Arkansas
What we know and don’t know about Arkansas football’s future offense under Bobby Petrino
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s getting more normal but still surreal to say that one week ago, Bobby Petrino was hired as the Arkansas football offensive coordinator.
Petrino’s first seven days on the job have included key recruiting trips, adoration from the Razorbacks faithful and an emotional press conference that had the former head coach holding back tears. After a 12-year separation, the honeymoon phase is in full force.
But nine months from now, Arkansas will need to prove that reigniting the Petrino flame helps produce more victories on the football field. As the surprise of the the hire wears off, here’s what we know, and what we don’t know about the Petrino offense going into next season.
We know Arkansas will pass more in 2024
Immediately after the Arkansas season, Pittman said one of his biggest priorities in the search for a new offensive coordinator was finding someone who knew how to run the football. Petrino has had success on the ground, but his offenses pick up chunk plays and hurt defenses most through the air.
From 2021-22, Arkansas ran for 6,038 yards and threw for 5,832 under Kendall Briles. Those were the best two offenses under Pittman’s watch, featuring good balance with a lean toward the run game.
But Petrino has never coached a college offense that produced more rushing than passing yards in a single season. At Texas A&M this year, the Aggies gained 3,148 passing yards and 1,697 rushing.
Pittman wants to be physical — and the play-action pass is a staple of Petrino’s offense — so the run game will still be critical to Arkansas. It just won’t be the measuring stick of success as it was under Briles, and the measurement of failure it was under Enos.
We know Arkansas will be more versatile
Speaking of Enos, his time at Arkansas didn’t last a full season. A big reason why the hire didn’t work was his unwillingness to adapt. Despite a struggling offensive line and a quarterback who didn’t quite mesh with the offense, Enos still wanted to assert his style on the Razorbacks. Things that were practiced at the request of Pittman weren’t implemented on Saturdays, and that’s a poor way to manage any offense.
More: Arkansas football transfer portal tracker 2023: Who is joining, leaving the Razorbacks
More: Arkansas football hiring Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator
During his introductory press conference, Petrino promised the opposite approach.
“I don’t think it’s about plays. I don’t think it’s about what you do. I think it’s about how you use the players that you have,” Petrino said. “How you get the ball to a Jarius Wright. Joe Adams. How you get the ball to Dennis Johnson and how you work the different situations of the game. So what I love to do is utilize players, and then be good at the situations of the game.”
That mindset could be especially valuable in the new landscape of college football where rosters can be overhauled each offseason. Petrino has proven he doesn’t need to adhere to a strict philosophy to construct an explosive offense.
We don’t know who the quarterback is
There was a report from 247sports.com last week that KJ Jefferson planned on entering the transfer portal, but Jefferson quickly took to social media and said he had not made a decision. As of Dec. 6, Jefferson still had not made any announcement on his future.
If he comes back, Jefferson slides in as the starting quarterback. Petrino will be his fourth offensive coordinator in three years, but there’s potential to use Jefferson in similar ways to Lamar Jackson at Louisville. That could be very appealing for a player with NFL aspirations.
But if he decides to leave, either for the NFL Draft or into the transfer portal, there should be an open quarterback competition next fall. Jacolby Criswell has impressed in flashes, but he’s also never won a starting quarterback job. Arkansas needs to go into the portal and find a competitor, while also giving Malachi Singleton in opportunity.
Petrino has molded quarterbacks with completely different skill sets in Ryan Mallett, Tyler Wilson and Jackson. Whoever wins the job could dictate what type of offense Arkansas uses in 2024.
Arkansas
Arkansas becomes bowl eligible with win over Louisiana Tech
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-5, 3-4 SEC) secured bowl eligibility with a 35-14 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-7, 3-4 CUSA) on Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The Razorback offense struggled in the first half and only scored 14 points before the two teams went to the locker rooms at halftime. Quarterback Taylen Green threw an interception, wide receiver Andrew Armstrong fumbled and the Hogs punted three times in the first two quarters.
Outside of the fumble, Armstrong had a strong game that put him into the Arkansas record books. With his eight reception, 81-yard game, he became the fifth player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Armstrong also took sole position of second place in school history for single-season receptions with 69 on the season.
Arkansas’ offense fared somewhat better in the second half with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa — his second of the day — an eight-yard touchdown run by Green and a 13-yard score on the ground by running back Ja’Quinden Jackson. It wasn’t much, but it was all the Hogs needed to get the win.
For the game, Arkansas gained 454 yards, 221 through the air and 233 on the ground. Running back Rashod Dubinion got the start and was the Razorbacks’ leading rusher with 112 yards on 15 carries.
