Tag: Missouri State

Cuonzo Martin returns to former school

Former Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin returns to former school.

Cuonzo Martin was hired as Missouri State’s men’s basketball head coach on Wednesday.

“Zo is an experienced coach who has consistently won at the Division I level,” Missouri State director of athletics Kyle Moats said. “One of the things that stands out about him is that he really wants to be at Missouri State. He is respected both nationally and here in our community, and he brings instant credibility to our program. His track record with our donors, our fans and our students will make this an easy transition. In my opinion, there was not a better coach out there to lead our young men.”

Martin served as Missouri State’s head coach from 2008-11, compiling a 61-41 record.

He left Missouri State to serve as Tennessee’s head coach. Martin was with the Vols from 2011-14 and compiled a 63-41 record and appeared in one NCAA Tournament.

Lady Vols defeat Missouri State, South Dakota in Tennessee Invitational

Laura Mealer hits four home runs as Tennessee defeats Bears and Coyotes in Tennessee Invitational.

No. 8 Tennessee (16-4) opened play in the Tennessee Invitational Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lady Vols run-ruled Missouri State (3-11), 16-0 in five innings. Tennessee also defeated South Dakota (10-11), 6-0, in game No. 2.

Laura Mealer went 3-for-3, recording three home runs and five RBIs, while Kiki Milloy went 3-for-4 with four runs and one RBI for Tennessee.

McKenna Gibson went 3-for-3, recording one double, four RBIs and two runs, while Zaida Puni went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run for the Lady Vols.

Tennessee’s Payton Gottshall (6-2) pitched four innings, recording five strikeouts. Charli Orsini pitched one inning and recorded one strikeout.

In game No. 2, Mealer and Puni each hit one home run, while Milloy went 2-for-4, recording one double, one RBI, one run and one stolen base.

Karlyn Pickens pitched a complete game for Tennessee, recording 13 strikeouts.

BYU will be a barometer of where this Razorbacks team is

The BYU game Saturday night will be a litmus test of where this Arkansas football team is heading into SEC play.

Fans didn’t learn much in the first two games about this Arkansas football team.

When playing a FCS and then one of the weaker FBS schools in America, not only is it hard to motivate players to get up for those opponents, but it also isn’t a good gauge of how good your team ultimately is because theoretically, a team could sleepwalk through the majority of the game and still win.

Essentially, that’s what Arkansas did against Kent State.

“What’s amazing is first two game weeks, what’s amazing is that you prepare for the first game and it’s like ‘when is it going to get here?” Pittman said. “As you prepare nine days out, you’re assuming the guys are going to be hyped up because it’s first game of the year. Second game, you can prepare them all you want, as urgent as you want. They have to accept there’s a reason for urgency. Sometimes it’s simply who you’re playing.”

With BYU coming to town Saturday night, however, along with a national television audience on ESPN2, this will be the chance for the Razorbacks to show out.

Last year, Missouri State came into Fayetteville at this juncture of the season and very nearly pulled off a major upset.

At the time, people chalked that up to the Bobby Petrino return factor, and that Arkansas was looking ahead to the SEC opener with Texas A&M.

Maybe that was the case.

However, if Arkansas thinks they can afford to do that again, BYU will walk out of here with a victory.

“BYU, I know this, last year BYU was an urgent game,” Pittman said. “It was a must-win for us. It is now. It’s hard to beat a team that hasn’t lost. Both of us haven’t, so someone is going to have to. I think our kids understand the urgency of this game.”

Notre Dame Sets Four Records on First Day of Shamrock Invitational

Notre Dame only has Missouri State as an opponent for this year’s Shamrock Invitational, but it’s not going to take it easy on the visitors.

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Notre Dame only has Missouri State as an opponent for this year’s Shamrock Invitational, but it’s not going to take it easy on the visitors. After the first day, the Irish have a 203-35 lead. Just as impressive as that lead is the fact that they set four pool records.

Jack Hoagland set two of the records with times of 4 minutes, 15.39 seconds in the 500-meter freestyle and 3:43.78 in the 400 individual medley. Charles Korndorffer finished with a 47.22 in the 100 butterfly. The final record came in the 200 medley relay compliments of Josh Bottelberghe, Topher Stensby, Cason Wilburn and Brendan Santana. That team finished its run in 1:26.23.

