Tag: Myles Slusher

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has laid down punishment for Slusher, Brown following arrests

Myles Slusher and Anthony Brown have been suspended for Arkansas.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman announced the punishment for defensive backs Myles Slusher and Anthony Brown following their arrests over the weekend.

The two will be suspended from at least one game, possibly more, and will have to do extra running during morning practices and extra scout-team work in the afternoons.

Slusher and Brown were arrested overnight Saturday into Sunday for disorderly conduct after getting into an altercation with police. They were arrested around 2 a.m. and were released around 9 a.m.

Slusher has started all five games he’s played this year for Arkansas at nickel back. He has 20 tackles including four for-loss. Jayden Johnson is listed as the No. 2 nickel on the team’s depth chart.

Pittman said the team could go with Johnson or could move Simeon Blair from safety to nickel, Malik Chavis from cornerback to safety and insert Quincey McAdoo into the lineup. McAdoo, a freshman, arrived a wide receiver but switched to defense and made his debut there last week against Liberty. He intercepted a pass and blocked a punt for a safety.

“With the emergence of Quincey, that kind of buys us another player, another option to move around,” Pittman said.

Brown has not played this year, his freshman season.

Arkansas hosts LSU at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday for Week 11.

Arkansas football players Myles Slusher, Anthony Brown arrested

Two Arkansas defensive backs arrested overnight after the Razorbacks’ loss to Liberty.

Arkansas defensive backs Myles Slusher and Anthony Brown were arrested overnight, booked early Sunday morning by the Fayetteville Police Department.

Slusher, a 20-year-old junior, was booked at 3:03 a.m. on charges of disorderly conduct. Brown, a 19-year-old freshman, was booked at 2:53 a.m. on the same charges. Both were released around 9 a.m. Sunday morning.

According to court records, their court date is December 1.

Arkansas lost, 21-19, to No. 23 Liberty on Saturday night, dropping the team to 5-4. The Flames jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter behind three touchdown passes.

Slusher has started seven of the team’s 11 games this season and is primarily a nickelback. Brown was a three-star recruit out of Tennessee and has not played.

Coach Sam Pittman is likely to address the matter Monday during his weekly press conference. Arkansas hosts LSU, which beat Alabama last night, on Saturday.

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Arkansas’ pass defense will continue to get better because of this man

Even just one player can make a huge difference for the Arkansas secondary.

Arkansas entered Saturday’s game against Texas A&M with the worst pass defense in FBS. They left ranked ranked 126th.

For the record, that’s a jump of five spots.

Is it a lot? No, but to better put it in context, look at the game-by-game yards-allowed totals by the Razorbacks in the first four weeks of the season.

  • Cincinnati: 325 yards
  • South Carolina: 376 yards
  • Missouri State: 357 yards
  • Texas A&M: 151 yards

Now, that’s much better, isn’t it? The arguments that Texas A&M doesn’t have the same style of passing offense as the other teams is moot. One of those teams is an FCS team. The other was breaking in a new starter who previously played at Eastern Michigan.

Two big reasons exist for Arkansas’ improvement in the defensive backfield on Saturday. First is natural. The roster has plenty of talent, they just hadn’t figured it out yet.

The second is the return of Myles Slusher. A part-time starter last year, Slusher has spent time at both nickel and safety. He could play cornerback in a pinch, too. But he had missed the two-and-a-half games before Texas A&M after being injured near halftime against the Bearcats.

Slusher had six tackles, one for-loss, a pass break-up and a hurry. It was the best individual effort, across the board, for any player this season.

If it keeps up and the bevy of other players in the backfield can be consistent, Arkansas should crack the Top 100 sooner rather than later. And at this point, that’s a win.

The return of Johnson and Slusher adds value to Razorbacks

Running back Dominque Johnson and cornerback Myles Slusher returned to the field last Saturday and became immediate assets to their respective units.

The No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks drew the short end of the stick last Saturday, falling to No. 17 Texas A&M, 23-21 in Arlington, Texas.

There were a few positives to take away from the game, including the performances of running back [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag], who returned to the field after battling injuries.

Johnson’s return helps the Razorbacks in the running game. [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] continues to lead the SEC in rushing with 508 yards, while [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag], [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag], and quarterback [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] carry their weight in the department, too.

Head coach Sam Pittman says that he was pleased with Johnson’s return.

“I thought he played well. I haven’t seen really what all he did. Five carries for 32 yards,” Pittman said during his postgame press conference on Saturday night. “I thought he played well. Looked like he was going north-south pretty good.”

