Arkansas
Hogs Won, But UAPB Ultimately Found Way to Beat Arkansas in the End
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas technically won against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in War Memorial Stadium a couple of weeks ago. There’s a one in the win column, so there’s no disputing it.
However, as a program, the Hogs lost that night and the fruits of that loss became reality last weekend in Stillwater. Sure, Sam Pittman was in need of a win to start the season everyone could feel good about, but the only way Arkansas could feel good about beating the Golden Lions was if they went out and delivered perfection.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. The Razorbacks put up historic perfection, which meant they got nothing out of the game that practicing against air and painted tackling dummies wouldn’t have yielded.
The season laid out eerily similar to 2021. Pittman was coming off a season with a low amount of wins, had a game to start the season meant to be an easy victory, followed with a ranked, but overmatched Big 12 team in Week 2, then a potential run all the way through Texas A&M at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The only difference was the quality of opponent to open the season. Rice was not a team that would strike fear in the Hogs to open 2021, but the Owls were just salty enough to create a bit of a challenge and allow the Razorbacks to make some much needed mistakes without the ultimate consequence of a loss.
KJ Jefferson threw an interception. The defense blew assignments early on that let Rice build a lead.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles couldn’t get Jefferson and Treylon Burks on the same page as the four and outs piled up. Meanwhile, the Owls abused Barry Odom’s defense, going up 17-7 in the third quarter, although it should have been 20-7 because of a missed 36-yard field goal.
Finally, Arkasas got it together, reeled off 31 straight points in the last quarter and change, and left with a convincing 38-17 win with plenty of mistakes in its players’ pockets that helped make them better prepared to face Texas the following week.
That learning curve was all the difference. No matter whose to blame on the fumbled snaps and pitch, it’s less likely to have happened against Oklahoma State had there been an opportunity for it to happen the week before.
A punt return blocker doesn’t find himself once again sliding into Isaiah Sategna in Stillwater if the mistake is forced by a more suitable opponent the week before. The defense isn’t hitting a patented Hawg City suplex after the whistle a second time if a better opponent gets under its skin enough in Week 1.
Mistakes are important and they need to be made in the right context. The better schedule set-up would have been to play Louisiana Tech in Week 1 and save Arkansas-Pine Bluff for late in the year when banged up players need a rest.
This would have given Arkansas a tougher opponent to make a few mistakes and learn well enough to deliver an early knockout blow to Oklahoma State. However, because it’s a War Memorial game against an opponent that doesn’t draw a crowd, the logical thought was to have it in the heat of August when crowds would be light anyway and hope the allure of it being the season opener would offset any major losses financially.
Unfortunately, what was best for business wasn’t actually “what’s best for business.” Instead, the Hogs had to do their learning against an inferior Oklahoma State team that had just enough substance to take advantage of a perfect number of impeccably timed mistakes to distribute a lesson and a loss.
The good thing is there’s plenty to make Arkansas better in the long run from that game. It also helps that they will get to work out the kinks against UAB before in Fayetteville before hitting the road to face two of the greatest curses of Arkansas’ SEC era — teams that are supposed to be lesser opponents coached by Hugh Freeze and Texas A&M in AT&T Stadium.
The Razorbacks showed they’re good enough to win all three heading into a home game against a really good Tennessee team, but also plenty Arkansas enough to start the season 2-4. If only they could have made a few of those mistakes against a bad, but not THAT bad opponent during Week 1.
Sam Pittman and his Hogs would be riding a confidence wave akin to the feeling they had after the 40-21 beating of Texas in 2021. Confidence matters. Then again, so do properly timed mistakes.
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Kentucky had a need at wide receiver entering the only transfer portal window of the offseason. The Wildcats addressed the position again on Day 10. UK has added a second transfer to the room. This is a familiar name to those who follow recruiting.