Coach Mike Litzinger was happy to see this beginning performance by his team in this final tuneup before championship season:

“The whole trick when you swim a championship format is not only the performance you just did, but what the future performance the next day or the next morning is going to look like. You have to prepare for that just as intensely as you’re prepared for the event that’s happening right now.

That’s just good practice for the end of the year when you swim multiple times over multiple days. You need to find a routine, and once you lock that routine in, you learn how to recover: fuel properly, use all our recovery tools that we have available to us. Then, all of a sudden, you’re ready to perform at a championship level.”

Arkansas comeback win against Missouri State is a positive, not a negative

Arkansas was tested. They passed. That can only help things going forward.

What was supposed to be a hostile environment for Bobby Petrino turned into a coming-out party for his Missouri State Bears.

The Hogs still came out on top 38-27, but they trailed for most of the game. Arkansas trailed for three straight quarters before completing a 21-point fourth quarter that kept their undefeated record going.

Also, this is the third consecutive game against Missouri State where the Hogs scored a touchdown from specials teams.

It was hard not to be impressed with the Bears. They pushed the Hogs to the limit with big plays on both sides of the ball. The forced fumble at the goal line, Jason Shelley’s spin cycle rushing touchdown, and the touchdown on 4th-and-1 in the second half. The FCS world was put on notice with this performance.

And we have to give credit to Petrino. He made sure the Bears were ready.

While it may not seem like it, this is a positive for the Hogs. Missouri State controlled the time of possession by 12 minutes which was a first for the Razorbacks. Arkansas was forced to use a limited amount of possessions, which could be a problem for this pro-style offense.

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Quarterback pressure the ultimate deciding factor in Arkansas’ win over Missouri State

Arkansas relied heavily on quarterback sacks in their comeback win over Missouri State on Saturday night.

The Arkansas defense left the field following Saturday night’s win over Missouri State with areas of concern.

For the third straight week, the No. 10 Razorbacks allowed over 350 yards of passing. There were also tackling concerns, as well as a few committed penalties that helped the opposition.

However, there was one aspect of the stat sheet that Arkansas’ defense performed well in, and that was making stops behind the line of scrimmage.

In Saturday’s 38-27 win over Missouri State, the defense hurried the quarterback five times, made nine tackles for loss, and sacked quarterback Jason Shelley eight times.

Head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] said after the game that he is proud of his defense for making so sacks because Missouri State’s offensive line, as well as Shelley, provided his unit with a challenge all game long.

“(Shelly) is hard to tackle. He’s a good player,” Pittman said after Arkansas’ win Saturday night. “But we had to pressure him and of course, (Jordan Domineck) got a couple I guess. Drew (Sanders) got two or three I think.”

Most of the sacks were recorded by the trio of [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Domineck[/autotag], and [autotag]Zach Williams[/autotag], who combined to make 6.5 sacks in the game. Sanders led the unit with 2.5 sacks.

Sanders has been an asset to the Arkansas defense since his arrival from Alabama. Pittman expressed how valuable Sanders is to the Arkansas pass rush.

“(Sanders) is so valuable in that because he can, a lot of times, run you down if you get out of the pocket. Going into the game that was exactly the gameplan,” Pittman said. “We were going to put pressure on (Shelley) because we knew how good their receivers were. We just couldn’t contain him. He’d get outside the pocket and make plays with his feet or his arm.”

Pittman went on to say Sanders is in his element when he pressures the opposing quarterback and praised defensive coordinator Barry Odom and linebackers coach Michael Scherer for continuing to draw up plans to get him into the opposing backfield often.

Through three games at Arkansas, Sanders has made 28 stops with 6.5 tackles for loss.

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Arkansas football vs. Missouri State: How to watch, stream, listen for Saturday

Things will be testy on Saturday night when Bobby Petrino returns to Arkansas.

Arkansas and Missouri State kickoff their Week 3 matchup at 7 p.m. from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium with an interesting storyline.

The return of Bobby Petrino.

For the first time in a decade, Petrino returns to Razorbacks Stadium with the 5th ranked team in the FCS. The Bears enter with an offense full of power five transfers led by quarterback Jason Shelley. Shelley threw five touchdowns last week against Tennessee-Martin, three of which went to Tyrone Scott.

The Hogs continue the quest of navigating through the toughest schedule in the country. They’ve handled it well, with two very convincing wins. Because of the Hogs’ performances, the coaches and media ranked them within near or in the Top 10

With a 99% chance of winning, the Hogs shouldn’t have trouble with the Bears. I would expect Missouri State to play “inspired football” for their head coach, but the Hogs look poised and focused.

