FAYETTEVILLE — Just two games in, Georgia Southern has already been ravaged by injuries this year and found out this week that it’d be without another two defensive starters.
Inside linebacker Marques Watson-Trent and cornerback Derrick Canteen have suffered season-ending injuries that require surgery, head coach Chad Lunsford announced Thursday.
Watson-Trent went down with a torn ACL late in the Eagles’ opener, while Canteen tore his right pectoral muscle early in their loss to Florida Atlantic last week. Canteen was a Freshman All-American in 2020, when he tied for the national lead with six interceptions.
Georgia Southern is now down three starters on defense, as it also lost inside linebacker Todd Bradley-Glenn to a torn biceps muscle in its first preseason scrimmage.
On the other side of the ball, running back J.D. King - who began his career at Oklahoma State - has yet to return to the field after suffering a torn ACL midway through last season. He likely won’t make his season debut until the Eagles’ conference-opener against Louisiana next week.
Here are a few other tidbits and stats to know ahead of the Arkansas-Georgia Southern game at 3 p.m. CT Saturday…
Finally Ranked Again
For the first time in five years, Arkansas is a top-25 college football team. It checked in at No. 20 in this week’s AP Poll and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll after beating Texas 40-21.
Head coach Sam Pittman didn’t shy away from the ranking when asked about it earlier this week.
“I think we're a top-25 team and I'm proud that we are,” Pittman said. “I'm not afraid to be ranked 20, 24, 1, whatever it may be. Those polls don't mean a lot at this time, but to say I don't think we deserve to be in the Top 25 is (not true). I do, I think we deserve to be there. I'm proud that we are and I don't think it will affect the way we play."
Point Spread, FPI/SP+ Odds
The Razorbacks opened as 18-point favorites against Georgia Southern, but that point spread has since risen to 23.5 at most places.
If that spread holds, it’d be the most points Arkansas has been favored by against an FBS opponent since Coastal Carolina came to Fayetteville as a 24-point underdog in 2017. The Chanticleers nearly pulled off an upset in that gave before falling 39-38.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) gives the Razorbacks a 96.8 percent chance to beat the Eagles, while the SP+ projects Arkansas to cover the spread with a 39-13 win.
