Tag: KJ Jefferson

‘F’ This Team: Grading Arkansas’ 2023 season, position by position

Most Arkansas positional units were harder to grade than you might think. Except the offensive line. That was easy.

It’s report card season at Razorbacks Wire.

All you need to pass the course is a C. Anything worse than that can result in revocation of your scholarship. The question, Arkansas, is did you make it?

Silly introductions aside, grading the Razorbacks in the 2023 football season was actually a bit harder than normal. Injuries shook things up, weighing one unit’s defeciencies against another’s was tricky, one group had some great and some awful.

Arkansas was just a mess in all possible ways this fall. The Razorbacks were bad, but not *that* bad, ya know?

So, we gave them a grade accordingly. It’s up to you to determine whether they advance or if they have to re-take the course.

Opinion: KJ Jefferson should end his career where he wants

And it shouldn’t be at Arkansas, where too many outside the program took him for granted.

You can tell me about Ryan Mallett.

You can tell me about Tyler Wilson.

You can go on and on about Matt Jones and Clint Stoerner.

I will listen. I will hear argument. I will look at numbers and game film and every other thing you bring to the table.

Barring some kind of miracle, I’ll come to the same conclusion I was leaning toward before the 2024 season even began.

“KJ Jefferson is the best quarterback in Arkansas history.”

One thing I wasn’t anticipating writing before the season began, though?

“And, if I were him, I would finish my career somewhere other than Arkansas.”

Jefferson’s Arkansas career may have come to end Friday night. He injured his leg in the second quarter against Missouri and did not return. In a season in which the Razorbacks allowed 47 sacks – the most ever, according to the immediately available records – Jefferson was hurt when he was tackled. In a Jeffersonian twist, he was hurt when he was tackled after a 22-yard run.

The man with Matt Jones’ legs, Brandon Allen’s guts and Ryan Mallett’s make-it-happen mentality, Jefferson set Arkansas records for passing yards and passing touchdowns for a career in an otherwise mediocre individual season and a poor team season. Only Jones has more yards rushing from a Razorbacks quarterback.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman would be wise, as would Arkansas’ NIL crew, to try everything possible to get Jefferson to return for a sixth year with the Hogs. But after a 4-8 record in which he was battered and beaten and tossed aside by the people who should have been praising him, Jefferson’s best interests lie elsewhere.

Seriously, head over to Razorbacks Wire and read what a majority of fans post about him. It’s shameful. Oh, they love him when he’s running people over. But when Arkansas loses, he should be benched for Jacolby Criswell, they say.

Jefferson is, as the phrase, goes, built different. Arkansas didn’t do him any favors on the field, nor off it, almost never bringing him into post-game press conferences. Unless, of course, Jefferson had something to say negative about the program, which is a distinct possibility, albeit a longshot one.

To be so casually mistreated, like he was just another number, just another player, I’d sure be sick of it, anyway. And as the plan even before the Missouri game was likely that Jefferson was finished in Fayetteville, it’s hard to imagine anything that happened Friday changing his mind.

So whether’s it Mississippi State or Southern Miss. or literally anywhere else, Jefferson should go where he will be appreciated for a final season of college football. Assuming he wants it.

He surely deserved better in Fayetteville.

Photo gallery: Arkansas’ 48-14 loss to Missouri in Battle Line Rivalry

Here are the best photos from Arkansas’ loss to Missouri on Friday in the Battle Line Rivalry.

Arkansas is simply owned by Missouri, as sad as those words are to type.

Missouri won its second consecutive and seventh in eight tries over the Razorbacks on Friday before a mild 59,487 in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks (4-8) now go into an offseason full of uncertainty and with a coach who is likely going to be on the hot seat for 2024 regardless of what Hunter Yurachek publicly says.

Missouri, meanwhile, clinched 10 wins and will be awaiting a likely New Year’s Six bowl matchup and a chance to win 11 games and finish in the top eight nationally.

Here are the best images from the tenth installment of the Battle Line Rivalry presented by Shelter Insurance on Friday.

Hog fans skeptical on social media about last football game of season

Arkansas will wrap up it’s football season today with a trophy showdown with No. 10 Missouri.

Despite the woeful season the Arkansas football team has had, a few fans are still interested in the outcome of today’s game against No. 10 Missouri in the annual Battle Line Rivalry.

