After wins against Western Carolina and Kent State, the Razorbacks will be looking to extend their win streak against BYU this Saturday. Despite the perfect record, the Hogs have played a bit too inconsistent for comfort.
One year removed from a 52-35 statement win in Provo, the Hogs will be hosting the BYU Cougars. Going into that game, Arkansas was on a 3-game skid and they were out for blood. In a dominant offensive performance, the Razorbacks poured on 644 yards of total offense, led by their duo of KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders.
We all remember this play:
The Cougars will be looking to even the score after last year’s beatdown. In many ways, their team mirrors this Hogs team. More than anything, strong defenses and questionable run games dominate the talk surrounding these teams.
What can we expect going into this week, and what are some dream and disaster scenarios for the Hogs in week 3?
Week 3 Expectations
It’s reasonable to think that after their strong performance last year that the Hogs will repeat that, right? I mean, this team is supposed to be a vast improvement over the squad that took the field last year, and the home field advantage that comes with D.W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
It’s not quite that easy, though. After fielding one of the premier rushing offenses in the country in 2022, the Hogs are having difficulty finding their identity on the ground this year. In 2022, the Razorbacks offense racked up 236.7 rushing yards/game; a harsh contrast to their 138.5 rushing yards/game.
We can also expect to see a new dynamic of offense from the Hogs this week. They’ll look to come out a little more aggressive through the air, as KJ Jefferson will look to continue his high efficiency-low turnover play. KJ has posted an impressive 73.8 percent completion percentage for the year, adding 5 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Razorbacks defense is terrorizing offenses and forcing turnovers. Despite a rough first half against the Golden Flashes last week, the Hogs headlined a win with a confidence building goal-line stand. This defense is averaging 3 turnovers/game (and 1 pick-six) while holding opposing teams to 9.5 points/game.
The BYU Cougars are having their own struggles on the ground, averaging a mere 79 yards/game. Their offense is led by veteran transfer QB Kedon Slovis, coming off a solid performance against Southern Utah in which he posted 348 passing yards and 5 total touchdowns.
While both teams figure out their ground game, this game will be a litmus test for their passing offenses, and we can expect a bend-but-not-break battle between two established defenses.
So, what would be a dream scenario for the Razorbacks, and what could spell disaster for them?
Week 3 Dream Scenario
Razorbacks build momentum through a dominating win
Winning seems like a simple answer to the “dream scenario”, but this one reaches a bit further. The Razorbacks have some lingering concerns in this matchup, but they’re about to enter their hardest stretch of the season, arguably the most difficult any team will face this season.
A 4-week stretch against LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Alabama will make or break the Hogs season, and a dominating performance against the Cougars could give them enough confidence and momentum to turn some heads. A good performance also gives the coaching staff some answers they’ll need when it comes to game-planning.
It’ll take more than just a sound performance from the always-consistent QB KJ Jefferson. They’ll need to step up on the offensive line and continue to win the turnover battle, but the benefits would pay off as they approach “the gauntlet” of their season.
Week 3 Disaster Scenario
Linebackers fall apart at first sign of resistance
The highlights of last week’s matchup all seemed to come from the defensive side of the ball, with a goal line stand late in the game and a defensive score early on. This defense is led by a strong group of linebackers, whose play kept the Hogs comfortably ahead last week.
See the goal line stand, led by the dominant play of Chris Paul Jr.:
While their performance has been a strong part of this defense, this week will be a different type of challenge than they’ve seen so far this season. The Cougars will be their first power 5 matchup after facing FCS opponent Western Carolina and bottom-feeder Kent State.
While the passing defense has done well at causing turnovers, this BYU team passes the ball well. If they can stop them through the air, then they force a team that struggles on the ground to gain their yardage on the ground. If they can’t stop the run then they have much deeper issues. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point.
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