Six players to watch in Arkansas first SEC matchup of the season

Six for South Carolina and six for the Hogs. These will be the difference makers.

Razorback Stadium gets its first SEC matchup of the season with Arkansas hosting the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday.

Both teams won their season openers, the Hogs taking on a much more challenging opponent in Cincinnati, who was ranked in last Saturday’s duel. The Razorbacks had to go through a physical battle with the Bearcats.

Arkansas suffered two big losses in the secondary, Jalen Catalou and Myles Slusher unable to finish the game. Both players are listed as questionable. 

Losing an All-American safety doesn’t help the Hogs, especially after the secondary struggled in the second half against the Bearcats. Gamecocks’ quarterback Spencer Rattler poses a tougher challenge than Ben Bryant, who threw two touchdowns in the second half.

The Hogs have a 73% chance of winning, according to FPI. South Carolina is currently on a three-game winning streak against the Hogs, the last matchup coming in 2017. Head coach Shane Beamer will rely heavily on his “Beamer Ball” special teams to keep the streak alive.