Slusher’s return to the defensive backfield will only improve the unit as a whole, there were signs of that in the Texas A&M game. For the first time all season, Arkansas allowed just 151 passing yards, which is 200 yards below average. Slusher ended the game with six tackles, which was second-most behind Bumper Pool’s seven stops.

“(Slusher is) a good player. I think he was all over the place. Made a lot of tackles. He’s a good player now. A really good player,” Pittman said. “We need him to stay healthy. I thought our defense played a lot better game.”

Arkansas will now shift their focus to No. 2 Alabama, who comes to town this Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

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KJ Jefferson, Myles Slusher headline Arkansas’ Players of the Game against Texas A&M

Arkansas outplayed Texas A&M on Saturday night and these performances prove it.

Things did not go Arkansas’ way on Saturday. A field-goal attempt in the final two minutes clanged off the top of the right upright and fell harmlessly into the end zone as the 10th-ranked Razorbacks fell to Texas A&M, 23-21.

The good to take from it? Arkansas played poorly and still almost beat an awfully good team, a team that was picked to finish second in the SEC West at the conference’s media days over the summer.

Arkansas’ offense went over the 400-yard mark. Arkansas’ defense, which entered as with the bottom-ranked pass defense in FBS, gave up just 151 yards in the air.

But Arkansas’ dream of a College Football Playoff appearance and a matchup between two undefeated teams next week in Fayetteville was dealt a blow.

Our three Razorbacks Wire writers have selected their Players of the Game below.

First Half Recap: A tale of two quarters leaves Arkansas with slim lead over Texas A&M

Arkansas has outgained Texas A&M in the yards department, 281-152, but only leads 14-13 at the end of the 1st half.

Despite dominating the stat sheet in the first half, No. 10 Arkansas holds on to a one-point advantage over No. 20 Texas A&M, 14-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas holds a 280-152 advantage in the yards department, and even held Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson to 51 yards passing in the half, but the first half was all about momentum.

Arkansas opened the game by scoring two quick touchdowns, but the Aggies went on to take momentum away halfway through the second quarter thanks to a long scoring drive, and a returned fumble for a touchdown.

The Razorbacks got off to a strong start. Arkansas forced Texas A&M to punt after their first three plays and used that opportunity to strike first. [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] broke open a 26-yard run on 3rd down and 1 from Arkansas’ 42-yard line, which set up a 32-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] to cap a five-play, 69-yard drive with 9:44 remaining in the opening quarter to move ahead, 7-0.

The next possession worked out just as easily for the Razorbacks. After stopping the Aggies again on just three plays, Arkansas’  offense quickly moved down the field to set up another long touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. This time, Jefferson was able to spot [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag] for a 56 yard pass to extend the lead to 14-0. The score was Jefferson’s eighth touchdown pass of the season, and Thompson’s 2nd touchdown catch of the year.

Jefferson ended the quarter as the team’s leading passer and rusher. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 99 yards and two scores while rushing for an additional 41 yards as the Razorbacks took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks accumulated 184 total yards in the quarter.

The Aggies slowed down the Razorbacks to open the second quarter. They forced Arkansas to punt on their next two possessions, and took their second possession of the quarter for a 93-yard drive, and their first score of the game. Texas A&M’s Max Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Evan Stewart with 8:45 to go in the first half to trim Arkansas’ lead to 14-7.

Texas A&M’s next score came in a bizarre way. Arkansas drove the football to the Texas A&M three-yard-line. On first and goal, Jefferson attempted to dive over the line for a score. However, he made contact with the front and fumbled the football. The Aggies recovered, and returned the turnover for a 97-yard touchdown. The attempted extra point was botched, which allowed Arkansas to keep the lead, 14-13 inside four minutes remaining in the first half.

Jefferson ended the first half with 126 passing yards on eight completions. Thompson was Jefferson’s leading receiver with 52 yards on two catches. In his first game back from injury, [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] recorded four carries for 28 yards. Defensively, [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] lead the team with four tackles. [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Williams[/autotag] combined to record a sack in the first half.

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No ice or rain, but should be plenty of Slush on Saturday

Arkansas has the worst pass defense in the nation. Myles Slusher needs back in the worst way.

Things have not quite worked out the way folks anticipated in the Arkansas defensive backfield.

The Razorbacks have the worst pass defense in FBS, giving up 353 yards per game through the first three games. Against Cincinnati, South Carolina and Missouri State. Not exactly a murderer’s row of competition.

