Tag: Rashod Dubinion

Rocket Sanders among top running backs in college football according to College Sports Wire

College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn ranked the best running backs in college football for next season. Check out where he has Arkansas’ Rocket Sanders.

Arkansas football experienced a lot of change over the off-season, but the running back position is largely the same.

Raheim “Rocket” Sanders will once again lead the Razorback backfield, with [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag], [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] returning to help the SEC’s second-leading rusher from 2022. The only newcomer to the group is incoming freshman [autotag]Isaiah Augustave[/autotag] – a four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class.

With so much depth and experience returning to the Arkansas backfield in 2023, the Razorbacks are expected to pick up right where they left off last season. New offensive coordinator [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag] has made some noticeable tweaks to the offense from what it looked like under [autotag]Kendal Briles[/autotag], but the philosophy of being a dominant rushing team has not changed.

Adding in the fact that [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] is also back for another season, and it’s hard not to expect another big year for Sanders and the Arkansas backfield. Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire is also a big believer in Sanders entering next season. Conn shared his top running backs in college football for 2023 and had [autotag]Rocket Sanders[/autotag] ranked at No. 3 behind Blake Corum (Michigan) and Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss). Conn says that 2023 could be Sanders’ best yet since arriving in Fayetteville.

The man they call “Rocket” was a force for the Hogs offense over the last two seasons, and despite the opportunity to go pro he returns for another season. Over the past two campaigns, Sanders has tallied 2,401 yards of offense and 18 touchdowns. This could be his best season yet with K.J. Jefferson also returning to Fayetteville.

As previously mentioned, Sanders finished last season as the SEC’s second leading rusher, behind Quinshon Judkins. He ran 222 times for 1,443 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, while also hauling in 28 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns on the year. Sanders was the only consistent presence on an Arkansas offense which struggled for most of the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=128]

Sanders meets goal in Arkansas’ win over Auburn

“Rocket” Sanders had another phenomenal day on the ground on Saturday. In the process, he crossed a goal off of his checklist.

Arkansas Football had “revenge” on its mind entering its contest with SEC West foe, Auburn.

The Razorbacks had lost six straight games to Auburn and felt that they had the talent to snap the streak. Arkansas did just that by taking down the lowly Tigers, 41-27 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Not only did the Razorbacks take care of business, one of its own was able to cross a personal goal off of his list.

[autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag] was held out of the endzone on Saturday but was able to rush for 171 yards in the win. The performance was enough to lift Sanders, the SEC’s leading rusher, over the 1,000-yard mark on the season with four games remaining on the schedule.

“Rocket” is happy to reach his goal, but says that he did not do it all on his own.

“Definitely that was the goal for me. Shout out to our offensive line, the receivers, with the blocking outside, and our quarterback as well,” Sanders said following the game. “It felt good. Definitely shout out to God, I have more goals to go and achieve.”

Although he was held out of the end zone, he did set up a score. In the 3rd quarter, Sanders put Arkansas in the red zone on a 76-yard rush on the drive’s first play that started at their own six-yard line. The rush set up freshman running back [autotag]Rashod Dubinion[/autotag] to score just six plays later. The touchdown put Arkansas up 31-13, and was seen as the “nail in the coffin.”

Sanders says that the Razorbacks prepared for the play all week in practice.

“What’s so crazy is that play happened a lot against our defense, when we practiced it and going against them,” Sanders said. “I just feel like this game, I was very patient, waiting on the catch from KJ (Jefferson), catching the ball and just reading the hole right. Before, Coach asked me about running it in the outside zone. I was like ‘yes, I feel like that inside goal is going to hit.’ With me hitting it, reading it, and striking it up, it was pretty good.”

After posting 171 yards on the ground, Sanders is now up to 1,041 yards on the season.

[mm-video type=video id=01ggggpysmar0kz0hmkz playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ggggpysmar0kz0hmkz/01ggggpysmar0kz0hmkz-fab5cbeff0de4f64613d9072d11b1af5.jpg]

[listicle id=14199]

Arkansas freshman running back Rashod Dubinion has record day vs Auburn

Rashod Dubinion is proving his worth as a freshman at Arkansas.

On just about any other team outside the SEC, Rashod Dubinion would be running back No. 1B.

At Arkansas he’s a third-stringer. But he’s also too good to keep off the field. Rocket Sanders, the SEC’s leading rusher, is a rightful No. 1 and AJ Green has done enough to establish himself as the usual No. 2. Dubinion was the one getting paydirt against Auburn, however.

He ran for his first touchdown of the game late in the third quarter to give Arkansas an 18-point lead. His second came early in the fourth to move it 25. Dubinion had one touchdown this season entering the game.

