analyze tilts against Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
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The Razorbacks and Cowboys haven’t met on the football field since 1980, when head coach Lou Holtz led Arkansas to a 33-20 victory over Oklahoma State in Little Rock. All-time, Arkansas leads the series 30-15-1 with the last five matchups going the Hogs’ way.
That trend will be tested in 2024, as the Cowboys are coming off a 10-4 overall 2023 season and return star running back Ollie Gordon II along with seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman.
Both teams will likely be 1-0 heading into this Week 2 matchup after cupcake openers, and excitement should be high because a win for either program will kickstart momentum heading into conference play.
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Looking back at 2023, Arkansas had a similar opportunity against BYU at home. The Hogs dropped that one 38-31 which then led to a six-game losing streak. It’s safe to say that head coach Sam Pittman can’t afford for that to happen again.
Can offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino get the wrinkles ironed out with quarterback Taylen Green for a tough Big 12 road tilt? The answer to that question may go a long way in determining what kind of success Arkansas will have in 2024.
The Southwest Classic is set to end in 2024, but the Razorbacks and Aggies will battle it out one last time in this trophy game. Despite a nine-game winning streak from 2012-20 by Texas A&M, Arkansas still holds a 42-35-3 all-time advantage. The Aggies defeated the Hogs 34-22 in their 2023 faceoff.
New defensive-minded head coach Mike Elko will have to prepare for Petrino, who was Texas A&M’s playcaller under former head coach Jimbo Fisher last season. The storylines run deep in this matchup, and there’s no doubt it’ll be another nail-biting finish.
By this juncture, Texas A&M will have already played Notre Dame at home and Florida on the road, so the Aggies will be battle-tested. On the other hand, Arkansas will have met Oklahoma State and Auburn away from Fayetteville. Both programs will have tough “ex-SEC East” games the following week in Missouri (Texas A&M) and Tennessee (Arkansas) as well.
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Quarterback Conner Weigman returns for his third season in College Station after tossing eight touchdowns with 979 yards in 2023. The former top-50 prospect will lead a new-look offense with playmakers like running back Le’Veon Moss and receivers Noah Thomas and Moose Muhammad III.
The Hogs may be 2-2 heading into this game, and dropping below .500 before the brunt of your SEC schedule is a recipe for disaster. Travis Williams’ defensive unit will need its legs for this end-of-an-era battle.
Everyone unfortunate enough to watch last season’s 7-3 offensive-lite edition of Arkansas-Mississippi State is hoping to see some fireworks in Starkville this year.
The Bulldogs hired Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to run the show and the last few matchups in Mississippi have been higher scoring one way or another, so fans likely won’t see only 10 total points scored in this one.
Pittman and new offensive line coach Eric Mateos will meet against former Arkansas assistant Cody Kennedy, who will be coaching up a front line to protect starting quarterback Blake Shapen (Baylor).
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Shapen didn’t put up gaudy numbers with the Bears, but he had a respectable 2,188-yard, 13-touchdown campaign with only three interceptions. Defensively, Mississippi State returns talented pass rusher De’Monte Russell and safety Corey Ellington, but that side will be different without former head coach Zach Arnett.
This is a game that Arkansas fans expect to win and it will probably be the easiest road matchup of the year. If the Hogs can’t get the Bulldogs in this 50-50 before facing the likes of Ole Miss, Texas and Missouri, it’ll be a rough November in Fayetteville.
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Arkansas got a quick reminder this week that baseball doesn’t hand out easy wins.
The Razorbacks head into the weekend after splitting a midweek set with Arkansas State, a two-game stretch that showed both the highs and lows of early season baseball.
Now, the Hogs turn the page and prepare to host UT Arlington in a three-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium.
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Arkansas enters the weekend 7-2 overall. UT Arlington comes in at 2-6. First pitch Friday is set for 3 p.m., with Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday’s game will stream on SEC Network+.
Midweek Split Shows Two Sides of Arkansas
The midweek matchup with Arkansas State didn’t go the way the Razorbacks expected at first. In Game 1, Arkansas State won 12-4. It marked the first loss to the Red Wolves in program history.
The Hogs struggled on the mound and couldn’t keep pace as Arkansas State built separation. The result was a reminder that even in-state games can turn quickly if things slip early.
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But 24 hours later, Arkansas looked like a different team.
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In Game 2, the Razorbacks leaned on dominant pitching and edged Arkansas State 1-0 in a tight contest. It was the kind of bounce-back performance coaches want to see after a tough loss.
