The Arkansas Razorbacks will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 17 days when Western Carolina visits War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday, September 2 for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff.
Here at HawgBeat, we will count down the days until head coach Sam Pittman and his team run through the “A” for the first time.
With 17 days remaining, we will take a look at a current player, former player, some interesting scores, highlights and other miscellaneous things in Razorback history tied to the number 17.
Highlights:
Current Player: #17 Tyrone Broden
A 6-foot-7 redshirt senior wide receiver from Detroit, Broden played his first four seasons at Bowling Green. There, he caught 74 passes for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 16.2 yards per catch.
The West Bloomfield High School product was a two-star prospect before entering the college ranks.
After sustaining an injury that left him sidelined for most of spring practice, Broden is healthy and pushing for a starting spot with the Razorbacks in fall camp.
Former Player: #17 Nathan Emert
A Fayetteville native, Emert transferred to the Razorbacks from Missouri Southern before his junior season. After not recording any statistics during 2006, the quarterback made 21 completions for 288 yards and two touchdowns in 2007.
Emert elected to forego his final season of eligibility in 2008 to become the worship pastor at the Church of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He was last an offensive graduate assistant coach for Colorado, where he assisted with the Buffaloes' offensive line.
1979: Arkansas 17 - Texas 14
Lou Holtz led the Razorbacks into War Memorial Stadium against the Longhorns in a game that had national implications at the time.
In the first quarter, Texas running back Jam Jones scampered in for a 37-yard touchdown run to give the Longhorns a 7-0 lead.
The Razorbacks countered with a Gary Anderson 28-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The two teams went into halftime knotted up at seven apiece.
Arkansas went on to score the next 10 points via a Kevin Scanlon touchdown pass to Darryl Mason and an Ish Ordonez 31-yard field goal. Now up 17-7, the Razorbacks had their eyes on victory.
With just over five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Texas brought the game within three points on a Donnie Little touchdown needle-threading pass to tight end Lawrence Sampleton.
Arkansas' offense stalled on its next drive, giving Texas one last chance to take the lead. Linebacker Billy Ray Smith sacked Little twice, but the Longhorns still managed to get the ball in position for a 51-yard field goal to tie the game. Kicker John Goodson gave it his best, but the wind was too much to overcome.
Arkansas ran out the clock and handed the Longhorns their first loss of the season.
Joe Adams' 17 career touchdown receptions
Joe Adams was an electrifying player to watch during his four-year career with the Razorbacks. The wide receiver caught 164 passes for 2,410 yards and 17 touchdowns from 2008-11.
"The Jet" was more than just a touchdown catcher though, some of his best plays came on special teams. In 2011, Adams returned 19 punts for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
Following his collegiate career, Adams was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. In nine professional games, he returned 11 punts for 208 yards.
