STILLWATER — South Dakota State’s starting defensive line had an average weight of about 266 pounds. The Razorbacks come to Boone Pickens on Saturday with a stout defensive line that averages about 33 pounds heavier per player.

That’s the difference between the FCS level and the SEC.

“When you’re playing a team in the SEC, you’re going to play girth,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “You’re going to run into guys that have a lot of guys with a lot of size and are physical in the box. They have a really good geographical location for producing bigger type bodies like that. That’s where I mentioned that we need to make good strides from last week to this week in order to block a completely different front than we did last week.”

Arkansas’ defensive line might be the most impressive part of its team as the Razorbacks head to Stillwater this weekend for a game against Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU will match that group with an uber-experienced offensive line, a unit that will try to open lanes for Ollie Gordon and keep Alan Bowman upright. That battle in the trenches could be the matchup within the matchup that decides this game.

As good an FCS team as South Dakota State is, the Jackrabbits aren’t near as big on the defensive front. SDSU defensive tackles Jarod DePriest and Max Boloun are each listed at 285 pounds. Arkansas DTs Eric Gregory and Cameron Ball are listed at 320 and 324, respectively.

On top of that size in the middle, the Razorbacks D-line features a projected first round NFL Draft pick in defensive end Landon Jackson, who is listed at 6-foot-7, 280 pounds.

Jackson is the most prominent example of how highly touted this group is considered. Among those four starters from Arkansas’ season-opening 70-0 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, three were considered four-star prospects by at least one of the major recruiting services. All were considered top 500 recruits in their respective classes.

Jackson was a classmate of OSU linebacker Nick Martin while the two were high schoolers at Pleasant Grove in Texarkana, Texas. Jackson initially went to LSU out of high school over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and others. What a ridiculous defense the Pleasant Grove Hawks must’ve had that season.

“I know their nose guards are very heavy,” OSU left tackle Dalton Cooper said. “Their nose guards, D tackles, they’re 320, 330, so they’re gonna be heavier-set guys. These last guys we played, they were like 280, 275. Not gonna say they were like easy to block, but they definitely aren’t gonna be as challenging as these Arkansas guys.

“Then Landon Jackson, the D end, No. 40, he’s just a player. He’s projected first-round pick — whatever that is. We gotta treat them like we do every week. Just attack the day, don’t get too far ahead in our minds and just stay humble and grounded in what we do.”

So, that’s the Arkansas side of the tale of the tape. On OSU’s side, the Cowboys start five sixth-year seniors along the offensive line. On top of that, the Cowboys regularly worked in Arizona State transfer Isaia Glass on Saturday to give Cooper some breathers. The unit kept Bowman, OSU’s quarterback, clean as a Buc-ee’s bathroom on Saturday, as Bowman wasn’t sacked and was hurried only three times.

OSU’s offensive line did, though, have a bit of a harder time run blocking. The Cowboys ran for 3.8 yards per carry. Gordon, the reigning Doak Walker winner, still had his numbers, going for 126 yards and three touchdowns, but he still had to work for it. Gordon led the nation in broken tackles in Week 1, according to PFF.

If the Cowboys want to be the team many orange-clad supporters think they can be, a good performance from OSU’s offensive line against a stout Arkansas front four will go a long way in proving that the Pokes’ College Football Playoff aspirations are possible.

“Our double teams, our combo blocks, weren’t as solid as they could’ve been (against South Dakota State),” Cooper said. “Either we were falling off early or staying on too long and not picking up the backer flowing over. We just gotta be better with that. We know what we need to do, and that’s all we’re doing this week is to fix that so we can get ready for this Arkansas game.”

A football team has a quarterback. A basketball team has a point guard. A volleyball team has a setter.

If there is one thing in common with those positions, it is that they are the one who is largely responsible for making decisions on the floor and making sure the other playmakers get a chance to be successful.

