2024 cbhsports Arkansas Football Preview: Nonconference Slate

Image Courtesy: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Thursday, August 29
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Little Rock)
7:30 PM ET, ESPNU
Arkansas will open the season in Little Rock for the second consecutive season. The Razorbacks will play the Golden Lions in Arkansas’ capital city for the second time in four seasons. The Razorbacks defeated UAPB 45-3 back on October 23, 2021 at War Memorial Stadium on their way to a 9-4 season. UAPB struggled to a 2-9 (1-7) SWAC record in 2023. Their 2023 performance included eight double digit losses and just two wins, both by one point. Three of the Golden Lions’ first four games are against Arkansas teams on Arkansas soil, first against the Razorbacks in Little Rock before returning to Pine Bluff on September 7 and Central Arkansas on September 21. The Razorbacks are the only Power 4 team UAPB will play before opening SWAC play at Alcorn State on October 5. In 2023, the Golden Lions’ offense combined for just 11 passing touchdowns, with junior QB Daemon Dawkins and sophomore QB Jalen Macon leading throwing four touchdowns each. Tailback Johness Davis enters his another season in Pine Bluff after rushing for a team leading 377 yards and a touchdown last season. Arkansas’ veteran defensive line, led by Landon Jackson, can take advantage of a majorly younger group for UAPB in the backfield. Junior receiver Kenji Lewis (429 yards and 3 TDs) and senior receiver Maurice Lloyd (198 yards and 1 TD) will challenge a relatively new secondary for the Razorbacks. Junior linebacker Rico Dozier easily led the Golden Lions with 62 tackles and 1 forced fumble in 2023. He will look to stop Razorback QB Taylen Green, running back Ja’Quinden Jackson, receiver Andrew Armstrong, and tight end Luke Hasz. If Arkansas does not win this game by twenty plus points, I will be surprised even with the lack of inspired play to end the 2023 season. This is a new Razorback team and they will take down UAPB. Projected Score: Arkansas 52, UAPB 6

Saturday, September 7
@ Oklahoma State
12 PM ET, ABC
In what will be Arkansas’ first game on ABC in a decade, Arkansas heads to Boone-Pickens Stadium to face Oklahoma State, a team that appeared in last season’s Big 12 title game. The last time Arkansas played on ABC, they crushed a Patrick Mahomes’ led Texas Tech team 49-28 in Lubbock. The Cowboys went 10-4 (7-2) Big 12 in 2023, headlined by a a three point win in the the final Bedlam game versus Oklahoma before they join Arkansas in the SEC on July 1. They finished the season with a win against another SEC team, defeating Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl after Texas dominated the Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship game, 49-21. Oklahoma State has succeeded in recent years in the Big 12 under long time head coach Mike Gundy but a 33-7 loss to South Alabama last fall made fans and local and national media question the Cowboys early last season. Alan Bowman returns for his final year of eligibility next to Ollie Gordon II (1,732 yards, 21 TDs in 2023), arguably the best running back in the country. Gordon will be backed up by former Arkansas running back AJ Green, who played great in spots as a back up to Dominique Johnson and Rocket Sanders during his time in Fayetteville. The trio of veteran receivers Bowman has is Brennan Presley, Rashod Owens, and De’Zhaun Stribling make things that much easier for the signal caller. It will be up to a group of younger defensive backs. The Cowboys clearly have the advantage against Travis Williams’ defense that does not have many returning starters but that may not matter if Bobby Petrino can get the Razorback offense going and turn this game into a shootout. OSU’s defense must be better than it was a season ago if they want to return to the Big 12 Championship with a more competitive league in 2024. Linebacker Nick Martin accumulated 140 tackles as a freshman, earning All-Big 12 honors while safetuies Kendal Daniels and Trey Rucker both got over 100 tackles. They will be challenged by a new look Razorback offense that is looking to improve on a dismal season for the Razorbacks in 2023. Arkansas needs to win this game if Sam Pittman wants to keep his job but I don’t think they will do it on the road against one of the best programs in the Big 12. Projected Score: Oklahoma State 34, Arkansas 24

