Fresh off of a 38-31 home loss to the BYU Cougars, Arkansas is entering a brutal stretch of four consecutive SEC games away from Fayetteville.
The Hogs will face the likes of LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss during the stretch, which will start with a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday with the Golden Boot on the line. The matchup with the Tigers is one in which the Razorbacks will be 18-point underdogs.
It’s no secret that the Hogs have struggled on offense to start the season, as they've only produced 21 points against Kent State and 24 points against BYU after scoring 56 against Western Carolina in Week 1.
The offensive line has struggled to generate any push, and a knee injury to running back Rocket Sanders hasn’t helped the matter. Offensive coordinator Dan Enos will be looking for a way to jumpstart the offense, and the key to that could lie in the passing game – specifically with the size that Arkansas has in the wide receiver room.
Florida State used receiver size to its advantage in a 45-24 win over LSU in Week 1. Star quarterback Jordan Travis threw for 342 yards and four TDs in the contest, but he had his impressive pass-catchers to thank.
Michigan State transfer receiver Keon Coleman caught nine passes for 122 yards and three scores, while Johnny Wilson recorded seven receptions for 104 yards. Coleman (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and Wilson (6-foot-7, 237 pounds) used their size to dominate the Tigers’ secondary en route to victory.
While LSU gave up an average of 132 passing yards per game in wins over Grambling and Mississippi State since, neither of those two teams have the weapons that Arkansas does.
Enos could try and replicate what Florida State did on Saturday night with transfers Andrew Armstrong (6-foot-4, 201 pounds), Isaac TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 216 pounds) and Tyrone Broden (6-foot-7, 195 pounds) at his disposal.
"Those guys catch everything," head coach Sam Pittman said on Sept. 4. "We’re catching the ball really well, contested balls really well. I know Andrew and TeSlaa especially. We need to get Broden going. Need to get him going."
Armstrong and TeSlaa have already proven themselves as starters, and are currently Arkansas’ two leading receivers. The former has caught 18 passes for 197 yards and three scores, while the latter has caught 10 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown.
Pittman has explicitly mentioned Broden as someone that the Hogs need to get more involved. With great size and a sprint speed clocked at 22 miles per hour, he presents a matchup nightmare for defenses physically, but he's struggled with drops in practice and games. What Broden has done well is serving as a very impressive gunner on the punt team.
"I wish we could get him the ball because I think he is really good," Pittman said. "(BYU had) a punter that punts it about 55 yards every single time and I don't know if that’s because of the air difference and all that kind of stuff on a punted ball. I know he’s really good.
"I don't know if they're gonna double (Broden) or not or what. Right now people can't handle him 1-on-1. He’s done a really good job. For a transfer kid like that to not be getting the balls that he wants and to continue to play like he has says a lot about who he is."
To effectively attack LSU through the air, the Razorbacks’ pass protection has to improve. Quarterback KJ Jefferson was sacked four times against BYU, and the Cougars also registered four quarterback hurries.
The job for the big men up front won’t get any easier against LSU, which has star pass rushers Maason Smith, Mekhi Wingo and Harold Perkins — who had three sacks against Arkansas last year.
"With Perkins, he can do so many things," Pittman said. "He’s probably as fast as anybody they have on their team. He’s very instinctive, but he is fast, and he will hit you. I mean he’s just a really good player."
If the offensive line can protect Jefferson and give the receivers time to get open against an LSU secondary that has been exploited before, then the Hogs will be able to have success throwing the ball and compensate for their struggling rushing attack.
The highest graded LSU defensive back by Pro Football Focus (minimum 70 snaps) is cornerback Denver Harris, who has a 65.2 grade. The average grade of LSU's three defensive backs with at least 100 snaps played — Zy Alexander, Andre Sam and Major Burns — is 60.9.
One key piece the Tigers will be without in the secondary is Greg Brooks Jr., who is a former Razorback (2019-21). Brooks had a brain tumor successfully removed Friday.
"We’re just continuing to pray for him," Pittman said Wednesday. "In a nutshell, and I mean this with all my heart, he’s a wonderful, wonderful kid. And that didn’t change when he decided to go back to his home state of Louisiana. We have prayed and will continue to pray every day for his health."
Arkansas will take on the Tigers on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
