Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said Monday that it was time to "saddle up" freshman running back Braylen Russell for Saturday's game at Mississippi State, and the Benton High School product delivered a strong performance in the 58-25 domination of the Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
With star running back Ja'Quinden Jackson unavailable due to an ankle injury, Russell's number was called on by the Hogs' fifth-year head coach. The former four-star recruit out of Benton High School answered the call with 16 carries for 175 yards — both career-highs.
To make matters worse for the Arkansas offense, backup tailback Rodney Hill was also out for the game with a knee injury. That made Russell's role even more important for Saturday's game, and a Monday meeting with head coach Sam Pittman definitely increased the confidence for Russell.
"My meeting with him (on Monday) was more, ‘Hey, I got confidence in you,'" Pittman said postgame. "We got a good relationship and I wanted him to know that the head coach thought a lot of him and that I was excited for him to take over. He didn’t say a whole lot. Last night, I said, ‘Hey man, don’t make me look like a fool.’ I start running my mouth and then of course in the locker room he said, ‘I don’t think I’ve made you look like a fool coach.’ I said, ‘No I appreciate you for that.’ But he’s a really good kid and had a hell of a game."
Russell accounted for 186 of the Razorbacks' 673 (!) total yards of offense against Mississippi State. Though he didn't score any touchdowns, he did burst for a 75-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, which was his last run of the game.
It was slightly concerning at the end of that 75-yard run, as Russell looked like he ran out of gas and then he was favoring his leg with what looked like a cramp or hamstring issue. Pittman said postgame that Russell was fine, and the 253-pound bruiser of a running back confirmed that himself.
"The hammy’s fine," Russell said postgame. "I just got scared a little bit but the hammy’s fine. But today, just trusting and believing in God. God gave me the ability to go out there and do my thing and trust in my teammates and they trust in me."
Prior to Saturday, Russell's season-high in carries was nine (UAB) and his season-high in rush yards was 62 (Tennessee). He averaged 10.9 yards per carry and also caught the lone target he had for 11 yards.
Junior running back Rashod Dubinion also ran 11 times for 98 yards in the contest, and quarterback Taylen Green added eight carries for 79 yards and one score on the ground.
Next up, Arkansas will host Ole Miss next Saturday at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Kickoff will be at either 11 a.m. or 11:45 a.m. CT on ABC, ESPN or SEC Network.