With volleyball season around the corner, here is SBLive’s list of the top 25 setters in the state of Arkansas. Statistics are from the 2023 season and comments are from coaches when they nominated their players for the 2023 SBLive all-state team.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Audrey Adair, 5-5 senior, Bentonville

Adair had 728 assists on the season with 59 aces and 207 digs while earning all-conference honors and being named to the Bentonville High School Early Bird all-tournament team.

Hayden Allen, 5-9 senior, Rogers

Allen had 419 assists for the Lady Mounties a year ago. She had a season-high 28 assists in a 3-1 victory over Rogers Heritage.

Piper Batie, 6-1 junior, Fayetteville

Batie, who transferred from Gravette, has committed to Missouri. At Gravette, she had 482 assists with 370 kills, 270 digs and 113 aces. She had a season-high 32 assists in a 3-1 victory over Lincoln, 22 kills in a 3-2 victory over Prairie Grove, 19 digs in a 3-1 victory over Clarksville and a season-high six aces in victories over Siloam Springs and Seneca, Mo.

Laura Cathey, 5-6 senior, Little Rock Central

Cathey had 394 assists, 23 aces and 137 digs for the Lady Tigers a year ago. She had a season-high 24 assists in a 3-2 victory over North Little Rock and had 16 digs in a 3-1 victory over Bryant.

Laila Creighton, 5-7 senior, Shiloh Christian

Creighton had 1,092 assists, 88 kills, 21 blocks and 225 digs while earning all-state and all-state tournament honors. “Laila took control of the offense this year after running a 6-2 last season. She showed maturity with her decision making and led our offense extremely well. This team had the highest hitting percentage in a while for Shiloh, and that speaks to the decision making of Laila (as well as how productive our hitters were). She was steady this year and also made it look easy,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein.

Sydney Crowder, 5-9 junior, Little Rock Central

Crowder had 327 assists and 118 digs a year ago for the Lady Tigers.

Mattyx Cureton, 5-6 junior, Jonesboro Westside

Cureton had 671 assists, 285 digs and 23 blocks for the Lady Warriors, who reached the Class 4A state tournament.

Presley Curry, 5-9 senior, Mansfield

Curry had 600 assists, 45 aces, 115 digs, 20 blocks and 28 kills while earning all-conference honors.

Sunnie Davis, 5-5 senior, Sheridan

Davis had 577 assists for the Lady Yellowjackets, who finished 25-5 a year ago.

Loren Eckhart, 5-11 senior, Greenwood

Eckhart had 870 assists with 41 kills, 61 aces, nine blocks and 246 digs while earning all-conference honors for the Lady Bulldogs.

Addie Fielder, 5-8 senior, Baptist Prep

Fielder earned all-state and all-state tournament honors with 918 assists, 215 digs and 76 aces. She had a 37 assists in a 3-0 victory over Hackett in the Class 3A state championship match. She had a season-high 19 digs in a 3-0 victory over Bryant and a season-high seven aces in a 3-0 victory over Jessieville.

Brennan Holland, 5-6 senior, Valley View

Holland, who is the second setter for the Blazers in a 6-2 set, had four kills, 39 aces, 404 assists and 188 digs.

Drew Hudspeth, 5-6 senior, Benton

Hudspeth had 602 assists in a 6-2 offense with a season-high 42 assists in a 3-2 victory over Shiloh Christian. She added 70 aces, 44 kills and 208 digs.

Rachel Krafft, 5-7 senior, Fort Smith Northside

Kraft had 334 assists a year ago as a backup to Caroline Snow. She is expected to be the Lady Grizzlies’ starter at setter. She had a season-high 39 assists in a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West.

Lauren Latham, 5-9 senior, Hot Springs Lakeside 

Latham, who committed to Kansas State, earned all-state and all-state tournament honors for the Lady Rams, who shared the 5A-South Conference title with 5A state champion Benton. She had 45 aces, 181 kills, 64 blocks and 718 assists in a 6-2 set with 224 digs.