Part of the reason for the struggle has been injury. Arkansas lost former freshman All-American and this year’s preseason first-team SEC safety Jalen Catalon for the year after just one half of play in the season opener against the Bearcats. Starting nickel Myles Slusher was lost minutes later.

But heading into Saturday, against Arkansas’ toughest opponent to date, Texas A&M, Slusher is expected to return for the first time in almost a month. He was a part-time starter last year and had established himself behind only Catalon and maybe safety Simeon Blair in the hierarchy among all Razorbacks defensive backs.

Coach Sam Pittman said Slusher may roll back to his familiar spot at safety against the Aggies, though the reality is Arkansas needs him wherever he can play.

“Slush can player corner, he can nickel, he can play field safety, he can play boundary player,” Pittman said. “With him it allows us to have another opportunity to make sure we have our five best players on the field.”

That, too, should go a long way in getting Arkansas out of the cellar.

Official Depth Chart: The Missouri State game

Here is how the Razorbacks will line up when they face Missouri State on Saturday night.

As the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks continue their preparations for this Saturday’s game against Missouri State, there are a few changes to the depth chart.

It was officially announced prior to last week’s win over South Carolina that safety [autotag]Jalen Catalon[/autotag] would miss the remainder of the 2022 season after it was revealed that he would need surgery to repair a shoulder injury.

Stepping up in his place will be Georgia transfer [autotag]Latavious Brini[/autotag]. In last week’s 44-30 win over South Carolina, Brini made four stops while recording a quarterback hurry and forcing a fumble.

Also in the defensive backfield, [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] returns to the depth chart after sitting out week two’s game after needing extra time to nurse an injury that he suffered during the season-opener against Cincinnati.

Outside of those two injuries, the depth chart looks to be business as usual. The only other position group to watch for during Saturday’s game will be at running back. The SEC’s leading rusher, [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag], as well as [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag], are expected to factor into the game plan, but there has been speculation that [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] could return to the rotation as well.

Here is a look at how Arkansas will line up on Saturday night against Missouri State.

No Catalon, no Slusher? No problem for Arkansas

Missing Myles Slusher and Jalen Catalon hurt, but not as bad as the yardage may have made it look for Arkansas.

Was it perfect? No. Was it good? Actually, yes.

Arkansas beat South Carolina, 44-30, on Saturday. That’s the good. Spencer Rattler threw for 371 yards against Arkansas. And while that looks bad, it isn’t. The Razorbacks were without preseason first-team All-SEC safety Jalen Catalon and starting nickel Myles Slusher.

Plus, consider that more than 170 of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the Gamecocks were already cooked and South Carolina was all but forced to pass. For good measure, throw in that Rattler had just one touchdown and threw an interception, too, and it was a winning day for the Arkansas secondary.

On the field.

Off it was a different story as Arkansas coach Sam Pittman announced Catalon would miss the rest of the year because of a shoulder injury he suffered last week against Cincinnati.

“He won’t be back this year,” Pittman said. “I feel for him. We’ve had conversations about it. I’m going let him be away from the building a little bit. He’s down. You would be, too.”

Simeon Blair, who had five tackles from the safety spot, was voted to replace Catalon as a team captain. Latavious Brini, a transfer from Georgia, is expected to get a bulk of the reps. Slusher is expected back next week against Missouri State.

In the meantime, the Razorbacks’ secondary can feel solid about what they did Saturday, all things considered.

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Arkansas Depth Chart vs. South Carolina

Here’s a look at how Arkansas will line up this Saturday against South Carolina.

The No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks put a great product on the field last Saturday, as they defeated then-No. 22 Cincinnati, 31-24 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Head coach Sam Pittman looks to put the same players on the field Saturday when the Razorbacks host South Carolina for the SEC opener.

However, there appear to be some questions heading into the game that may be answered as the week goes on.

In the Cincinnati game, defensive backs [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Catalon[/autotag] each left the game early due to injury. Pittman provided an update on those players Monday, by saying that there is no current update.

“We’re not ready really to figure out exactly Catalon’s situation,” Pittman said. “We haven’t, let’s say that I guess. Slusher is in the same boat there.”

While Pittman is not ready to say if Slusher will be out at the nickel slot, but says that he will prepare everyone neccessary in order to fill the empty spot.

“I told the staff we’ve got to be concerned with the ones that are going to be there for sure,” Pittman said. “The game of football, you may lose someone for a week, may lose someone for a season. … We’ll have to find out on those guys, but if they’re not able to play, we’ll be fine.”

For a look at how Arkansas will line up on Saturday, here’s this week’s depth chart: