Arkansas seeks 2-0 start and a fine-tuning of its offense as Kent State visits for campus opener
Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders (5) runs for a gain against Western Carolina during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Little Rock, Ark. Credit: AP/Michael Woods
Kent State (0-1) at Arkansas (1-0), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Line: Arkansas by 38 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Arkansas found itself on the cusp of the Top 25 after beating Western Carolina 56-13 in Week 1. A win against Kent State, combined with some teams near the bottom of the poll being upset could see the Razorbacks crack the rankings for the first time in nearly a year. The Golden Flashes lost to Central Florida by 50 points last Saturday.
KEY MATCHUP
Arkansas RB Raheim Sanders vs. Kent State defensive front. Sanders, a second-team preseason All-American, didn’t have the start to his season he preferred. Western Carolina limited him to 42 yards rushing a season after he averaged 111 yards per game. Western Carolina had some success selling out against the run, and the Kent State front seven could, too.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) heads to the sidelines after a play against Western Carolina during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Little Rock, Ark. Credit: AP/Michael Woods
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kent State: Linebacker Devin Nicholson had 11 tackles, including two for loss, both team highs, against UCF. Throw in that he has an SEC background - he transferred from Missouri in the offseason - and he could disrupt some of the Razorbacks’ offensive game plan.
Arkansas: Wide receiver Tyrone Broden, whose coach wants to get him more involved. The 6-foot-6 wide receiver led Bowling Green with seven touchdowns last season. The idea upon his arrival in Fayetteville was he could at least be the team’s No. 3 receiver, but he had just one catch against Western Carolina.
FACTS & FIGURES
Central Florida running back Demarkcus Bowman rushes for a 5-yard touchdown between Kent State defensive back Jalani Williams, defensive back Dallas Craddieth (15) and linebacker Khali Saunders during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman recruited Kent State coach Kenni Burns when Burns was in high school in Springfield, Illinois. Pittman was offensive line coach at Northern Illinois — a Mid-American Conference member like Kent State — from 2003 to 2006. … The last time Arkansas played a MAC school was in 2015 when the Razorbacks lost to Toledo 16-12 in the second game of the season. … Kent State has not beaten a team from a Power Five conference since defeating Rutgers in 2012, though the Scarlet Knights were in the Big East at the time. Before that, it was Kansas in 1987 in the now-defunct Big Eight.