The split left Arkansas with lessons on both sides — how quickly things can unravel and how steady pitching can win a game even when runs are hard to find.
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Home Comfort at Baum-Walker Stadium
Now the Razorbacks return to Baum-Walker Stadium looking to build momentum.
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The Hogs have been strong at home and will try to use that setting to steady the ship after the midweek ups and downs. Playing in Fayetteville gives Arkansas a familiar environment and a chance to settle into its routine.
UT Arlington, meanwhile, is coming off a rough stretch. The Mavericks lost their midweek game to Dallas Baptist 6-1 and were swept in a weekend series against Lamar after winning the opener 10-2 before dropping the next two games.
Arkansas has the edge historically, leading the all-time series 7-1. The teams haven’t met since 2006, when the Razorbacks swept a series in Honolulu. This will be the first time UT Arlington plays in Fayetteville.
Pitching Matchups to Watch
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The Hogs will roll out a strong weekend rotation.
Friday’s starter is right-hander Gabe Gaeckle (1-0, 1.93 ERA). He’ll face UT Arlington right-hander Caylon Dygert (0-0, 1.80 ERA). That matchup could set the tone for the series opener.
On Saturday, left-hander Hunter Dietz (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Arkansas against Dylan Skolfield (0-2, 6.48 ERA) for the Mavericks.
Sunday’s game will feature left-hander Colin Fisher (1-0, 0.00 ERA) for the Razorbacks. UT Arlington has not yet named a starter for the series finale.
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After seeing how important pitching was in the 1-0 win over Arkansas State, Arkansas will look for more steady outings from its starters and bullpen.
Finding Consistency Early
Through nine games, the Hogs have shown flashes of strong offense and solid pitching. But the midweek split showed that consistency is still forming.
The loss to Arkansas State proved that mistakes can pile up fast. The narrow win that followed showed that disciplined pitching and defense can close out tight games.
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This weekend gives Arkansas another chance to sharpen its approach before the schedule gets tougher later in the season.
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For fans, the path to watching is simple. Friday’s game streams on SEC Network+, and radio coverage will be available in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM and AM 1590, along with other affiliates across the state.
COLLEGE STATION – A victory in the 5,000m by Nick Busienei and third place in the distance medley relay had No. 1 Arkansas leading the team score with 18 points on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships.
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The Razorbacks produced 12 of those points in the 5,000m as Nick Busienei won the race in a meet record of 13;31.86, which ranks him No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Busienei bettered the meet record of 13:37.52 set by Razorback Patrick Kiprop in 2025.
James Sankei added two more points in placing seventh with a time of 13:44.57.
Dating back to 1992 when Arkansas competed in its first SEC Indoor meet, Busienei claimed the 21st title for the program and is the 14th Razorback to win the indoor 5,000m.
Six more points were added in the distance medley relay as Arkansas posted a time of 9:30.84 from the foursome of Owan Logorodi (2:58.46), Zyaire Nuriddin (46.51), Julian Carter (1:49.10), and Brian Masai (3:56.77).
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South Carolina won the race in 9:30.08 with Ole Miss runner-up in 9:30.34. Florida originally placed third in 9:30.37 but was disqualified for spiking the baton at the conclusion of the race.
Jelani Watkins led the Razorback crew in the 200m prelims as three Arkansas sprinters advanced to the final. Watkins produced an indoor career best of 20.42 rank second overall to a 20.38 by Florida’s Wayna McCoy. Watkins remains No. 2 on the UA all-time list as he improved his previous time of 20.43.
Dapriest Hogans followed with a 20.63 that equaled his career best and his No. 8 ranking on the UA all-time list. Tevijon Williams clocked 20.65 to reach the final where 20.71 was the cutoff time. Jamarion Stubbs ran 20.87 in his prelim heat.
Cooper Williams completed the first day of the heptathlon in sixth place with 2,862 points. He started with a 7.43 in the 60m (736), then added a 21-9.5 (6.64) long jump (729). In the shot put, a mark of 36-8.25 (11.18) picked up 557 points. Williams wrapped up day one by topping the field in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.25 for 840 points.
Link Lindsey placed 15 in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.75 (7.18).
“Arkansans have been made better economically, intellectually and socially by letting go of the ‘terrified truculence’ toward outsiders in recent decades. Sadly, as we’ve experienced this sad winter, all signs are that many similar seasons of defiant isolation are in our state’s future,” writes political scholar Jay Barth.