Ill-timed penalties plagued the Hogs several times in the game, the biggest was a holding penalty wiped out a kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kick. A roughing the passer call took away an interception late in the third quarter; Arkansas committed eight penalties for 78 yards throughout the game.
The Arkansas defense had another strong performance and held the Bulldogs to just 229 yards in the game, 190 through the air and 39 on the ground. They did give up two touchdowns, but it’s worth noting a muffed punt by Isaiah Sategna put Louisiana Tech in plus territory, which led to the first touchdown. The second touchdown came with just under six minutes to go, a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Jimmy Holliday on 3rd and 17.
The win will send the Razorbacks to a bowl game for the fourth time in the last five seasons, and they will turn their sights to a rivalry matchup with Missouri next Friday. Check out some of the highlights from the game below…
Arkansas
What TV channel is Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech football on today? Live stream, spread, game odds
In the Afternoon slate, the Arkansas Razorbacks host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Week 13 nonconference action. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 23 with a live TV broadcast only on ESPN Plus.
• WATCH: Razorback vs. Bulldogs football is streaming live only on ESPN+
This game is a must-win for both teams if either wants to gain bowl eligibility. Arkansas is 5-5, with No. 23 Missouri remaining on its schedule. Louisana Tech is 4-6, with 1-9 Kennesaw State left to play.
What TV channel is Arkansas vs. LA Tech football on today?
When: Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT) on Saturday, November 23
Where: Razorback Stadium | Fayetteville, AR
TV channel: SEC Network Plus on ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)
Watch live stream online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $11 on ESPN+ (It’s just $10.99/month or $109.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)
What TV channel is SEC Network Plus on?
SEC Network Plus or SECN+ is not a TV channel. It is basically it’s on division within ESPN Plus for SEC games that are not airing on TV, but are SEC games airing exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming platform.
What does SEC Network Plus cost? What does an SECN+ subscription include? SEC Network Plus is a part of ESPN Plus, so as long as you are signed up for ESPN Plus, you will see every SECN+ game available to stream on the watch ESPN app when you sign in or sign up for the ESPN+ service. ESPN+ costs just $10.99/month and you can cancel anytime.
Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech spread, latest betting odds
Moneyline: ARK -2500 | LT +1100
Spread: ARK -23.5 | LT +23.5
Over/Under: 48.5
- Get promo codes, signup deals and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.
Arkansas
Steals, slams winning combo for Hoop Hogs against Little Rock
Behind a fully-torqued defensive effort, the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) claimed victory 79-67 over the Little Rock Trojans inside Bud Walton Arena on Friday night in Fayetteville.
Arkansas’ intensity was evident at the get-go, as head coach John Calipari’s club ripped off five steals on Little Rock’s first five possessions, good enough to hand the Hoop Hogs a quick 11-0 advantage.
That pressure never relented in the first half, as the Razorbacks had eight steals and nine forced turnovers at the under-8 mark, and 10 steals and 11 forced turnovers by halftime.
“That first five or six minutes of the game we were a deer in headlights,” Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker, a former Razorback, said postgame. “We were terrified for no reason. We turned the ball over. Now, they got 19 turnovers. We turned the ball over 19 times and they got 28 points off of that. I told my team before the game, ‘We cannot have a lot of turnovers. If you do, this team is really good in the open court. You put them in half court you’re going to have a chance to get in the game.’”
Leading the way for most hands in the cookie jar was forward Adou Thiero (six steals), though five Razorbacks recorded at least one steal and four Hogs totaled 2+ steals.
“The biggest plays were effort plays,” Calipari said of Thiero. “Those were the biggest plays he made. He had six steals — all effort steals. Just he out-worked the other guy to get the ball.”
As a result of the defensive ferocity, Arkansas pushed the pace in transition to the tune of 22 fastbreak points, 28 points off turnovers and five slams through both halves.
“From watching all the film of all the games they’ve played, I knew this was going to be an off-the-dribble game,” Walker said. “And when they shoot the ball well they can become dangerous. But they really an off-the-dribble team and a transition team right now. I’m sure Cal is still trying to figure things out. This is early in the season, just like I’m trying to figure things out with my basketball team. He’s got some key guys hurt.”
One can’t mention Arkansas’ up-and-down court explosion without further crediting Thiero, who racked up a team-high 23 points, a team-high eight rebounds, two blocks and pulled off an immaculate left-handed windmill transition dunk.
“There was a will to win,” Calipari said. “I don’t care who it’s against. When a game gets like that, that stuff was on us, and Adou making that play on the offensive rebound, again, he’s standing out how he’s playing. He’s getting it done.”
Up next, Arkansas will close its home-stand with a matchup against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday. That game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT and will stream on SEC Network+.
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