Tag: Raheim Sanders

Rocket Sanders bounces back after early fumble, has career day

After a first quarter fumble against BYU on Saturday, Raheim Sanders bounced back by rushing for a season-high 175 yards.

Arkansas Football began their game at BYU on a sour note.

The Razorbacks, who were looking to snap a three-game losing skid, turned the football over on their first possession when [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] fumbled the ball on 2nd down and 10 from the Arkansas 45-yard line. The fumble luckily failed to result in BYU points. It also sparked what would turn into a career day for the sophomore back.

Following the fumble, Sanders would go on to rush for a season-high 175 yards in Arkansas’ 52-35 win over the Cougars in Provo. He did so, ironically, on a season-low 15 carries.

The turnover was Arkansas’ only blemish on the day, as the Arkansas defense would go on to win the battle by recovering two of their own. Head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] said that he was pleased with his team’s victory in the turnover battle.

“What was the turnover ratio today? 2 to 1? (Hudson Clark) and who? I was really pleased,” Pittman said after the game. “BYU had only turned the ball over three times all year. I thought Rocket really rebounded after that and had a really good game.”

Following the turnover, Pittman made the decision to sit Sanders for a few plays. He says that he usually does that for the player’s mental state. The theory proved to be correct on Saturday.

“I didn’t feel like he was hitting the holes like he should have and he put the ball on the ground. We’ve got to let guys think about it for a minute. We’ve got other guys who can go in there,” Pittman said. “He’s a great kid and he rebounded. … I think it’s pretty motivating for anybody who cares. I know he does. Any time you’re thinking you should be in the game and you’re not, I think it’s motivating.” 

Arkansas posted 644 yards of total offense on Saturday. Quarterback [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] passed for 367 yards and five touchdowns to go along with Sanders’ two rushing scores.

Photo Gallery: Arkansas back on track with win over BYU

Here are the best images from Arkansas’ 52-35 win at BYU on Saturday.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are back in the win column after taking care of BYU on Saturday, 52-35 at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.

The game saw a first-half shootout, where both Arkansas and BYU scored on six straight possessions. Two BYU turnovers turned into two Arkansas touchdowns, giving them a 31-21 lead at halftime.

The Razorbacks kept it going in the 2nd half, outscoring the Cougars, 21-14 over the final two quarters to secure the win.

[autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] had a phenomenal comeback game by completing 29-of-40 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns. [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] added 175 yards on the ground, and an additional two touchdowns.

Defensively, [autotag]Hudson Clark[/autotag] had a great day by making 11 stops and recovering two turnovers.

Here is your chance to relive Saturday’s big win. Here are the best images from Saturday’s win.

Five things Alabama fans should know about the SEC showdown with Arkansas

Five things every Alabama football fan should know about this weekend’s matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide are on the cusp of an SEC West showdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks. This Saturday the Tide will make the trip to Fayetteville to see if they have finally gotten over the road woes that have haunted them over the past couple of seasons.

Before ‘Bama makes the trip to Arkansas it is time for our weekly post giving Tide fans a few details about the upcoming opponent that they may not be aware of.

Although the Hogs are a familiar foe, there are always some interesting facts to be learned about the SEC rival.

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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Second Half recap: Missed field goal erases comeback attempt

Arkansas could not stage a fourth-quarter comeback for the second week in a row, as they drop a heartbreaker to Texas A&M in Arlington.

For the second week in a row, it appeared that Arkansas was being set up for a furious fourth-quarter comeback. However, a few plays failed to bounce Arkansas’ way, which allowed Texas A&M to escape with a 23-21 win over the Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

After holding on to a 14-13 lead heading into halftime, No. 10 Arkansas (3-1, 0-1 SEC) gave up ten points to No. 20 Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) in the 3rd quarter to give the Aggies the 23-14 advantage.

Arkansas closed the game to 23-21 with 10:05 to go in the game on a K.J. Jefferson touchdown rush and had a chance to re-take the lead with under two minutes to go, but a missed 42-yard field goal attempt by Cam Little erased Arkansas’ hope, as they ultimately fell to Texas A&M.

Momentum stayed with Texas A&M coming out of the locker room. The first drive of the second half ended with a Devon Achane nine-yard touchdown run to give the Aggies over Arkansas for the first time all game, 20-14 with 11:41 to go in the third quarter. Texas A&M completed the drive over six plays and covered 70 yards.