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Arkansas vs Missouri State Prediction, Game Preview

Arkansas vs Missouri State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 3 game on Saturday, September 17

Arkansas vs Missouri State prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 3, Saturday, September 17

Arkansas vs Missouri State How To Watch

Date: Saturday, September 17
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR
How To Watch: SEC Network/ESPN+
Record: Arkansas (2-0), Missouri State (2-0)
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Arkansas vs Missouri State Game Preview

Why Missouri State Will Win

Well this should be fun.

Bobby Petrino’s Missouri State squad is dangerous enough to be more than just a speedbump for his old team.

QB Jason Shelley started out at Utah, went to Utah State, and now he’s ripping it up for the Bears with 562 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in the first two games.

The offense is moving without a problem – the passing game is among the most efficient in the FCS – the defensive front is getting into the backfield enough to be a concern, the team has been outstanding on third downs on both sides of the ball, and …

– CFN Expert Picks, Week 3

Why Arkansas Will Win

The Hogs have been excellent on both sides of the ball as they passed two tough early tests.

They got pushed by Cincinnati, worked well to roll past South Carolina, and as long as the lines play like they did over the first two weeks, there won’t be a problem.

Missouri State might be playing well, but the offensive line is giving up too many plays in the backfield and too many sacks, and there isn’t enough of a running game.

And as good as Petrino’s team might be, there’s no answer for …

– Week 3 Schedule, Predictions, Game Preview

What’s Going To Happen

KJ Jefferson.

The Arkansas quarterback has been phenomenal so far against two tough defenses, completing 77% of his passes for 385 yards and four scores with 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Missouri State will throw well enough to come up with a few scores off of decent drives, but it doesn’t have the lines to keep up.

There might be a bit of a concern about the Hogs looking ahead to Texas A&M and Alabama as part of a BRUTAL run of of games, but there won’t be any real drama after the first quarter.

– CFN Week 3 Predictions

Arkansas vs Missouri State Prediction, Line

Arkansas 45, Missouri State 10
Line: Arkansas -23, o/u: 59.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
Arkansas vs Missouri State Must See Rating (out of 5): 1.5

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Arkansas looking to extend win streak against Missouri State to four

It’ll be the first time the two schools have met in over a decade.

The Razorbacks are currently on a 16-game win streak against FCS schools, and Missouri State was victim three times during the streak.

The last time the two schools battled on the field was in 2011. The Razorbacks opened the season with a 51-7 victory over the Bears. Joe Adams took two punt returns to the crib, 61 yards, and 78 yards.

Tyler Wilson also threw for two touchdowns.

Two years prior, the Razorbacks opened the season with a 41-10 victory over the Bears. Ryan Mallet and Tyler Wilson combined for 447 passing yards and three touchdowns. The special teams contributed a kick return thanks to running back Dennis Johnson’s 91-yard scamper.

The 2005 game resulted in the smallest margin of victory for the Razorbacks, 49-17. The Bears had to face the three-headed running back monster of Felix Jones, Peyton Hills, and Darren McFadden.

Jones led the rushing attack with 137 yards on eight carries. Hillis found the endzone three times, and McFadden had a mild day with one touchdown.

If you’re looking for a trend, the special teams seem to be a problem for the Bears, and Arkansas’s passing attack hasn’t been “historical.” Of course, with 10 years separating the last time they’ve played, we can’t expect the same results, but it should be fun.

Pittman expects his team to be geared up for FCS opponent

Sam Pittman expects his team to be ready for the FCS showdown against Missouri State.

There have only been five FCS teams to beat ranked FBS opponents, but none of those ranked opponents were a part of the SEC. 

And Sam Pittman doesn’t expect his Hogs to go against tradition.

“These weeks are about trying to get better,” Pittman said about getting his team pumped up for an FCS opponent.

“Trying to see who can help us win ball games. These kinds of weeks, like last week, we took the approach we have to get better ourselves. We certainly have enough things to work on before we worry about who we’re playing. I’ve been proud of our team ever since we’ve been here by putting the game before away. I’m confident we’ll get them focused and ready to play.”

The Hogs are currently on a 16-game win streak against FCS schools, facing Missouri State three times during that span, outscoring the Bears 148-34.

But these games can be trap games and in a historical fashion. This matchup brings a little bit more drama, with Bobby Petrino making his return to Fayetteville, and they are No. 5 in the FCS coaches poll.