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Sam Pittman identifies ‘most concerning part’ of Arkansas football’s offense against Auburn | Whole Hog Sports

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Sam Pittman identifies ‘most concerning part’ of Arkansas football’s offense against Auburn | Whole Hog Sports


FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman likes his team’s offensive line.

Arkansas (3-1, 1-0 SEC) enters its Week 5 game against Texas A&M third in the SEC with 524 total yards per game. Both its passing attack (284 yards per game) and rushing attack (240) rank fourth in the league, showing what the overhauled offensive line can do.

The unit has shown drastic improvement under first-year offensive line coach Eric Mateos, who recruited three starters from the transfer portal. It was a priority fix in the offseason after offensive line play was a vulnerability in 2023.

While improvement is clear, something Pittman emphasized during a portion of his news conference Monday, his praises came after addressing a concern.

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Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green had a shaky performance in a 24-14 victory at Auburn with 12-of-17 (44.4%) passing for 151 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Pittman didn’t blame Green’s inaccuracies entirely on him.

“I think Taylen’s got to be better — and he’ll tell you that — but we’ve got to be better around him,” Pittman said. “Our protection game is not very good right now, and it’s not necessarily getting beat 1-on-1. It’s, again, not blocking the five most dangerous in a five-man protection, not holding up at tight end when they’re in protection, and not blocking well at running back when they’re in protection.”

More from WholeHogSports: Arkansas running back Rashod Dubinion suspended indefinitely

Pro Football Focus (PFF), a sports analytics company that grades each snap played in games, tends to agree. PFF ranks Arkansas 13th in the SEC with a 63.9 pass-blocking grade.

Green faced 12 pressures and scrambled five times against Auburn, according to PFF. The Tigers recorded three sacks.

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“If you’re Taylen Green, you’re back there expecting that these guys are blocked,” Pittman said. “So probably the most concerning part of offensive football from Saturday was the way that we did not protect the quarterback. … At some point you’re going to try to do too much because you’re feeling like, ‘We’ve got to make a big play, because we’re not just consistently driving the ball down the field.’”

Green was sacked on the Razorbacks’ first drive on a third-and-8 from the Auburn 16 that turned a 34-yard field goal attempt into a 41-yarder. Arkansas kicker Kyle Ramsey missed it.

On the team’s fourth drive with Arkansas ahead 7-0, Green was dropped on a fourth-and-1 from the Auburn 44. The sack came as result of a whiffed block by running back Ja’Quinden Jackson and was another missed opportunity to score.

“With all that said, Taylen’s got to make good decisions,” Pittman said. “But at the same time, we’ve got to get a lot better around him, especially in protections, for us to hit on all cylinders. Which let’s say this, I believe that we’re capable and I believe that we will. But we’ve got to get better there, and I think we’ll be a much better offense at that point.”

Green’s timing on multiple passes led to receivers taking unprotected hits, including a vicious tackle that knocked receiver Andrew Armstrong’s helmet off.

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“The timing’s got to be better on that,” Pittman said. “I think when the protection gets better, the timing will be better as well…. We’ll get the ball out of our hands faster, too.… We didn’t feel like it was as much route running as just the timing and the pressure in his face to get the ball off.”

More from WholeHogSports: Arkansas and Texas A&M list official depth charts ahead of Southwest Classic

Pittman said the poor pass protection hasn’t been a case of “getting our butts kicked” trying to block.

“We’re not doing what we’re coached, assignment-wise, and the kids are trying their tail off,” Pittman said. “I’m not giving an excuse. It was really loud out there, but some of these things are based off that we should certainly pick up, and we did not.”

Arkansas will face a Texas A&M defense ranked third-to-last in the SEC with a 63.1 pass-rushing grade by PFF.

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“We’ve got to get better at pass protection,” Pittman said, “But I could say that every single week as well. I’m really, really proud of what Coach Mateos and the offensive line have done, and we are getting much, much better.”

The Southwest Classic between the Razorbacks and Aggies (3-1, 1-0) is scheduled to kick off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.