Riley Owens, 6-2 senior, Valley View

Owens had 91 kills, 60 aces, 445 assists, 225 digs and 11 blocks for the Blazers, who ran a 6-2 set.

Maggie Miller, 5-7 senior, Marion

Miller had 888 assists, 54 aces, 16 blocks and 328 digs while earning all-state honors and being selected as AVCA Phenom. “We ran a 5-1 with Maggie again this season,” said Marion head coach Lisa Beasley. “Although tiny, she is mighty. Maggie had a great season. She set a school record for career assists with 1,774 so far. Maggie is a wonderful teammate and leader; she works her tail off. I have seen her do amazing things with a volleyball. What she lacks in size, she more than makes up with her heart. I can’t say enough about this young lady; she has already left a legacy in this program and school, and she isn’t finished yet.”

Mileah Neal, 5-9 senior, Fort Smith Southside

Injuries limited Neal’s playing time as a junior to 23 matches, where she finished with 279 assists playing on a team that uses a 6-2 set. She had a season-high 23 assists in a 3-0 victory over Springdale Har-Ber. She had 112 digs with a season-high 10 against Fort Smith Northside and 25 aces with a season-high seven against Har-Ber.

Lily Roark, 5-5 senior, Mayflower

Roark had 763 assists, 285 digs and 24 aces a year ago for the Lady Eagles. She had a season-high 45 assists and 25 digs in a 3-2 loss to Central Arkansas Christian. She had a season-high four aces in a 3-0 victory over Little Rock Southwest.

Chloe Rodriguez, 5-11 senior, Brookland

Rodriguez had 1,057 total assists, 109 kills, 269 digs, 52 aces and 31 blocks for the Bearcats, who repeated as Class 4A state champions. She also earned all-state and all-state tournament team honors and recently committed to Northwest Mississippi Community College. “Chloe excelled in many areas outside of being a setter,” said Brookland head coach Nancy Rodriguez. “She ran a very efficient and balanced offense and was key to our success this season.”

Emma Schnackenberg, 5-8 junior setter, Episcopal Collegiate

Schnackenberg earned all-conference honors with 505 assists and 192 digs and 40 aces. She had a season-high 33 assists in a 3-2 victory over Mayflower. She had a season-high 19 digs and 6 aces in a 3-1 loss to Central Arkansas Christian. 

Haley Thomas, 5-7 junior, Siloam Springs

Thomas had 48 aces and 84 kills while hitting .218 with 755 assists and 199 digs on the season. She had a season-high 54 assists against Mountain Home and had 46 assists against Russellville. She earned all-state honors and was named setter of the year in the 5A-West Conference. “Haley’s one of the hardest working players you’ve ever met. She is constantly pushing herself to meet new goals. Her teammates would frequently turn to her to ask questions about the strategy of the game, and she knew how to adjust the offense to put our team in situations to score. She was also an attack option for us by finding the right time and places to score on a dump, and she led our team in aces. She is a well-rounded, smart, coachable, and hungry young athlete, and I am so grateful to have her as a part of our program,” said Siloam Springs head coach Carrie Thammarath.

Emerson Traylor, 5-9 senior, Bryant

Traylor had 299 assists playing in a 6-2 offense with 116 digs and 32 aces while earning all-conference honors and committing to Louisiana Tech. “Emerson is one half of a 6-2 offense that had over 700 assists for the season,” said Bryant head coach Leigh Ann Back. 

Emma Kate Vertz, 5-7 senior, Prairie Grove

Vertz had 45 aces, 100 kills, 242 digs and 815 assists for the Lady Tigers, who reached the second round of the Class 4A state tournament where she earned all-state honors.

Reese Wilburn, 5-4 senior, Bryant

Wilburn had 442 assists, playing in a 6-2 offense with 29 aces and 181 digs while earning all-conference honors and committing to TCU. “Reese is one half of a 6-2 offense that had over 700 assists for the season,” said Bryant head coach Leigh Ann Back. “She is a calming influence on the court.”

