Arkansas has spent the last two weeks giving its offense a much-needed facelift, but the next step is obvious: get moving from the opening whistle.
The Razorbacks looked much sharper in back-to-back games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt than they did earlier in the season. Against Tennessee, Arkansas found its groove in the third quarter with a pair of touchdown drives.
Then on Saturday against Vanderbilt, the Hogs turned in their most complete offensive outing of the year, piling up 31 points and 438 yards. The ground game produced a season-high 187 rushing yards, and KJ Jackson finished 21-31 for 251 yards.
Even with that progress, the early-game problem keeps hanging around.
Arkansas managed just 147 yards of offense in the first half against Vanderbilt, and 75 of those came on the final drive before halftime. That drive was the only scoring march of the half for the Razorbacks, who got on the board through Joker Johnson’s pick-six.
The first half against Tennessee was even rougher. Arkansas produced only 94 yards before intermission and was shut out, though Max Gilbert’s missed field goal at the buzzer kept the margin from growing even more. Against an SEC opponent, that kind of start leaves too much room for error.
The slow opening wasn’t limited to those two games, either. Arkansas didn’t reach the end zone against Georgia until garbage time, and through the season’s first seven games, the Razorbacks still haven’t scored a touchdown on an opening drive. They did put up three points on their opening drives against Utah and Tulsa.
That lack of early punch hasn’t been the only reason Arkansas sits at 3-4 heading into its bye week, but it has mattered. Utah, Georgia and Texas A&M all got out in front early and effectively took control by halftime, while Tennessee’s seven-point halftime edge wound up being the difference.
The defense has done enough to keep Arkansas in games, but it can’t carry that load forever. The win over Vanderbilt showed real improvement and counted as a clear step forward for the entire team. Still, if Arkansas wants to beat Missouri, Auburn, South Carolina, Texas or LSU, the offense has to start landing first-quarter points.
The adjustments at halftime have clearly helped. Now the Razorbacks need to bring that same energy before the game settles in.
In Other News...
Arkansas May Have Found A Passing Answer KJ Jackson Must Trust
Chris Marshalls brief exit against Vanderbilt forced Arkansas to reshuffle its passing game on the fly, but the Razorbacks got a useful look at how KJ Jackson can spread the ball when a key target is unavailable. Jackson connected with 12 different receivers after Marshall went down with a leg injury, a reminder that the offense has more than one path to production when the passing game gets compressed.
Marshall is expected back for the Missouri game, and coach Ryan Silverfield said he is doing well and should be ready. For Arkansas, the more interesting question is whether Jackson can keep that same balance even when one of his more reliable options is back in the mix, because the kind of distributed attack the Razorbacks showed at Vanderbilt can be hard for defenses to track. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Still Has A Real Chance To Change This Seasons Story
Arkansas has spent this season fighting from a financial disadvantage, with roster spending sitting at the bottom of the SEC, but the league around it has been chaotic enough to keep the Razorbacks from being buried completely. With five games left, there is still a path for this team to salvage something more meaningful than a lost year, especially if it can catch one of the conferences bigger names in an off week and turn a few close calls into signature wins.
Ryan Silverfield has already pointed toward 2027 as the point when added resources could make Arkansas more competitive, which is a sobering reminder of where the program stands right now. For the moment, though, the focus is on these final opportunities and whether a disappointing season can still be reshaped by an upset or two before the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Is Getting A Timely Boost From An Unexpected Veteran
Miguel Mitchell has become one of the more encouraging developments in Arkansas secondary, and not just because the fifth-year senior safety is making plays. In recent games, he has turned in a stretch of impactful work with key tackles, sacks and interceptions, giving the Razorbacks a veteran presence who looks more comfortable and more disruptive as the season moves along.
Ryan Silverfield pointed to Mitchells growth as a sign of how much the safety has pushed himself even this late in his college career, noting the renewed energy he has brought to practice and games. For Arkansas, that matters because the defense is trying to build momentum heading into the next stretch, and getting this kind of steady progress from an unexpected veteran can help settle everything around him. [Read more 🡒]