The Hogs had run for 257 yards through Dubinion’s fourth-quarter score. They averaged 240 yards a game through their first seven games.

[listicle id=14180]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

WATCH: Rocket Sanders’ ridiculous 76-yard run sets up Rashod Dubinion’s TD

Rocket Sanders isn’t Darren McFadden. But Arkansas’ running back might be the best since.

Rocket Sanders was on pace to have the best season for an Arkansas running back since Darren McFadden even before the Auburn kickoff.

Through the end of the third quarter, Sanders had 171 yards on 16 carries. The showcase run came on Arkansas’ second touchdown drive of the frame when he took the ball from the Razorbacks’ own 6 to Auburn’s 18, a gain of 76 yards.

Five plays later, Arkansas scored on a direct snap to third-string back Rashod Dubinion as the freshman went into end zone from two yards to give Arkansas a 31-13 lead.

Sanders had 1,041 yards with one quarter and four regular-season games left to play. He became the first Arkansas back since Madre Hill to hit the 1,000-yard mark in game No. 7 with his day against Auburn.

KJ Jefferson is better than your favorite quarterback and proves it against BYU

KJ Jefferson is unlike any quarterback in all of college football.

As many moments as Malik Horsnby had filling in for KJ Jefferson at quarterback for Arkansas last week against Mississippi State, there’s still only one KJ.

Without him, Arkansas wouldn’t be 3-3 and taking a lead into the half against BYU. Without him, Arkansas might have one win through six games, instead. Jefferson is so good, he was our clear Most Valuable Player choice for the Razorbacks during our midseason awards earlier this week.

On Saturday, he tossed his third touchdown pass with 40 seconds left in the first half against the Cougars. It was a 15-yarder to freshman running back Rashod Dubinion, but it wasn’t even the most important play of the drive.

No, that came a couple plays before when the Jefferson that drew national attention in 2021 was back. He strengthened and spun his way out of a would-be sack – or three – on 3rd-and-11 from his own 42 with the Razorbacks ahead by just three points. Jefferson bought enough time to find Trey Knox over the middle for a gain of 36 yards.

Two plays later, touchdown.

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gdty51y1nrb7ss25xe playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gdty51y1nrb7ss25xe/01gdty51y1nrb7ss25xe-cd679e9a8a0dea4fd6528c8713a4ee3e.jpg]

[listicle id=12915]

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gd91b2qgqxyxgjsvjy playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gd91b2qgqxyxgjsvjy/01gd91b2qgqxyxgjsvjy-fcafc1b3486e9b66df7e31379e60807c.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=12822]

Arkansas-South Carolina First Half Key : Ground game rules

Arkansas and South Carolina each opened SEC play on Saturday from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Both offenses were cooking early as points were scored on two of the first three drives of the game. But as South Carolina’s red zone defense …

Arkansas and South Carolina each opened SEC play on Saturday from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Both offenses were cooking early as points were scored on two of the first three drives of the game.

But as South Carolina’s red zone defense couldn’t stop the Hogs, Arkansas stiffened twice in its own territory, forcing a punt once and a 27-yard field goal another time.

The points continued for one team, anyway.

Arkansas scored touchdowns on its first three drives, all three on the ground. Rocket Sanders went in twice and freshman Rashod Dubinion had the first of his career midway through the second quarter.

Each of Arkansas’ drives went for more than 10 plays as the Razorbacks practically doubled South Carolina in time of possession en route to a 21-9 lead at the break.

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gcc5zhsk0n3zchm8j1 playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gcc5zhsk0n3zchm8j1/01gcc5zhsk0n3zchm8j1-c74d1954f971e0e97fb903b62a72dc2b.jpg]

[listicle id=12149]

WATCH: Welcome to College Football! Rashod Dubinion’s first TD is one to remember

Arkansas might boast the best running back corps in the country. For real.

Rashod Dubinion is next.

Arkansas, with perhaps the deepest stable of running backs in FBS (yes, really) has some room to give its highly-touted freshman a go.

Rashod Dubinion, a true freshman from Georgia, went in from one yard midway through the second quarter of Arkansas’ SEC opener against South Carolina, giving the Hogs a 21-3 lead with 8:13 left in the frame.

Arkansas’ running game to that point had 114 yards on 25 carries as the Razorbacks scored on their third straight drive to start the game. Each drive went for more than 10 plays.

Rocket Sanders, the sophomore starter, put the first two in the end zone. He was given a breather by No. 2 AJ Green for a bulk of the drive and Green gave way to Dubinion at the end.