Did Oklahoma State See Enough to Lose Sleep Over Hogs' Win?

Razorbacks' 70-0 win may have showed promise to fans, but Cowboys have their own problems first

Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Xavian Sorey reaches out to grab UAPB Golden Lions quarterback Mekhi Hagens during Thursday night's game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. / Ted McClenning-Hogs on SI Images

Nobody, except Sam Pittman and his staff, was as interested in seeing what the supposedly rebuilt Razorbacks looked like in their season debut than Mike Gundy.

What Pittman and Gundy both saw was akin to a dad taking his misbehaving son to the proverbial woodshed. 70-0, a shutout Pittman coveted. The UA offense orchestrated by new (or should we say former) offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino scored on all 10 possessions. No team had done that in their opener in 20 years.

For the Hogs, it was a glorified practice. But they got to wear uniforms, square off against someone else, and go through game-day preparations. Too bad they had to play in Little Rock, at outdated War Memorial Stadium in front of a small "announced" crowd of 42,756. The real number of fans might've filled half of Razorback Stadium, which seats 76,412. Little Rock's quaint but historic venue can hold 54,120.

What everyone saw, including me on the ESPNU national telecast, was an Arkansas team with potential. Enough potential to make Gundy, the Oklahoma State coach who faces Arkansas in eight days, lose a bit of sleep next week.

No. 17-ranked Oklahoma State is about a 9-point favorite to send the Hogs home unhappy on September 7. We'll find out along with a national TV audience, courtesy of ABC, at 11 a.m. Central Time.

Can the Hogs pull off what nobody outside of the Arkansas program expects next week? Unlikely. Oklahoma State is talented across the board, with lots of experience. They've got a great running back who led the country in rushing and was second in touchdowns last year and a seventh-year(!) quarterback who knows how to win. The entire starting offensive line is back, but if stalwart UA defensive end Landon Jackson — a future NFL starter — and his mates can cause some havoc and contain the running game, this one could come down to the wire.

It means nothing, but Arkansas has won five straight in the series between the schools. Last time they played was 1980, when the phrase dual-threat quarterback had never been heard. Well, the Hogs have one of those, and I saw enough last night to think he might be the answer.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green throws a pass against UAPB in the season opener in Little Rock, Ark. / Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

Taylen Green is touted as a leader by Pittman with great athletic skills. The latter was certainly on display a couple of times, especially when he left a half-dozen Golden Lions defenders wondering where he went along the way to a scintillating 36-yard TD run on a broken pass play. Green actually ran it in from midfield after making a pass rusher miss, then slipped away from a handful of other potential tacklers and before simply outrunning a safety to score with nine seconds left in the half for a 49-0 lead.

Green's night of competition was over at halftime, when the Hogs had 444 yards of offense and UAPB just 76.

Green shook off some opening-night jitters in his first game at Arkansas and showed that he might, maybe, could be good enough to ignite the offense every week this season. He started with some throws that would make an eighth-grade QB embarrassed. He settled in and looked like a talented SEC quarterback.

Gundy's defense will be tested, for sure. The Hogs appear to boast SEC-quality running backs, especially starter Ja'Quinden Jackson, the No. 2 recruit out of the talent-rich state of Texas four years ago. He was a quarterback then but didn't play a down with the Longhorns while redshirting, and transferred to Utah, where he spent a year at QB before transitioning to RB with a little passing still mixed in his sophomore year. He was Utah's starting runner last year and looks like the real deal.

Jackson ain't Darren McFadden, so let's not get too excited too quickly, but he looks hungry, which did not seem to describe last year's banged up disappointment Raheim Sanders, now at South Carolina. Jackson is quick and tough to tackle, often gaining yards after contact.

UA receivers look quick and fast enough to get open and perhaps make big plays against Okie State, but we'll see. Much depends on whether they run crisp routes, which appeared good enough Thursday night but grading anything off of the gridiron massacre of UAPB is impossible.

The Hogs make a massive jump up in competition against the confident Cowboys from Stillwater. If Green reprises his ineffective start against the practically helpless Golden Lions -- throwing behind receivers, throwing late, throwing into coverage -- the 'Pokes will make him pay.

Green and the Hogs will have to overcome a rabid crowd of 53,855 OSU fans that sit closer to the action than at most stadiums. Green is also dealing with helmet communication from the sideline, a new innovation in college football this year akin to what the pros have done for years. Pittman said it wasn't a problem against UAPB but crowd noise can affect the ability to hear what's being said.

"The communication went well," Pittman said. "The quarterbacks didn’t seem to have a problem. Now it wasn’t loud like it’s going to be next week. But we’ve already worked crowd noise (for) six days during the 25 practices we’ve had getting ready for crowd noise for the season, especially, obviously, for Oklahoma State."

What's the biggest thing the Hogs must do to win next week? Likely it means controlling the line of scrimmage and winning the battle of big plays and turnovers. That's true about every week at the highest levels of football, especially when the talent level is similar.

What we'll find out most is whether the Hogs' talent level is as good as Pittman hopes and thinks.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks do exactly what they should in UAPB opener

• Hogs' Green runs circles around UAPB after slow first play

• First impressions everything as Razorbacks roll in Little Rock

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