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Arkansas

Higginbottom key in win vs. old team | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Higginbottom key in win vs. old team | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


FAYETTEVILLE — Izzy Higginbottom sent a text message to her teammates on the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team Saturday night.

The note contained a list of things she felt the team needed to work on from its 94-71 loss Thursday night to Oral Roberts. First on the list was better energy.

Her message resonated.

Higginbottom played with passion and excelled against her former team as Arkansas found its defense in the second half to defeat Arkansas State 76-60 on Sunday afternoon at Walton Arena.

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“I personally knew how much this game meant to her,” Arkansas forward Jenna Lawrence said of Higginbottom. “Obviously, you want to beat the team that you’ve recently been on, so I just think she was really amped up — the most amped I’ve seen her for a game.

“I’m just really proud of how she performed and how she was a leader on and off the court.”

Higginbottom, a 5-7 transfer guard who played two seasons with the Red Wolves, filled the stat sheet with 15 points, a career-high 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

“When the other team shoots threes, they become speed rebounds,” Arkansas Coach Mike Neighbors said. “I thought she dug a bunch of those out, and then that got us going on transition, too. She was out in front of the break leading it, getting to the foul line and created a couple of good catch and shoot looks for (teammates).”

The Razorbacks (4-3) snapped a two-game losing streak and won their second game against an in-state opponent this year. Arkansas won 71-60 in overtime at Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 11.

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“It stinks to lose any day,” Neighbors said, “but especially if you get on a little bit of a streak, it’s easy to get (down). So, I thought it was important for us to stay above .500. You feel different when you win. I don’t know if we played any better yet. I’ll have to go home and watch, but I think we did.”

After giving up 38 points before halftime, the Razorbacks held the Red Wolves to 22 points on 8-of-36 (22%) shooting in the second half.

Arkansas State (2-3) went seven-plus minutes without a field goal between the third and fourth quarters. That stretch proved decisive as a 38-35 halftime deficit for Arkansas turned into a double-digit lead for most of the final quarter.

“We started getting all the 50-50 balls,” Neighbors said. “Before that, it was about (half). I think it was like 90-10 in that third quarter. The effort was much better. I thought our focus was a lot better.”

Arkansas State entered on a two-game win streak, which included a 100-96 victory at Arizona State. The Red Wolves fell to 3-9 all-time against the Razorbacks, last winning in the 2005 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

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A fast-paced, back-and-forth first quarter saw two lead changes and runs of 6-0 and 5-0 that helped Arkansas State take a 23-19 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks committed six turnovers in the period that resulted in 10 points for the Red Wolves.

Arkansas took a 33-27 with 3:32 remaining in the first half before Arkansas State closed with an 11-2 run. Kennedie Montue beat the shot clock with a three-pointer to give Arkansas State a 38-35 lead just before halftime.

Fatigue appeared to play a factor in the first half, in which Arkansas was outscored 26-2 in bench points. Arkansas State Coach Destinee Rogers made mass substitutions throughout the game and had 10 players log minutes.

Arkansas forward Vera Ojenuwa, who put up a double-double with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds, scored 12 points before halftime.

The Razorbacks took a 39-38 lead early in the third quarter on a jumper by Kiki Smith, who finished with 15 points. The teams went back and forth for a while before Lawrence connected on her first three-pointer of the game to put Arkansas up for good at 46-43 with 4:01 remaining in the third. Lawrence finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

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Arkansas State ran a full-court press for most of the game and Arkansas fared better against it as time went on. The Razorbacks found Ojenuwa alone under the basket on multiple press breaks.

“For two days straight, we worked on just breaking their press and making sure we see Vera wide open,” Lawrence said. “Because the way their press was, they put all of their players in front and left Vera wide open in the back.”

As the Razorbacks built their double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Higginbottom drove past defenders for three fast-break layups.

Arkansas finished the game on a 12-4 run, including six unanswered, to close the door.

The Razorbacks shot 30 of 67 (45%), including 7 of 27 (26%) from three-point range, and 9 of 12 (75%) from the free-throw line.