Texas A&M extended their lead with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Randy Bond to extend their lead to 23-14. The scoring drive ultimately ended as a win for the Razorbacks, as the Aggies scored just three points on an 11-play drive that took over six minutes off of the clock, especially considering that the Aggies converted a 2nd and 30 play for a first down on the drive.

Arkansas did not make much noise in the third quarter, as they were held off of the scoreboard, and only gained 21 yards of offense. Texas A&M gained 154 yards of total offense while scoring 10 points.

Arkansas found the scoreboard for the first time since the 5:25 mark in the first quarter when [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] scored from six yards away on an option-keeper to cut the Texas A&M lead to 23-21. The drive consisted of mostly running plays, and chewed 4:49 off of the clock. [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag] and [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag] highlighted the drive, with Jefferson closing it on a touchdown rush with 10:05 to go in the game.

The momentum continued to swing towards Arkansas on the Aggies’ ensuing possession. After marching 39 yards downfield, the Razorbacks forced Texas A&M to kick a field goal, which Boyd missed from 53-yards away. The miss gave Arkansas the football back with 6:30 remaining in the contest.

Arkansas moved the football well on their next drive, but a bad snap set the Razorbacks to 3rd and 14 from the Texas A&M 25-yard line, which ultimately forced the Razorbacks to kick a field goal.

In a heartbreaking turn of events, Cam Little’s 42-yard attempt bounced off of the top of the goalpost and landed in the endzone. The miss returned the ball to Texas A&M with 1:30 remaining in the game.

Jefferson gained over 100 yards in both passing and rushing in the game. He threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 105 yards and an additional touchdown. [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag], who entered the game as the SEC’s leading rusher, was held to just 68 yards on the ground. [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] led the Razorbacks in tackles with seven total.

Arkansas falls to 3-1 on the season and will need to put this loss quickly behind them as they prepare to welcome No. 2 Alabama to Reynolds Razorback Stadium next Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

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Twitter reacts to Arkansas’ come-from-behind win over Missouri State

It was a wild one, but the Hogs pulled it out. Here are the best reactions to the win from social media.

Wow, what a wild one that turned out to be.

It took all four quarters for No. 10 Arkansas to pull away, but they were able to score twice over the final ten minutes of the game to avoid a scare, defeating Missouri State, 38-27 on Saturday night.

Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC) trailed 17-0 at the 10:36 mark in the 2nd quarter, which put a scare into the Razorback fanbase. Arkansas chipped away, and ultimately fought back in the late stages of the 3rd quarter to tie the game at 17-17. Missouri State answered [autotag]Cam Little[/autotag]’s game-tying field goal with a 47-yard touchdown pass five plays later and extended their lead back to ten points on a field goal with 12:04 remaining in the game.

The Razorbacks would go on to score three touchdowns over the next 11:38 to pull away. A 78-yard rush by [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] and an 82-yard punt return by [autotag]Bryce Stephens[/autotag] headlined the comeback.

Arkansas fans shared their feelings about the win on social media. Here are the best reactions to Arkansas’ win over Missouri State:

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.

Sanders closer to finding identity after career-high performance

Raheim Sanders is continuing to mold into an important identity with every game this season.

The rushing attack was the name of the game for the Arkansas Razorbacks in their win over South Carolina on Saturday.

The No. 16 Razorbacks rushed for 295 yards on Saturday, doing so on 65 carries. The leader of the bunch was sophomore running back [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag], who earned 156 yards on 24 touches and scored two touchdowns.

For Sanders, that marks the second straight game that he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the run column. He also caught three passes for 30 yards in the game. Head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] believes that Sanders is earning an identity in the Razorback offense.

“I think he’s becoming an all-around back a little bit more,” Pittman said of Sanders following Arkansas’ 44-30 win over South Carolina on Saturday. “I thought he got tired after that long run down the sideline that Warren Thompson got the holding call. But other than that, I thought he played really, really well. Two 100-yard days back-to-back is pretty good. He’s a better back than he was a year ago.”

Sanders takes over the role as the premier back in the Arkansas offense following the transfer of Trelon Smith to UTSA at the conclusion of last season. Sanders was third on the team with 578 rushing yards last season and is off to a hot start this season with 273 yards on 44 carries.

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First half analysis: It’s a good day to be a Sanders

Rocket Sanders has two rushing scores while Drew Sanders has two tackles for loss, including a monster sack on Spencer Rattler, as Arkansas leads South Carolina, 21-9 at halftime.

