Tag: Arkansas Cincinnati

Jadon Haselwood: “We don’t have anything prove to anybody”

Jadon Haselwood and Arkansas know they have more to leave out on the field this season.

Arkansas is playing for itself. New wide receiver Jadon Haselwood wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Oklahoma transfer caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in his team debut Saturday in the Razorbacks’ win over Cincinnati. Largely playing from the slot – a position filled last year by Treylon Burks – Haselwood was a threat every time he went out for a pass. He and Toledo transfer Matt Landers have given the Hogs a legitimate pass-catching group.

He spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of Arkansas’ game against South Carolina on Saturday about how the Hogs aren’t bothering with anyone outside the program.

“We don’t have anything to prove to anybody. We’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves, though,” Haselwood.

His words should be a comfort to Arkansas fans. Despite the fact he isn’t playing to prove anything to them, it’s clear he and the rest of the roster are motivated to achieve the biggest things they can this season.

Arkansas is coming off a 9-4 season last year, their best since 2011. After Saturday’s win over Cincinnati the Razorbacks moved up three spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 16. It’s the highest rank they’ve had since October 4 of 2021 when they were coming off a loss to eventual national champion Georgia.

The Razorbacks are likely to move up again next week if they beat South Carolina at home and start the season 2-0.

Two Arkansas defenders earn SEC Player of the Week honors

Linebacker Bumper Pool and defensive Jordan Domineck had games to remember in Arkansas’ opener.

Bumper Pool picked up Saturday right where he left off last season. Jordan Domineck’s first game at Arkansas was a boon, too.

Each of their efforts were enough to earn them SEC Player of the Week honors from the league after Week 1.

Pool, who led the SEC in tackles last year and was tied for 10th in FBS, had 13 stops, including one for-loss in Arkansas’ 31-24 win over Cincinnati on Saturday. It was his 18th career double-digit-tackle game in 27 starts.

Domineck, a transfer from Georgia Tech, didn’t start for the Razorbacks. But in a sign of the Hogs’ new depth up front, he played plenty of snaps. None were bigger than his strip-sack of quarterback Ben Bryant that he recovered on the 37. Arkansas scored two plays later for a two-touchdown lead.

Arkansas hosts South Carolina on Saturday at 11 a.m. to open SEC play.

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A quick look at how Arkansas’ 2022 opponents did in Week 1

Every team on Arkansas’ schedule picked up a victory in Week 1 heading into Sunday.

Talk about a banner week for the best conference in college football.

The SEC’s results in the opening week were perfect. Well, outside of LSU, which plays Sunday night against Florida State. But otherwise, every team in the league picked up victories. Yes, even Vanderbilt.

That’s a good news-bad news situation for Arkansas, which has the toughest schedule in the country. If the Razorbacks keep winning following Saturday’s victory over Cincinnati, the Hogs will be in spectacular position. It also means every game is going to be a dogfight.

But that was to be expected. Such is life playing in the SEC.

Here’s a quick look at how every team on Arkansas’ schedule looked in Week 1 of the college football season.

No letdown here: Arkansas beats Cincinnati to open 2022 season

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson was responsible for all four Hogs touchdowns in the win.

KJ Jefferson is that man.

The Arkansas quarterback was responsible for all four Razorbacks touchdowns in the Hogs’ 31-24 win over Cincinnati in the season opener on Saturday.

Jefferson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 62 yards and a score. His seemingly innocuous scamper for six yards with 2:22 left gave Arkansas a first down at the Cincinnati 46 and all but sealed the victory.

The Razorbacks’ transfer portal pick-ups had excellent days. Drew Sanders had the first Arkansas sack of the season. Dwight McGlothern had a 51-yard interception return. Terry Hampton had a tackle-for-loss. Landon Jackson had a 1/2 sack and five tackles. And wide receiver Jadon Haselwood caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Rocket Sanders picked up his second career 100-yard game, running 20 times for 117 yards. Trey Knox caught two of Jefferson’s touchdowns and finished with six grabs for 75 yards.

Arkansas’ defense tossed a first-half shutout, but struggled a bit in the second half after losing nickel Myles Slusher and safety Jalen Catalon with undisclosed injuries. Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant threw for 325 yards with two touchdowns and the interception.

Arkansas hosts South Carolina on September 10 to open SEC play.

Hello, Jadon! Social media reactions to Haselwood’s first Arkansas touchdown

Arkansas wide receiver Jadon Haselwood has already made an impact in his first game with the Hogs.

Much of the talk since December regarding Arkansas wide recievers was howthe Razorbacks could replace Treylon Burks.

The short answer was, well, they couldn’t. Not directly, anyway.

But Matt Landers and Jadon Haselwood arrived from Toledo and Oklahoma via the transfer portal and were both starters in their first game in an Arkansas uniform. Landers was quarterback KJ Jefferson’s favorite target in the first half.

But it was Haselwood who put the spark in the Hogs offense.

Immediately after Cincinnati cut Arkansas’ 14-0 lead to 14-7, Jefferson led the Razorbacks down the field on an eight-play, 75-yard drive. It was capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass – Jefferson’s second of the game – to Haselwood, whose adjustment at the goal line allowed it to happen.

So, no, maybe there isn’t another Burks. But at this rate, that conversation should settle quickly.

Social media reacts to KJ Jefferson’s jump-pass touchdown

If KJ Jefferson’s first half is a sign of things to come for Arkansas, the Hogs will be just fine.

KJ Jefferson is the definition of Arkansas’ human highlight reel.

The Razorbacks quarterback carried the Hogs on his back in the first half of the team’s season opener against Cincinnati. He had 54 yards rushing with a score and was 9 of 15 passing for 78 yards with a score in leading Arkansas to a 14-0 lead at the break.

The rushing touchdown came first as he scampered in from 15 yards. It was classic Jefferson as he seeks to eclipse his six rushing scores from a year ago.

But it was the touchdown toss – and yes, toss – that will make the highlight shows.

On 1st-and-goal with 15 seconds left, Jefferson took the snap and faked a run up the gut. Instead, just shy of the line of scrimmage, he flipped the ball over the top to Trey Knox, just a few feet in front of him in the end zone. Knox had to corral it, but the converted wide-receiver did just fine.

If Jefferson’s first half is a sign of things to come, Arkansas, too, will be just fine.

KJ Jefferson’s touchdown puts Arkansas on board first against Cincinnati

KJ Jefferson picked up right where he left off for the Arkansas offense.

Who else but KJ Jefferson.

The Arkansas quarterback felt a bit snubbed over the summer when he failed to make any preseason All-SEC teams. After all, he was the leading returning rusher at quarterback in the conference, having run for more than 650 yards and six touchdowns last year. Plus, he threw for 21 scores against just four interceptions.

In Saturday’s season opener against Cincinnati, Jefferson found the end zone first, running in from 15 yards with 6:18 left in the first quarter to give the Razorbacks a 7-0 lead.

The touchdown was set up by Dwight McGlothern’s interception on the previous series. The LSU transfer picked off Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant just as the Bearcats were entering Arkansas’ red zone. McGlothern stepped in front of a pass on the sideline, nabbed the ball at the Hogs’ 20 and returned to the Cincy 29.

Jefferson and the Razorbacks need just three plays to find paydirt.

What a win against No. 23 Cincinnati would mean for Arkansas

Arkansas can make a strong statement to kick off the season with a victory Saturday.

The anticipation is growing one day from the nonconference clash between the Razorbacks and Bearcats. Anytime I turn on a college football preview show, this game is being discussed with high regard.

The nation is excited about the Saturday afternoon showdown in Razorback Stadium, whether players, coaches or just the unique matchup between the two schools.

Claiming an early victory against a ranked opponent gives the Razorbacks added momentum for the rest of the season. Confidence is essential for a team that went from unranked to one of the most discussed teams in the SEC.

Not to mention, it’s an excellent way to start with the most brutal schedule in the country.

While the Bearcats lost nine players to the NFL from their College Football Playoff team a year ago, head coach Luke Fickell has been a great program during his four-year tenure.

The Bearcats have proven to be a formidable opponent for anyone in the country. This is why the Razorbacks can’t take this game lightly.

The SEC and the rest of the country are paying attention to the Hogs, but they still believe they are a tier two team in the best conference in the country. A dominant win against a non-conference opponent like Cincy should open some eyes. Star players on the offense like KJ Jefferson, Jadon Haselwood, and Rocket Sanders all have an opportunity to showcase this Razorbacks offense’s potential.

The defense can also be dominant, with depth at each position on the field, especially in the secondary.

Sam Pittman and the rest of the coaching staff have done a great job using the transfer portal to elevate this team’s value. Still, mismanagement of player personnel — especially in a game like this where the world is watching — can be a dagger to a season with great potential.

Game-week gander: These are the Cincinnati storylines heading into Saturday

We know the Bearcats haven’t named a QB, but they have to replace their NFL running back and hope to rebuild the nation’s No. 2 pass defense

It’s game week of the first week of the college football season. At this point, fans know not just everything about their team, but everything about their team’s opponent, too.

Arkansas fans have heard how good the Bearcats program is, perhaps the best in the country outside of the so-called power conferences. They’ve heard about coach Luke Fickell’s quality and how Cincinnati is lucky to still have him. And they’ve heard that Fickell admires Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman and is preparing his team for a dogfight on Saturday.

On the field, a bit less is known. Fickell is keeping his cards close to his chest, as it were. The biggest thing is that, actually. Fickell chose not to name a starting quarterback publicly.

But Cincinnati is more than just its quarterback. Last year’s College Football Playoff team has plenty of talent, but lost plenty, too. It’s a question not only of how Fickell and Co. fill those spots, but what those spots end up looking like.

Here are the Bearcats storylines heading into game day.

Opinion: Arkansas-Cincinnati isn’t a make or break game, but it’s close

Arkansas can set the standard for its whole season in Week 1 against Cincinnati.

Arkansas’ season is not lost if the Razorbacks fall in the season opener to Cincinnati on Saturday.

Coach Sam Pittman deserves every game, every down, every opportunity to build the Hogs program back from the ashes he inherited after the Chad Morris disaster in the late 2010s. And he should get it, too, especially after last year’s 9-4 season.

That season has built expectations higher in Fayetteville than they have been since the Bobby Petrino era. But for fans, it’s important to keep things in perspective.

Some prognosticators have Arkansas pegged as a 10-win team. More have them at nine. Eight is also a common number. Few who are around the team on a semi-regular basis are saying seven or fewer. Fans sometimes buy into these predications and up their expectations, accordingly.

Think, though. Would it really be a bad season if Arkansas won seven games?

No. of course not. The Razorbacks are still so close to the debacle pre-Pittman that any winning season should be considered a success. A few years from now it shouldn’t. For now, however, yes.

Arkansas plays in the SEC after all, a league that’s been considered the best in the sport for the better part of the last 15 years, if not even longer than that. Combine that with Arkansas’ still-climbing nature – meaning the Hogs aren’t among the elite just yet – and a nonconference schedule that is among the toughest in the country, too, and seven wins wouldn’t anything to sneeze at.

Cincinnati should be a tough game. The Bearcats are ranked higher than the Hogs in one of the two major polls. They’re coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, too.

If Arkansas were to fall Saturday, it would hurt. It wouldn’t be the world. It would mean the Razorbacks almost certainly aren’t reaching the 10-win threshold, but in the grand scheme of things, that isn’t required to prove Pittman is the best man for the job in the here and now.

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