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Arkansas State went 23 of 74 (31%), 9 of 35 (26%) and 5 of 7 (71%) in those categories, respectively.

Anna Griffin led the Red Wolves with 16 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Montue, who made 3 three-pointers and scored 13 points. Both Griffin and Montue played off the bench, while Wynter Rogers was Arkansas State’s highest-scoring starter with 8 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Arkansas State’s starters outside of Rogers — Crislyn Rose, Zyion Shannon, Kyanna Morgan and Shaunae Brown — combined to go 4 of 36 from the field and scored eight points. Bella Weary and Mimi McCollister provided 7 and 6 points, respectively, off the bench for the Red Wolves.

Arkansas won the rebound battle 48-42 and had a season-high 16 assists.

Six Razorbacks scored at least eight points: Ojenuwa (20), Higginbottom (15), Smith (15), Lawrence (8), Carly Keats (8) and Danika Galea (8). Karley Johnson and Lawrence led the Razorbacks with three steals apiece.

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Hogs Add Another Major Playmaker to Talented 2026 Class

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Hogs Add Another Major Playmaker to Talented 2026 Class


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Razorbacks received good news on the recruiting front with the addition of four-star wide receiver Dequane Prevo, he announced Sunday night on Instagram.

The 5-foot-10, 160 pound speedster committed to Arkansas over offers from Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Oregon and many others. Prevo is the No. 292 ranked prospect in the class of 2026, No. 47 receiver and No. 40 player in the state of Texas.

He ran a 22-second 200-meter dash as a freshman at the football factory known as Liberty-Euylau in Texarkana, Texas. Prevo has shown to be a playmaker at wideout catching 62 passes for 1,355 yards and 20 touchdown receptions.

Arkansas’ current 2026 class is off to an exceptional start ranked in the top ten nationally with four 4-star prospects headlined by Durant, Oklahoma defensive end Colton Yarbrough. 4-star passer Jayvon Gilmore, 4-star safety Adam Auston and 4-star safety and two-time MaxPreps all-American Tay Lockett are also notable commitments for the cycle.

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With the addition of Prevo, Arkansas’ 2026 class keeps the Razorbacks firmly in the top 10 of 247sports composite recruiting rankings for next year’s cycle. The Hogs’ 2023 class soared as high as No. 3 early on during the 2023 class but after a few evaluation periods its class ended up a respectable No. 22 including a No. 11 ranked transfer portal haul.

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• Special teams, turnovers kept Hogs’ game interesting

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How to Watch: Mizzou Basketball Hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff

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How to Watch: Mizzou Basketball Hosts Arkansas Pine-Bluff


The Missouri Tigers have been rolling through their non-conference schedule. After a loss on the road to Memphis to open the season, Missouri has won the first four games of a 10-game stretch at home.

Sunday, Missouri will take on Arkansas Pine-Bluff in one of its final two matches before it faces another high major opponent: California in the second annual SEC-ACC challenge on Dec. 3.

Here’s how to watch and find Sunday afternoon’s matchup for the Missouri Tigers.

Who: Missouri Tigers (4-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions (1-5, 0-0 SWA)

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What: Missouri’s sixth game of the 2024-’25 season

Where: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

When: Sunday, November 24, 4:00 p.m.

TV: ESPN+, SECN+

Radio: Tiger Radio Network

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Series: Missouri leads 3-0

Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2023: Missouri opened the season with a 101-79 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Five different players scored over 15 points for Missouri, including Sean East II, Nick Honor, Noah Carter, Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates.

Last Time Out, Missouri: The Tigers handled business in a 91-56 win over Pacific. Guard Caleb Grill continued a hot streak, leading the team with 25 points, including 21 from three-point makes. Grill also notched a career-high with five steals.

Last Time Out, Arkansas Pine-Bluff:The Golden Lions fell on the road to Texas Tech, losing 98-64. Arkansas Pine-Bluff shot 52.1% from the field while Texas Tech shot 59.7%. The Golden Lions were led by guard Christian Moore with 20 points.



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