It’s nice to relax the day after a big SEC win, especially with chaos and anger across other SEC fanbases.
The main thing that jumps out about this win was how businesslike it was. Considering that Arkansas’ 22-game SEC losing streak ended less than two years ago, to dominate an SEC foe in the trenches like that and control the game so effectively and have it feel so expected is a great feeling.
The Hogs still have some concerns from this game, and we’ll get to them in the Box Score Breakdown due late afternoon on Sunday.
For now, here are a couple of notes:
- Catalon out for season. Devastating news for Arkansas as Sam Pittman announced that Jalen Catalon is out for the season. Pittman noted that Catalon is feeling down and is being given time away from the team. That’s completely understandable. The whole thing is just devastating. He missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury, only to injure it again in the first game of his comeback tour. He’s never really been able to enjoy the spotlight of being a preseason all-SEC player. This seemingly ends his Arkansas career, though I’m not sure what his pro prospects are at this point.
- Slusher back next week. The good news is that Myles Slusher should be back against Missouri State. The Hogs again had issues covering the middle of the field, so getting the starting nickel back in the lineup should help.
- Knox dealing with ankle. Tight end Trey Knox had just one catch for five yards before leaving the game with an ankle injury. He apparently had an x-ray, but the news is that it’s a sprained ankle. No timetable has been given for his return, but sprained ankles usually aren’t serious and he could return as early as Saturday, though the Hogs would probably prefer to rest him if possible.
- No other major injuries. The Cincinnati game was devastating to the Hogs in terms of attrition, but the Razorbacks escaped with light injuries after Saturday, it appears.
Next week, the Razorbacks have their FCS opponent, Missouri State. The Bears have a 27-14 win over UCA and a 35-30 win over UT Martin to their name. They’re ranked in the top-10 of the FCS, so this probably won’t be a total cakewalk. The Bears gave Oklahoma State a scare last season, losing 23-16. We’ll have a preview coming up this week.
Around the SEC
A few thoughts on the biggest games of the weekend.
Appalachian State 17, Texas A&M 14
Understand, quickly: this isn’t Nick Saban losing to UL Monroe in his first season. This isn’t John L. Smith losing to UL Monroe as a semi-interim making less than $500,000 in his only season. This isn’t Jack Crowe or Will Muschamp losing to FCS teams when their position at the school was already really weak. This isn’t even Lloyd Carr, long past his prime, losing to App State in his final season. This is one of the highest-paid coaches in all of college football – who is in his fifth season – losing to App State at home, in a year when he’s supposed to be competing for the SEC West.
This is absolutely embarrassing for Texas A&M. Devastating. Jimbo Fisher’s offense continues to struggle and while he may tinker and make it better, it’s not going to be delivering any division titles – much less national championships – any time soon. The Aggies have struggled to run the ball in both games this year. Quarterback Haynes King was iffy against Sam Houston and downright bad on Saturday. A&M ran just 38 plays. Their bend-don’t-break defense is still pretty salty, but it’s bending way too much considering the competition, allowing App State to run 76 plays and possess the ball for more than 41 minutes.
The Aggies may go to Max Johnson at QB, but their issues go beyond King. And they don’t have much time to fix them: they’ve got a tough date with Miami next week before the Hogs have a chance to kill their season before we even get to October.
Alabama 20, Texas 19
Give Texas credit for fighting and fighting hard. Alabama looks… vulnerable. The claim that Bryce Young was largely boosted by his receivers last year gained some validity, as Alabama struggled to create big plays in the passing game. The Tide had only two completions of 20+ yards and two runs of 10+. Alabama will almost certainly fix the 15 penalties they had in this one, but their offense might be due for a step back this season.
Kentucky 26, Florida 16
Yes, I picked this one. The Anthony Richardson hype train got a little too crazy and Kentucky took care of business in the Swamp. I think Billy Napier was a good hire and will do well at Florida, but there is no universe in which beating Utah at home is worthy of a jump from unranked to 12th. Florida is probably an 8-4 or 9-3 team, and this was a much-needed reality check. Meanwhile, Mark Stoops continues to be a good coach. No surprises there.
Kansas State 40, Mizzou 12
This was a hideous blowout and unless something changes quick, Mizzou is likely on its way to a 4-8 season. Eli Drinkwitz just signed a top-20 class, but the results on the field have mostly been trending in the wrong direction. Quarterback play was a major issue last year, and that was the issue Saturday. Brady Cook looked terrible and the two Tiger QBs combined to throw four picks. Imagine last year’s Mizzou team without Tyler Badie: that’s what this Mizzou team might be. Starting running back Nathaniel Peat rushed 13 times… for 10 yards. Mizzou’s hideous run defense is also back, as Kansas State rolled up 235 yards on the ground. What a mess.
Wake Forest 45, Vanderbilt 25
The (very brief) Mike Wright hype train crashed and burned, as Wake got star QB Sam Hartman back from an injury and easily dispatched the Commodores. Wright, who put up big numbers against Hawai’i and Elon, was 8 of 15 for 35 yards and an interception plus 8 rushes for 17 yards. He was replaced mid-game. If Vandy beats Northern Illinois next week (not a given), they’ll be underdogs the rest of the way, though Vandy-Mizzou on October 22nd might be one to watch.
Tennessee 34, Pitt 27 (OT)
I’m still not convinced Tennessee is good, but at a minimum, this is the best Vol team in several years. Hendon Hooker leads an exciting offense. It’s an offense that’s best against bad defenses, and Pitt’s defense certainly isn’t overly impressive. If Kedon Slovis doesn’t get hurt, the Vols might have lost in regulation. But this was a monster road win that sets Tennessee up for a run at 8 or 9 wins.
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