The Arkansas Razorbacks were able to beat Western Carolina, 56-13. This game was a blowout from the start as expected with Arkansas taking the charge. KJ Jefferson took care of business on his way to a day where he threw for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Jaedon Wilson had three receptions for 83 yards on a very quick day for him due to the fact this was a tune-up game. Raheim Sanders didn’t have a great day at the office with only 42 yards on 15 carries.
Still, it’s really hard to be fair from a stat line perspective in these games due to the fact that the starters get limited playing time. With that in mind, and the fact that he ended up with 2 touchdowns, it might be wise to give him a pass on the day.
What can Arkansas fans take away from this victory against an opponent that is very inferior?
It was really impressive to see the way that Arkansas played in this game. In these types of games, you can hope for an SEC team to completely dominate on their way to victory. In this game, KJ Jefferson, Raheim Sanders, and company took care of business. Arkansas went up 21-3 late in the first quarter.
Arkansas scored 14 points in the second quarter to make it a 35-3 game at the half. At this point, the backups were in and the game was way over.
Still, the Razorbacks ended up scoring 14 points in the fourth on their way to 56 points for the entire game (7 points in the third). In terms of SEC schools that played tune-up games (don’t count LSU and South Carolina obviously), Arkansas was up there with the best of Georgia and Alabama in terms of their complete performances.
Before you completely disregard my opinion for the rest of this season, Georgia and Alabama are obviously striving for a national title while Arkansas is way more likely to have a 9-win season as their big goal for the season. While obvious, the Razorbacks aren’t at the top of the college football world, this is a step in the right direction toward a successful in-conference schedule.
As of this moment, it is more likely that Arkansas will end up beating Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn in the later parts of the season. The Razorbacks have looked better in the one game that they have played in so far. While it may seem minimal, finding a team with hunger and dedication is sometimes the difference in these matchups. Clearly, Arkansas will show up against any team no matter the matchup.