CJ Brown isn’t interested in making Kyle Field into a bigger problem than it already is.
With Texas A&M set to host Arkansas on Saturday evening in front of more than 100,000 fans, the junior wide receiver brushed off the idea that the atmosphere will rattle the Razorbacks when they have the ball.
“I've been in the SEC a long time," Brown said. "I mean, it really shouldn't, I wouldn't say affect how we operate as an offense.
Like, we've been dealing with this stuff. You know, every away game is loud.
"So just having proper communication, getting signals in, or with quarterbacks giving us proper communication, I think is going to be good for us."
That confidence matters because Arkansas is walking into one of the loudest settings it will see all season, and the trip to College Station comes after a rough road showing already. The Razorbacks played in front of more than 51,000 Utah fans in Salt Lake City and were clearly affected in a 43-10 loss to the Utes.
Now the assignment gets even tougher. Arkansas needs to handle the noise and execute better in a hostile setting if it wants its first SEC win since October 2024.
Defensive back Shelton Lewis said the response has already started in practice.
"Just making sure that we have elite communication," Lewis said. "That started on Sunday when we practiced, just making sure that we know the checks and calls.
Whether it’s hand signals or just looking at each other, just knowing, that’s what we’ve got to do. And also, getting extra time in the film room to know our assignment.
It’s not about the other team or the crowd."
The Razorbacks have been working on that kind of preparation for a while. During fall camp and in the lead-up to the Utah game, they used the speakers on top of the Walker Pavillion to blast crowd noise at practice - the kind of setup offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey described in colorful terms on Sept. 8.
"If you listen close, there’s people heckling in there, too," Cramsey said. "Not like your personal names, but you can hear people heckling. So there’s a miserable crowd noise that goes over the speaker that gets up to 100 decibels on our practice field.
"And then my man Coach Franklin straps a speaker almost the size of this table and he goes and stands right next to the quarterback, so while the quarterback and me are trying to talk on C2P, he’s got rap music playing on that."
Brown may not want to make a big issue out of the noise, but Arkansas’ offense still has to prove it can operate cleanly when everything around it is trying to speed it up. So far this season, the unit has not put together a fully complete performance, and Saturday will be another test of how well it can stay organized when the volume turns all the way up.
In Other News...
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One name will be missing from the mix, though, as Furman transfer Cooper Bowser will sit out because of a hand injury. For a fan base eager to size up the new pieces in Caliparis first Arkansas team, the event still offers a first real glimpse of the group in front of the home crowd, just without one of the additions expected to be part of the story once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Richmond Gave Arkansas Fans Another Reason To Be Fired Up
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The night also delivered the kind of entertainment that makes these showcase events work, from a half-court shot to a dunk contest and a 3-point shooting contest, with winners announced as the program rolled along. Among the loudest reactions was the buzz around Billy Richmond, who gave Razorback fans another reason to leave feeling good about whats coming next, even with the real measuring stick still ahead on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Faces A Defining SEC Test With Real Doubts Still Lurking
Arkansas heads into Week 4 with a chance to turn a modest step forward into something more meaningful when it meets Texas A&M in an SEC matchup that already feels like an early season hinge point. Both teams are 2-2 overall and still looking for their first conference win, which gives this one a little extra weight beyond the usual September calibration. The Razorbacks come in off a win over Tulsa and will be trying to show that progress can carry into a tougher setting.
Texas A&M is trying to steady itself after back-to-back SEC losses, and doing so at home only sharpens the stakes for Arkansas. For the Razorbacks, this is the kind of game that can clarify whether the recent uptick is real or just a brief pause in the uncertainty. Win here, and the conversation around the season changes quickly. Lose, and the doubts that have been lingering around the program get louder in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]