FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Arkansas Razorbacks are in the middle of a three-game losing streak, and they will head to Provo, Utah, on Saturday to face BYU, who is also coming off a loss last weekend.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is not pressing the panic button just yet on the team, but they have a lot of ground to make up if they hope to call this season a success.
Here are the five biggest questions heading into Saturday's contest against the Cougars, which is set to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN:
1. How will KJ Jefferson perform coming back from injury?
Jefferson hasn't seen the field since suffering a head injury in the fourth quarter of the game against Alabama, though he did dress out and travel with the team to Starkville last weekend.
For the season, Jefferson has completed 66% of his passes for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns compared to just one interception.
He will have his hands full on Saturday heading into Provo, Utah, as his first game back from injury. The game is a sellout for BYU, and the Cougars are also looking for redemption coming off a 28-20 loss to Notre Dame a week ago.
2. Can the Hogs stay composed in hostile environment?
As mentioned previously, Saturday's game at BYU is a sellout, and the BYU administration is also calling for a whiteout. It will be a raucous, loud and rowdy environment, something the Hogs have only experienced once this season, which was last week in Starkville.
How will the Hogs respond to the crazy environment?
Last week, they committed ten total penalties for 84 yards, something that has plagued the team all season. Staying out of long down-and-distance situations will need to be an emphasis if the Razorbacks want to keep their offense on the field.
3. Can Arkansas' defense force turnovers?
The much-maligned secondary of Arkansas has only forced three interceptions on the season, all of which have come through LSU transfer Dwight McGlothern. The last time they forced a turnover was against Alabama, when McGlothern hauled in an interception on the first drive of the game.
Against Mississippi State, the defense whiffed on at least three opportunities for interceptions, unable to come down with the ball. Pittman said it would have made a difference if they "could just hold on to a pick or two."
4. Can BYU stop the rushing attack of Arkansas?
Last week, BYU allowed Notre Dame to rush for 234 yards. For perspective, Notre Dame averages 173 yards on the ground per contest.
For all of their offensive struggles, Arkansas still managed 241 yards on the ground against Mississippi State, and they will need to continue that attack against the Cougars. The time of possession game will be important to giving the defense the rest it needs and limited the amount of time BYU has its offense on the field.
5. Can the defensive line get back on track with pressure?
Even after not touching Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers once last Saturday, Arkansas still leads the SEC in team sacks with 21. That lack of pressure came as injuries forced Pittman to adjust their game plan.
"We were going to go to (quarterback pressure) a little bit earlier, but then we started losing some guys," Pittman said after the game. "When (Myles) Slusher didn't come, and then we lost two more, then it's hard to have a tremendous confidence in doing a whole lot, to be perfectly honest with you."
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall only threw for 120 yards against Notre Dame, but has passed for 1,558 yards and 14 touchdowns so far on the season.
He was sacked twice last week, so the defensive line will need to get pressure and rattle Hall early if they hope to be able to affect the passing game.