Saturday, September 14
Alabama-Birmingham (UAB)
4:15 PM ET, SECN
Arkansas’ first game in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in 2024 will be against the UAB Blazers, who enter their second season in the American Athletic Conference. Former NFL QB and longtime ESPN‘s Sunday NFL Countdown analyst Trent Dilfer also enters his second season with the Blazers. UAB went 4-8 overall in Dilfer’s first season but grabbed three of their wins against conference competition in their first season in the AAC. The last and only time Arkansas faced UAB, they dominated the Blazers 45-17 in 2014. A decade later, the the Razorbacks welcome the Blazers back to Fayetteville for a mid-September match-up. Trent Dilfer’s quarterback expertise from his time coaching at Elite 11 camp. Jacob Zeno stepped in as quarterback in year 1 under the new coaching staff, learning from Dilfer. He threw for 3,126 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and nine interceptions last fall. No starting receivers return to Birmingham so senior TJ Jones will need to lead the room in his first season as a permanent starter while tailback Isaiah Jacobs will balance the offense out. The Blazers’ defense put a lot of pressure on their offense, giving up almost 37 points a game in 2023. Outside of Alabama State transfer safety Adrian Maddox, UAB’s secondary is unproven and will be a weak point again for Dilfer’s team in 2024. This game should give new Razorback quarterback Taylen Green the opportunity to air it out to many different receivers, including Andrew Armstrong, Isaiah Sategna, Tyrone Broden, Isaac TeSlaa, former MLB outfielder Monte Harrison, and tight end Luke Hasz. Arkansas is normally challenged by quarterback friendly systems however defensive coordinator Travis Williams’ scheme of rushing the passer aggressively could improve Arkansas’ results on that side of the ball in these nonconference games and the results of SEC games, too. Projected Score: Arkansas 45, UAB 17

Saturday, November 23
Louisiana Tech (Senior Day; Military Appreciation Game)
TBA, ESPN+/SECN+
Another team that struggled during their 2023 season that Arkansas faces this fall is Louisiana Tech, who won three games overall, going 2-6 in Conference USA. Like many other SEC squads, the Razorbacks will now play against a Group of 5 opponent the second to last Saturday of the regular season. Arkansas dispatched another Conference USA member in that spot last season, FIU, on their way to a 4-8 record overall. Louisiana Tech is one of the only veteran schools still in the Conference USA that has not been poached by the American Athletic Conference, like UAB was just a year ago. Now, for their football team, Jack Turner emerged as the expected starting signal-caller for the Bulldogs last season, playing eight games. Turner threw five touchdowns and five picks in relief of last year’s starter Hank Bachmeier. Junior running back Marquis Crosby, senior right guard Jerren Gilbert, and senior left guard Bert Hale will look to comfort Turner, and other new starters in junior Solo Lewis, sophomore Marlion Jackson, senior Abdul-Fatal Ibrahim, senior tight end Nate Jones, junior left tackle Kenneth Bannister, junior center Landon Nelson, and junior right tackle Brett Canis. Arkansas’ defense might’ve been able to take chances against this Louisiana Tech offense with a lack of returning playmakers at the beginning of the season but because this game is on November 23rd, Travis Williams’ unit will have to settle in before truly taking advantage of the weaknesses of the opposing offense. The Bulldog defense allowed over 33 points a game and returning only three starters will likely mean things may not be much better this fall. Senior defensive end Mykol Clark, junior defensive end J’Dan Burnett, and senior cornerback Cedric Woods will lead this defense against a Razorback team that may have an interim head coach if Sam Pittman fails to win the first half of the season. No matter what, the Arkansas offense is talented and they will want to score in bunches so they can win this game. Arkansas defeated Louisiana Tech 21-20 back in 2016 so the Bulldogs will be looking to avenge that close defeat when they come into Fayetteville as the end of the regular season nears. Projected Score: Arkansas 42, Lousiana Tech 10

Projected Record: 3-1 (0-0) SEC