Texas will travel to Fayetteville for the first time in 17 years for the Week 2 matchup against Arkansas.
There is a long and storied history between the two programs dating back to 1894. Texas leads the series 56-22, but the Longhorns and Razorbacks have only met five times since Arkansas left for the SEC in 1992.
Texas is hoping to keep their momentum rolling after defeating No. 23 Louisiana 38-18 in Week 1. The Longhorns were composed in all three phases, but Week 2 presents several other obstacles.
Arkansas announced this week that the Sept. 11 matchup is sold out and will have nearly 80,000 fans in attendance. It’s the football program’s first sell-out since the 2017 season against TCU.
The attendance record for Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium is 76,808 when No. 1 Alabama came to town in 2010. There’s a great chance that the Texas-Arkansas matchup will break this record as there is standing room only tickets available.
It’s important for first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian to make sure the crowd is not intimidating and causing roadblocks for his players throughout preparation this week.
The Tipico betting odds for the game favor Texas (-7.5). How confident is the Longhorns Wire staff that Texas can escape Fayetteville with a win?
Staff predicts the game
| Texas (-7.5) | Record ATS | Winner | Record Overall | |
| Cami | UT | 1-0 | UT | 1-0 |
| Griffin | UT | 1-0 | UT | 1-0 |
| Kevin | UT | 1-0 | UT | 1-0 |
Cami Griffin
Traveling to Fayetteville to face Arkansas with a sold out crowd is quite a daunting task. The Razorbacks are on the rise under second-year head coach Sam Pittman, but they still have a ways to go before truly becoming a threat.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas experiences a few bumps in the road early on in this matchup considering this will be redshirt freshman quarterback Hudson Card’s first start on the road. However, Steve Sarkisian clearly had his team prepared to play in Week 1 and emotions didn’t get the best of them. Once they settled in, Texas seemingly moved the ball with ease. Arkansas committed 13 penalties in their season opener against Rice.
On the defensive side, I’m confident that the Longhorns will be able to contain the run and force quarterback K.J. Jefferson to make risky throws.
The Razorbacks held Rice to 81 rushing yards and will likely game plan to get after Bijan Robinson in order to make Card win the game. Unfortunately for Arkansas, that will bite them when Card lets it fly down field to Xavier Worthy and Joshua Moore.
Texas 37, Arkansas 24
Griffin McVeigh
Yeah, add one to the overconfident side. Also, add one to the ready to eat my words side.
A lot is being made about how hostile Arkansas’ crowd is going to be come kickoff Saturday night. Just over 80,000 fans are expected at a sold-out Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, ready to welcome Texas back for the first time since 2004.
Outside of that, not much is going in favor of the Hogs.
Texas’ offense is the better one with Bijan Robinson leading the way. Despite Rice only going for 81 rushing yards last week, Arkansas gave up nearly 200 a game last year. Robinson will be able to run free. Especially with star linebacker Bumper Pool out for the first half due to a targeting penalty.
Covering Treylon Burks will be the most difficult defensive task. But, I am going to have to back Pete Kwiatkowski’s squad to once again hold opponents to under 20 points.
Early momentum from Texas quiets the Arkansas faithful and turns into a blowout just after the halftime break.
Texas 41, Arkansas 17
Kevin Borba
I’m probably not as worried as I should be, but I was honestly really impressed with the way both sides of the ball played against Louisiana. On the other hand, Arkansas’ win over Rice showed me how much their offense depends on quarterback K.J. Jefferson to do everything.
The Arkansas hostility might get to Hudson Card a tad at first, but he is so even-keeled that it won’t ruin his game. If Card, who completed 14-of-21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, can get any glimpse of protection by his offensive line, it’s a wrap for the Razorbacks. If he even remotely struggles, the Longhorns can just feed Bijan Robinson and he seems to have an answer for any problem.
K.J. Jefferson has a great ability to create something out of nothing with his legs, but he is not a gifted passer by any means. If Texas can prevent him from scrambling, and force him to beat them through the air, Arkansas will not succeed at all.
Texas is poised to win a game that was once a huge rivalry, and is now just another matchup.
Texas 35, Arkansas 15