The No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks are off to a hot start, as they lead South Carolina, 21-9 at the half at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Two key players stand out so far for Arkansas, and they share a last name. One week after leading the team with 122 yards rushing, Raheim Sanders is on his way to leading the team again with 61 yards on 11 carries through one half. On the otherside of the football, Drew Sanders is having a breakout game for Arkansas. The Alabama transfer has already surpassed his total tackles from last game, as he has made seven stops through one half, with two tackles for loss. One of those was a sack on Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler.

How did the first half shake out? Here’s a recap:

Arkansas’ first score was courtesy of a solid pass rush and a great rushing game plan. After South Carolina converted a long first down on an 18-yard catch by Jalen Brooks on their first possession, the Razorback defense limited South Carolina to just six yards, forcing them to punt.

Arkansas then marched 63-yards down the field to get on the board first. Arkansas called 11 run plays on the 13-play drive, led by [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag]’ six carries for 32 yards. He also scored the opening touchdown from two yards away to put Arkansas ahead, 7-0 with 6:42 remaining in the 1st quarter.

On their second possession, South Carolina found the scoreboard on a successful 28-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter to cut the Razorback lead to 7-3 with 3:32 to go in the opening quarter. The drive ends as a win for Arkansas, as they adjusted well following a 43-yard reception by MarShawn Lloyd on a dump pass. The most valuable player on the drive was [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag]. Sanders laid a huge hit on Lloyd on 1st down following the big play. Then, he broke up a pass on third down to force the Gamecocks to kick a field goal inside the Arkansas 10-yard line.

Perfect passing from [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] set up Sanders for his second touchdown of the game. On their ensuing drive, Jefferson completed all five of his passes to put Arkansas into the red zone to end the first quarter. The next two plays would go to Sanders, who ended the drive by rushing three yards to extend Arkansas’ lead to 14-3 with 14:28 to go in the half.

Through one quarter, Jefferson completed all eight pass attempts for 64 yards.

The Razorback defense came alive in South Carolina’s next drive, as they forced the Gamecocks to punt in three plays. Drew Sanders made an impact again by sacking South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, while Bumper Pool broke up a pass on third down.

That confidence shifted to the offense, as they were able to extend their lead on a one-yard rush by freshman [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag]. The first touchdown of his Arkansas career came with 8:13 remaining in the 1st half, capping a 12-play, 61-yard drive to move the Razorbacks ahead, 21-3.

On South Carolina’s ensuing drive, they pieced together their longest drive of the game, and it ultimately ended in their first touchdown of the game. Lloyd rushed seven yards for the Gamecocks’ touchdown, which ended an 11-play drive. However, the extra point failed, leaving the score at 21-9 with 2:56 to go in the first half.

Arkansas kicker Cam Little missed a 50-yard attempt inside one minute remaining to cap Arkansas’ offensive possessions in the first half.

Through one half of play, Drew Sanders leads all defenders with seven tackles. Behind Raheim Sanders’ 61 yards on the ground is AJ Green’s 22 yards on three carries, and KJ Jefferson’s 29 yards on 10 carries.

Jefferson completed 13-of-15 passes for 115 yards. His leading target is Matt Landers, who caught four passes for 45 yards.

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Arkansas has 73% chance to beat South Carolina according to ESPN’s Football Power Index

ESPN’s FPI is giving Arkansas a better chance to beat South Carolina this week than in their initial projection.

After taking care of then-No. 23 Cincinnati to open the season last Saturday, Arkansas will quickly have to move on to the next opponent as SEC play begins this week.

South Carolina will pay a visit to Fayetteville this Saturday to begin the SEC slate, which provides another challenge to Arkansas football. Despite welcoming a tough SEC foe, the ESPN Football Power Index still favors Arkansas heavily in the game.

According to the latest FPI, Arkansas has a 73.4% chance to beat South Carolina on Saturday which is higher than the 72.2% chance that ESPN gave Arkansas during the pregame assessment.

The Gamecocks opened their season by defeating Georgia State, 35-14 Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. Oklahoma transfer Spencer Rattler had a disappointing debut for the Gamecocks, as he completed 22-of-36 passes for 218 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 111.80, which is the lowest in the SEC through week one. He also rushed for -12 yards in South Carolina’s win.

Arkansas is coming off of a hard-hitting affair with Cincinnati. The Razorbacks led Cincinnati 14-0 at halftime but would battle their way to a 31-24 victory. Quarterback [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] was 18-of-26 for 223 yards and two touchdowns, while [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] tallied 117 yards on 20 carries.

Arkansas faces South Carolina this Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game can be seen on ESPN.

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