All the Razorbacks have to play for now is pride, which should generate some, with a win over a Top 10 team.

Here is some of the scuttlebutt that hit X (Twitter) prior to the game:

Arkansas handles Florida International comfortably, 44-20

Arkansas is back in the win column, dispatching Florida International on Saturday night in Fayetteville.

Arkansas got its first win in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium since September 9 on Saturday night.

KJ Jefferson threw for three touchdowns and Dominique Johnson rumbled for a touchdown as the Razorbacks got past Conference USA’s Florida International, 44-20 in front of 61,442 fans (it wasn’t that many).

Alfahiym Walcott stripped a FIU player and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, the fifth defensive touchdown of the year for Arkansas, although it was ruled an interception return.

Cam Little uncharacteristically missed two field goals but still made three as well and converted all of his extra points.

Arkansas outgained the visiting Panthers 510-341 and racked up 24 first downs.

Isaiah Augustave, a freshman who has only seen spot duty this season, ended up being the leading rusher and crossed the century mark with 101 yards on 14 totes.

Jefferson ended up breaking the career passing yards record early in the first half. He now holds that, the career touchdowns mark and the total yards from scrimmage mark.

The Razorbacks will be back in action on Friday at 3 p.m., with the Missouri Tigers coming to town for the Battle Line Rivalry on CBS.

Watch: Jefferson strikes again, connecting with Broden to give Arkansas the lead

Jefferson hit Broden on a slant to boost his all-time touchdown record at Arkansas.

KJ Jefferson isn’t going out softly.

The Arkansas quarterback set the school’s all-time passing touchdown record in the first quarter against Florida International, then he followed it up in the second to give Arkansas the lead.

Jefferson found Tyrone Broden for a four-yard score to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive that put the Razorbacks ahead, 14-13, with 11:58 left in the quarter. The touchdown pass was Jefferson’s 66th in his career.

To that point, Jefferson was 8 of 13 passing for 87 yards and was responsible for both Arkansas scores.

The Razorbacks have not won at home since Week 2 against Kent State and will finish the season next week, the day after Thanksgiving, against Missouri.

Watch: KJ Jefferson finds Jaedon Wilson to open scoring against FIU

Jefferson set the Arkansas all-time passing touchdown record (65) with the score.

If Florida International is just going to give Arkansas a chance, the Razorbacks will sure enough take it.

Jaedon Wilson opened the scoring Saturday night against FIU when he hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from KJ Jefferson on Arkansas’ first drive of the game.

The drive was only five plays long and went just 32 yards after the Panthers inexplicably went for it on 4th-and-3 in their own territory. An incomplete pass was the result and Arkansas took over in easy position.

Jefferson went 2 for 3 passing on the drive with completions to Wilson and Isaac TeSlaa and Rocket Sanders rushed twice for 15 yards, as well.

The Razorbacks have not won at home since Week 2 against Kent State and have just three wins total on the season.

Arkansas – Auburn: LIVE updates, scores and highlights from second half

Auburn is running away with this one after a truly awful first half from the Hogs. Here’s live updates from the second half in Fayetteville.

Mercifully, the first half in Fayetteville has come to an end. Arkansas finds themselves trailing Auburn 27-3 after an abysmal 30 minutes of football.

Over the course of two quarters, the Hogs were outplayed in all three phases of the game and looked completely unprepared to play today. The offensive line can’t block, the defense can’t finish tackles and special teams continue to prove costly.

[autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] finished the first half 6-12 for just 50 yards passing. He also has just 37 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Four of those attempts were sacks, as Jefferson was pressured the entire half.

Auburn outgained the Hogs 227-110 in total offense and that’s a big reason why the score is so lopsided.

Follow along below for live updates, scores and highlights from all of the second half action between the Razorbacks and Tigers in Fayetteville.

Brian’s Column: How Auburn can set the tone for the rest of the season

The Auburn Tigers have played much better the last two weeks, but they still have work to do if they hop to finish the season strong.

The Auburn Tigers are back on track after a four-game losing streak to open SEC play.

Over the last two weeks, the Auburn offense has scored 58 points after scoring just 69 the four weeks prior.

Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has been above-average while running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and the offensive line have carried the load.

The Tigers defense, which has been good all season, has been extra spectacular, allowing just two touchdowns in as many games.

This team is playing good football right now, but with a road test this week against Arkansas and the Iron Bowl against Alabama looming, Auburn is going to have to be great if they hope to finish the season on a high note.

The first thing they need to do to make that jump is avoid mistakes.

Payton Thorne has been solid for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s offense lately, but he did make some critical mistakes against Vanderbilt, the worst of which came on this easy pick-six for the Commodores.

The Auburn quarterback also had an interception dropped in the game.

Turnovers are always going to happen, but unforced errors like this one are going to be detrimental against better teams.

On the defensive side of the ball, Auburn is going to have to avoid mistakes in coverage against [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] this week, and Jalen Milroe in the season’s final game.

Breakdowns like this simply cannot happen. The Vanderbilt offense sends two players down seam routes, and both are inexplicably left wide open due to confusion in the Auburn secondary.

Getting rid of mistakes is important, but Auburn will also have to step up a few parts of their game that are still subpar, the first being wide receiver play.

The Tigers’ passing offense has not been good this year. Auburn’s passing yards rank well in the bottom third of the SEC despite a solid last two games, and the turnovers have been an issue all year long.

It’s easy to put most of the blame for that on quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], and while most of it is deserving, the people he is throwing the ball to haven’t helped him out much.

Auburn is going to have to throw the ball this week on the road if they hope to win. In order to do that, [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag], and the rest of the Tigers pass catchers have to make plays for their quarterback.

Arkansas will bring pressure with man coverage, so will Alabama. Auburn needs to throw the ball, at the very least for some first downs, in order to dictate how their offense will look instead of relying on the big play.

If they can do that, they’ll sustain drives. That not only helps the offense get into a rhythm, but it keeps an Auburn defense off the field that seems to be on it more often than not.

The Auburn Tigers can finish the regular season 8-4, but in order to do that they need to avoid mistakes and improve offesnivley.

Relying on the run game, big plays, and a good defense being perfect just won’t work.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Auburn at Arkansas: How to Watch, Listen and Stream on Saturday

Arkansas will host Auburn Saturday at 3 p.m., looking for a second straight victory.

The Arkansas football team will try to make it two wins in a row for the first time since opening the season with a pair of non-conference victories in early September, as Auburn comes to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium today for a 3 p.m. kickoff.

With the Hogs currently favored by 2.5 points over the Tigers, Fox Sports gives the home team a 57.3 percent chance to win the game.

Arkansas (3-6, 1-5 SEC) is coming off of a 39-36 overtime win against Florida in the Swamp, the program’s first victory in Gainesville. The win also snapped the Razorback’s six-game losing streak. Since losing four SEC games in a row, Auburn (5-4, 2-4 SEC) has bounced back with back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt the last two weeks.

The Razorbacks hope senior quarterback KJ Jefferson can continue his record-setting season, as he sits just 148 yards from breaking Tyler Wilson’s record of 7,765 career passing yards, and one touchdown away from breaking Brandon Allen’s school-record 64 passing TDs.

Fortunately, running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders returned with a nice bang last week, securing the Hogs’ first 100-yard rushing performance of the season, Sanders, who had missed the majority of the season with a knee injury, rushed 18 times for 103 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per tote.

Auburn defeated Arkansas 21-15 when the team’s first met in the 1984 Liberty Bowl. All the games between the two since then have come as members of the Southeastern Conference, with the Tigers holding an overall 19-12 advantage against the Hogs.

Sam Pittman is in his fourth season as Arkansas’ top Hog, with an overall record of 22-23. He has gone 11-21 in the SEC, after taking over a program that had lost 21 straight conference games. Hugh Freeze is in his first year as head coach at Auburn, but brought his No. 23 Liberty team to Fayetteville last season and defeated Arkansas, 21-19. Including the five seasons he was the head coach at Ole Miss, Freeze is 3-3 all-time against the Hogs.

How to Watch:

  • Date: Saturday, November 11
  • Time: 3 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: SEC Network, and SEC+, ESPN+
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
  • Radio: Aired across the state on the Razorback Sports Network, or get the radio stream FREE on the Arkansas Razorbacks app.