Tulsa’s perfect start may have to continue without its first-choice quarterback.
Baylor Hayes is doubtful for Saturday’s Week 4 trip to Arkansas, with head coach Tre Lamb indicating the Golden Hurricane do not expect him to play. If that holds, Dexter Williams will get the start again for a Tulsa team that has opened 3-0 and already owns a win over Oklahoma State, a program that went on to beat Oregon the next week.
Hayes was on the field for Tulsa’s first two games before a Grade 1 knee sprain sidelined him for the 42-0 win over East Texas A&M. Williams handled the offense in his place and threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns last week, giving Tulsa a capable backup plan if Hayes is held out again.
The timing matters. Tulsa has another shot at a Power-4 opponent before conference play begins in Week 5, and a win over Arkansas would add to what has already been a strong opening stretch. With the current College Football Playoff setup, victories over Arkansas and Oklahoma State would give the Golden Hurricane a major boost heading into American Conference play.
Arkansas, meanwhile, is trying to steady itself after a rough one. The Razorbacks were beaten 45-17 at home by Georgia last week, coming off a season-opening win and then a difficult run through Utah and Georgia. It’s the kind of back-to-back stretch that can test any team, and Ryan Silverfield’s group will be looking for a response.
In Other News...
Tre Lamb Just Added More Pressure To Arkansas Before Tulsa
Arkansas heads into its meeting with Tulsa knowing this is the kind of nonconference game that can shape the early feel around a season, especially with a tough league slate waiting just down the road. Tulsa arrives unbeaten at 3-0 and already owns a win over Oklahoma State, which gives this matchup a little more weight than the usual September tune-up and makes it harder for the Razorbacks to treat it like anything other than a must-handle business trip.
Tre Lamb has only sharpened that edge with his recent comments, pointing out how uncommon it is for Group of Six teams to knock off Power Four opponents and drawing attention to Arkansas own scheduling choices and past results. For a Razorbacks team trying to build momentum, the noise around Tulsa is not just about what happens on the field, but about the pressure that comes with knowing a loss would land badly before the SEC grind fully hits. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Faces A Bigger Problem Than Tulsa This Week
Tulsa brings an unbeaten record into Fayetteville and a rushing attack that can make life uncomfortable for any defense, but Arkansas has its own concerns to sort through before kickoff. The Razorbacks have spent too much time searching for a steady ground game and a reliable rhythm at quarterback, and those issues have made even seemingly manageable matchups feel more complicated than they should.
The larger question this week is whether Arkansas can settle those spots quickly enough to take control early and avoid letting Tulsa hang around. A shaky start would only add pressure to a defense that has already had to carry more than its share, and the uncertainty surrounding the starting quarterback gives this game an edge beyond the usual nonconference tune-up. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Puts New Coach In A Tough Spot He Wont Use As Cover
Arkansas financial gap with the top of the SEC has become part of the backdrop around the program, especially as the Razorbacks try to stop a losing streak against Power Conference opponents. In his first year on the job, Ryan Silverfield is stepping into a situation where resources matter, but so does the message he sends about what comes next. He has acknowledged the challenges without letting them become an excuse, and that matters in a league where patience is thin and expectations never really soften.
Silverfields early stance has been clear: the job is not to explain away the hole Arkansas is in, but to keep pushing the program toward a higher standard anyway. That leaves the Razorbacks in a familiar but uncomfortable place, needing more financial support and stronger backing from the administration if they want to close the gap with the SECs better-funded programs. The harder part is that improvement has to show up while those structural issues are still very much in play. [Read more 🡒]