Arkansas transfer Ja’Kayden Ferguson committed to the Wildcats after his visit to Lexington over the weekend. The wide receiver was a former UK commit who flipped to the Hogs during the 2025 recruiting cycle. Now Ferguson has flipped back to the Big Blue.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson was a three-star recruit out of Metro Houston who picked Kentucky following a June official visit ahead of the 2024 season. However, Ferguson decided to open up his recruitment five months later and flipped to Arkansas. The 6-foot-2 receiver appeared in six games for the Razorbacks as a true freshman and burned his redshirt. Ferguson played just 20 offensive snaps.
The SEC transfer becomes the eighth current full-time scholarship player in Kentucky’s current wide receivers room. Some more additions are expected.
Kentucky transfer commits
| Player | Position | High School | Former School | Year |
| Olaus Alinen | G/T (6-6, 322) | Windson (Conn.) The Loomis Chaffee School | Alabama | Redshirt Junior |
| Jesse Anderson | S (6-0, 180) | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons | Pittsburgh | Redshirt Junior |
| Max Anderson | iOL (6-5, 311) | Frisco (Texas) High | Tennessee | Redshirt Sophomore |
| Elijah “Bo” Barnes | LB (6-1, 244) | Dallas (Texas) Skyline | Texas | Redshirt Freshman |
| Jovantae Barnes | RB (6-0, 211) | Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines | Oklahoma | Redshirt Senior |
| Ahmad Breaux | iDL (6-3, 278) | Ruston (La.) High | LSU | Junior |
| Jordan Castell | S (6-2, 213) | Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange | Florida | Senior |
| Xavier Daisy | WR (6-3, 210) | Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian School | UAB | Junior |
| Ja’Kayden Ferguson | WR (6-2, 187) | Missouri City (Texas) Thurgood Marshall | Arkansas | Sophomore |
| Aaron Gates | Nickel (6-0, 198) | Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian | Florida | Redshirt Junior |
| Jamarrion Harkless | iDL (6-3, 315) | Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass | Purdue | Redshirt Junior |
| Lance Heard | T (6-6, 330) | Monroe (La.) Neville | LSU | Tennessee | Senior |
| Mark Manfred III | CB (6-1, 175) | Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry | Missouri | Redshirt Freshman |
| Kenny Minchey | QB (6-2, 208) | Hendersonville (Tenn.) Pope John Paul II | Notre Dame | Redshirt Junior |
| Antonio O’Berry | EDGE (6-6, 240) | Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne | Tiffin (D-II) | Gardner-Webb | 6th-Year Senior |
| Coleton Price | iOL (6-3, 318) | Bowie (Texas) High | Baylor | Redshirt Senior |
| Spencer Radnoti | LS (6-3, 230) | Canton (Ga.) Cherokee | Georgia State | Redshirt Sophomore |
| Cyrus Reyes | S (6-1, 200) | Taylor (Texas) High | Mississippi State | Junior |
| Hasaan Sykes | CB (6-0, 185) | Tuckert (Ga.) High | Western Carolina | Junior |
| Tavion Wallace | LB (6-1, 239) | Baxley (Ga.) Appling County | Arkansas | Sophomore |
| Dominic Wiseman | iDL (6-2, 300) | Davenport (Iowa) High | South Alabama | Redshirt Senior |
| Adam Zouagui | K (5-11, 188) | Herndon (Va.) High | Davidson | South Florida | Senior |
Arkansas
No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider
Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State
How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)
- Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
None listed yet
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols – 98.3%
Arkansas – 1.7%
What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State
“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
- at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
- at Auburn, 73-56 W
- vs. Florida, 76-65 W
- vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
- vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L
Arkansas:
- vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
- at Alabama, 77-48 L
- vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
- vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
- vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 20
Coaches Poll – No. 22
Bart Torvik – No. 13
Arkansas:
AP Poll – Unranked
Coaches Poll – Unranked
Bart Torvik – No. 107
Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
- Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3
Arkansas:
- Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
- Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
- Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6
Prediction
It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.
While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.
If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.
I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.
Lady Vols 85, Arkansas 61
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