College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Arkansas Razorbacks season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Arkansas Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 in SEC
Head Coach: Sam Pittman, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 96
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 121
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 61
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Arkansas Razorbacks Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Hogs brought in a head coach who was supposed to be all about cranking up the offense, and Chad Morris could never make it happen in his two years. Now he’s the offensive coordinator at Auburn.
Enter Sam Pittman, a career assistant who mostly dealt with offensive lines in his 16 previous gigs, including at Arkansas under in the mid-2010s. He might not have any head coaching experience outside of the high school and community college level, but he brought in a few coordinators to help make up for that.
CFN in 60 Video: Arkansas Razorbacks Preview
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In comes Kendal Briles, who couldn’t get the offense rolling at Florida State last year as the OC, but will try to up the tempo and create something that can compete with the rest of the high-powered attacks in the SEC West.
Improving the nation’s 111th best offense that averaged 340 yards and 21 points per game – and failed to score more than 24 points ten times in 12 games – starts with getting more out of the passing game. Five different quarterbacks combined to miss more than half of their throws, connect on just 5.7 yards per pass, and threw 14 touchdown passes with 15 interceptions.
Fortunately, this could be a big plus area with Florida’s Feleipe Franks transferring in after throwing for 4,593 yards and 38 touchdowns with 17 picks and eight rushing scores before suffering a broken leg last year. He’s expected to be fine for the season, but redshirt freshman KJ Jefferson is another promising option who struggled as a freshman, but has the skills to grow into something dangerous.
– The rest of the skill parts are at least experienced. Rakeem Boyd was a bright spot with a team-high 1,133 rushing yards and eight scores, and Arizona State transfer Trelon Smith should be ready to go as a speedy all-around option in the mix.
The top seven wide receivers are expected back along with high-end tight end prospect Hudson Henry. Trelon Burks is a huge 6-3, 231-pound target who led the way with 475 receiving yards on his 29 catches, but he failed to score.
Mike Woods tied for the team lead with 33 catches and four touchdowns, and Trey Knox is a 6-5, 203-pound potential matchup problem who made plenty of plays – this is a very big, very young group that could blow up fast.
– Considering Pittman’s talent as an offensive line coach, there’s no reason to not be decent up front right away. This was a relative positive last season, with the line doing a decent job in pass protection while paving the way for Boyd. This group could be far more consistent and stronger, but four starters are back – only losing left guard Austin Capps – along with most of the key backups.