True or False: Kent St.

After a dominant performance against Western Carolina, the Razorbacks set their focus on the Kent St. Golden Flashes. It’s the first ever meeting between the two programs so it’s hard to know what to expect. But here are some things that will happen and some that won’t.

True: Arkansas will have at least 3 sacks.

The defensive line has been one of the more talked-about positions going into the season. But in last week’s game, Arkansas only recorded two sacks against an FCS opponent. That doesn’t mean they were bad by any stretch of the imagination. The DL accounted for five of the team’s TFLs, and their consistent pressure led to Western Carolina’s quarterbacks making many mistakes down the stretch. Look for the hungry group to prove what they can do on the stat sheets this weekend.

False: Arkansas will continue to lead the nation in turnover margin at the end of Saturday’s game.

Arkansas leads the nation with a +5 turnover margin. The defense did an outstanding job of making WCU pay for their mistakes by picking them off 4 times and recovering a fumble. But that’s what most of last week’s turnovers were, mistakes.

Kent State’s QB Michael Alaimo only threw one interception against a very good UCF defense. In fact, he’s more likely to throw incompletions than interceptions. He completed just 38.7% of his passes against UCF. The Golden Flashes’ ball carries also seem like they take care of the ball. Then again, most are first time starters, so we really don’t know what they’ll do against an SEC opponent. Regardless, if Alaimo can’t get them the ball, there will be no chances to take it away.

True: Even with Rocket out, the ground game will start to establish itself.

The offensive line’s play in the run game last weekend left some wanting. Arkansas gained a measly 105 yards on the ground and no rusher ran for more than 42 yards. The Catamounts sold out to stop the run, but you would still like to see a Sam Pittman offensive line get a little more push.

The OL should get a boost Saturday with veteran Brady Lathem expected to return. The biggest factor, though, is that OLs typically take pride in their abilities to run block, especially one that’s had one of the best rushing attacks in the nation the past two years. Kent St. is also a very poor rushing defense, giving up 389 yards to the Knights. Expect 5-6 highly motived guys to trot onto the field this weekend.

False: Kent St. will gain over 275 yards on offense.

Kent St. had an awful time moving the ball against UCF. Alaimo only threw for 145 yards, going 12/31 and one interception. Their leading rusher Gavin Garcia only recorded 45 yards, averaging 2.5 yards a carry. As a team, Kent St. gained just 239 yards. WCU arguably had a more explosive offense but only recorded 291 yards against the Razorbacks. Arkansas’ defense should be able to hold Kent St. under 275 yards.

True: Jaheim Thomas will lead the defense in tackles, again.

Redshirt sophomore Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. left last week’s game early with a targeting penalty. Cincinnati transfer Jaheim Thomas took excellent advantage of the situation. He led the team with 8 total tackles (four solo) and 1.5 TFLs. Paul will have to miss the first half of the game against Kent St. due to the targeting penalty, so Thomas should have a great chance to do it again. The only obstacle in his way would be USF transfer Antonio Greir Jr. making his debut as a hog, but he might have to shake the rust off from his injury.

False: The passing game will slow down.

Despite the running game establishing itself, the passing game will continue to thrive. Dan Enos is trying to make the offense less one-dimensional, and that won’t end once the Razorbacks find their footing in the ground game. Arkansas has also found three explosive talents in Jaedon Wilson, Andrew Armstrong, and Issac TeSlass that’ll be dying to catch the ball. Pair that with the fact that Kent St. allowed UCF to pass for 334 yards, on top of the 389 yards it allowed on the ground, and it’s a recipe for a very explosive afternoon in Fayetteville.