– Jeff Halpern | @SBLiveARK

A jury found Thomas David Carruth guilty of making false statements to the FBI about using his position to seek sexual favors from a woman whose boyfriend had a case before the Monroe County District.

A former Arkansas judge was found guilty of lying to federal investigators about trying to extort a defendant’s girlfriend for sex or a “lingerie show,” the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

A jury found Thomas David Carruth guilty of making false statements to the FBI about using his position to seek sexual favors from a woman whose boyfriend had a case before the Monroe County District Court elected judge. The woman secretly recorded the judge’s comments and turned the tape over to the FBI.

The woman Carruth failed to extort recorded his not-so-subtle solicitations and shared them with law enforcement, according to a federal indictment in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

“I got one area I want to explore with you,” Carruth tells her in the recording when discussing how to help her boyfriend with his case according to the indictment, “and I don’t know how you’re gonna react. Um… how do you feel about sex?”

The recording stands in stark contrast to the former judge’s statements to the FBI that he didn’t “even [think] about” sex with the woman.

The former judge already had a tainted record: The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission admonished Carruth in 2018 for creating the appearance of impropriety after an inquiry into allegations similar to those of the woman who recorded Carruth asking her for sex.

Carruth faces a maximum of five years in prison for the charge. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. The 64-year-old was acquitted of charges of bribery, honest services fraud, and violations of the Travel Act, according to the Justice Department.

He was first arrested and charged in January 2023, officials said. Carruth resigned sometime after the FBI raided his house in June 2023, according to reporting by The Monroe County Argus.

Jeffrey M. Rosenzweig, Carruth’s attorney, thanked the jury in response to a request for comment. 

“We are grateful for the jury’s wisdom in seeing through the duplicative and tenuous charges that the government chose to bring,” Rosenzweig said. “We recognize that the jury thought through the decision to convict on the one charge, although we respectfully disagree with the result they reached.”

‘Do you have any nice lingerie?’

The 28-minute phone recording on April 18, 2022, of the woman’s conversation with the judge shows a matter-of-fact approach to sexual extortion.

She had approached him about a separate issue when he offered to help with her boyfriend’s criminal case, according to an indictment.

The man was hoping for an early trial date to make sure he didn’t violate a parole order and Carruth offered to oblige if he got something in return. 

“I’d prefer not [to] have to in order to get this done,” the woman told the judge when he broached the topic of sex, court papers say.

“”The next step back,” he said on the recording, “is… do you have any nice lingerie?”

Carruth persisted when she refused to give a “lingerie show”: “What you’re buying is we’re going to try to shorten those timeframes,” he said, referring to the man’s trial, according to court documents.

She shared the tape with law enforcement and when contacted by the FBI, Carruth flatly denied seeking sex with the woman, saying he didn’t “even [think] about” sex with her, the Justice Department said.

Tainted record

Carruth’s dealings with women have been suspect since shortly after he was first elected to the post in 2012.

Less than 10,000 people live in Monroe County, a rural jurisdiction about 90 miles east of Little Rock, and in such small towns it’s not uncommon for people with business at the courthouse to approach the judge, the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission wrote in its 2018 admonishment of Carruth.

Under the small town circumstances, the commission expects judges to be particularly vigilant to avoid discussing court business inappropriately but Carruth was accused of doing so for years, the commission wrote.

The admonishment does not detail the extrajudicial discussions but according to the federal indictment they involved seeking sex from women who had cases before him.

Carruth denied the allegations but the commission admonished him for conduct that allowed such a cloud of suspicion to arise in the first place. 

“Even assuming the truth of your assertion, the number, times and circumstances of your contacts created an appearance of impropriety,” the commission wrote. “The judiciary cannot exist without the trust and confidence of the people. The confidence is maintained when judges endeavor to follow the Code of Judicial Conduct while they remain faithful to the law.”

The commission decided not to sanction Carruth beyond making the admonishment public.