Arkansas has a “get right” game before SEC play begins in earnest, starting with a big trip to Auburn in two weeks.
UAB is 1-1. They beat Alcorn State 41-3 in Week 1 and then lost Week 2. Not only did they lose last week, they lost 32-6. Not only did they lose 32-6, they lost 32-6 to UL Monroe. Not only did they lose 32-6 to UL Monroe, they lost 32-6 to UL Monroe who is coached by Bryan Vincent, the one-time UAB interim who was passed over for the job in favor of current coach Trent Dilfer.
So things aren’t great in Birmingham. Bill Clark coached the Blazers from 2014 to 2021, even staying as coach when UAB’s football program was briefly shut down in 2015 and 2016. Somehow, despite all the issues external to the program – the University of Alabama regents are not interested in a successful UAB football program – he went 49-26 with zero losing seasons. After he retired due to back problems, Vincent – the offensive coordinator – went 7-6 as interim in 2022. He applied for the job but was passed over in favor of Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback and Elite 11 quarterback camp coach, who promptly went 4-8 in his first year.
I would not expect this game to be much of a challenge for the Hogs, whose main focus will be to get more reps and keep everyone healthy.
Other games of note
New Mexico at Auburn (6:30 pm, ESPN2, Auburn -28). The Tigers also have a tuneup game ahead of next week’s showdown on the Plains. The biggest reason to watch is Payton Thorne. He struggled at QB a year ago, and Hugh Freeze opted to stick with him and bring in transfers at receiver to help him out instead. After the Cal game, in which he threw four picks, it’s looking like that might not have been the best decision. A good game from Thorne doesn’t tell you much given the competition, but if he struggles, does Auburn give someone else a look?
Oklahoma State at Tulsa (11 am, ESPN2, Oklahoma State -20). Is Oklahoma State overrated, as some Hog fans have said? I don’t think the Cowboys are a top-10 team, but I think they could win 8 games against Arkansas’ schedule. They should win this one easily, but Hog fans probably won’t feel great if they struggle.
Alabama at Wisconsin (11 am, FOX, Alabama -16). Both offenses haven’t looked great, but Alabama has much more talent. I’m interested to see if the Tide offense looks better than it did for three quarters against South Florida.
LSU at South Carolina (11 am, ABC, LSU -7). The Gamecocks destroyed Kentucky thanks to good defense (and bad offense by the Wildcats). As I expected, Rocket Sanders has found no running room at all, but 2-0 is 2-0. The Hogs face LSU in a few weeks, so I’m also interested in how good their offense looks against a competent Carolina defense.
Boston College at Mizzou (11:45 am, SEC Network, Mizzou -17). This game annoys me because Mizzou is brilliant at scheduling. They constantly land games against bad power conference opponents that end up looking good because it’s a name opponent. This week, Boston College has managed to stumble into a top-25 AP ranking even though they are not a top-25 team at all, so Mizzou will get credit for that when they beat them. Arkansas tries to schedule non-conference games and ends up with “Big 12 favorite Oklahoma State”, “Bobby Petrino in charge of an FCS school with nothing to lose”, “Hugh Freeze when he really wants an SEC job”, and “Patrick Mahomes”. Of course, Arkansas also got swept in a home-and-home with Rutgers not that long ago.
Tulane at Oklahoma (2:30 pm, ESPN, Oklahoma -13.5). Oklahoma looked awful against Houston and has struggled to throw the ball in both games. Tulane nearly upset Kansas State last week. I’d be nervous if I was a Sooner fan.
Texas A&M at Florida (2:30 pm, ABC, A&M -4). The Hogs draw the Aggies in a few weeks, so I want to see Conner Weigman in another big game. He did not look good against Notre Dame, but Notre Dame is pretty good when they aren’t playing a MAC school. Florida’s Billy Napier probably has the SEC’s hottest seat, so the desperately needs a win. Going back to Graham Mertz at quarterback instead of sticking with 5-star freshman DJ Lagway is giving off some Chad Morris vibes.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.
The latest from Fayette Villains, straight to your inbox
Enter your email to subscribe and receive new post alerts and other updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.
One thought on “The Week Ahead: Week 3”