FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas wasted no time basking in its win over Missouri on Friday.
Moments after the clock struck zero in the Razorbacks’ 34-17 victory, players ran to the Battle Line Trophy on the Tigers’ sideline and the scoreboard displayed a photoshopped graphic with head coach Sam Pittman sitting in a chair surrounded by the team’s spoils.
Not only did Arkansas win its rivalry game with Missouri, but it also beat Texas A&M to get the Southwest Classic trophy and LSU to get the Golden Boot trophy. Completing the set up was Larry - the bowling ball Pittman had purchased to commemorate reaching bowl eligibility with a win over Mississippi State.
Considering the Razorbacks had a five-game losing streak against the two Tigers and a nine-game losing streak against the Aggies, it was a moment worth celebrating.
“We don't have a guy on our team that had any of them - ever, not one. Not one that earned any of them,” Pittman said. “To have those three trophies in there and Larry - we didn't earn Larry, we bought him for 20 bucks - (but) to have those three trophies in there is big.”
While fans might still be resistant to calling Missouri a rival, the coaches and players seemed to be all-in on it Friday afternoon.
They made it no secret that their goal was to win all three trophies - including the one that came with winning the “Battle Line Rivalry.”
“We were chasing history,” quarterback KJ Jefferson said. “Nobody here had won the three trophies, so knowing we’ve got them now is a memorable thing. We’ll just cherish that for life.”
Here are a few other notes, tidbits and stats from the Razorbacks’ win over Missouri…
Game Ball
Friday’s victory was particularly special for Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who spent much of his adult life with the Tigers a standout player, football staffer, assistant coach and head coach. On top of that, it was his 45th birthday.
Pittman specifically mentioned Odom in his opening statement to the media following the game. Even though he decline to speak on “the situation” - Missouri’s decision to fire him after his fourth season - he said he was very happy for him.
“I had the game ball and gave it to Grant Morgan and Joe Foucha and I asked them to give it to Barry,” Pittman said. “They stood up and talked about what Coach Odom means to them, and certainly we did give him the game ball. He deserved it.”
Heading into Saturday’s slate of games, Arkansas is tied for 48th nationally in scoring defense (24.0 ppg) and tied for 59th in total defense (371.3 ypg). That is significantly better than when Odom took over the unit, as the Razorbacks were 124th (36.8 ppg) and 110th (450.7 ypg) in those categories, respectively, in 2019.
“He's a stone-cold killer and he's the spear of our team - the tip of the spear,” linebacker Hayden Henry said. “The guy is just a legend and he brings it every day. I couldn't be happier for him.”
Explosiveness from Warren
The Razorbacks’ offense, as usual, was led by Jefferson and Treylon Burks, but it also got a spark from De’Vion Warren.
It was the super senior’s 55-yard catch and run on a screen that set up Arkansas’ first touchdown after halftime and seemingly ignited the team’s second-half outburst. In the fourth quarter, he helped deliver the knock-out blow by gaining 32 yards on an end-around immediately following an interception.
Three plays later, Arkansas scored to take a commanding 34-9 lead with less than 10 minutes left. Warren finished the game with 95 all-purpose yards on three touches.
“Those are some things De'Vion did last year for us, some reverses, catching screens and making yardage off of it,” Pittman said. “I was really happy for him, especially because he came back as a super senior. To end that way out there with a win and have a good game, he looked really good today.”
