Now We'll Find Out About Razorbacks Against Cowboys

Hogs handled bottom end of FCS while Oklahoma State dispatched defending national champions easily

South Dakota State Jackrabbits linebacker Graham Spalding (29) grabs the facemark of Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Sesi Vailahi (3) during the second quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. / William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — About all Arkansas fans could get from watching Oklahoma State dismantling South Dakota State on Saturday is things will be different next week. A 70-0 Razorback win over UAPB on Thursday night won't be that impressive to the Cowboys.

When you consider the Golden Lions are at the bottom of FCS while the Jackrabbits were are the defending national champions may help put things in focus. OSU got 112 yards from Ollie Gordon and earlier hopes of a slow start to the season by Hogs' faithful may have to wait.

Arkansas did have a bigger win. Take that in context, though. South Dakota State would have been a 40-point favorite against UAPB. Even if it was the first game of the year and nobody had that whopping loss as a baseline.

The Cowboys will be more of a test. Count on it. Things have never been easy for the Razorbacks in Stillwater, Okla. That goes back to 1978, the first time the Hogs went over there, and Ish Ordonez had to kick a late field goal in a swirling wind in a stadium that goes east-west to win.

It was also the first time the Razorbacks wore red pants in the modern age and Lou Holtz threatened to never wear them again after that nail-biter win. None of that will have a thing to do with next Saturday's game, but it does add some history that playing OSU on the road has been tough for the Hogs the few times they've done it.

Ollie Gordon II (0) gets by Tucker Large (1) on the way to a touchdown in the first half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Aug., 31, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon III ran for 108 yards and scored twice, averaging nearly 4 yards per carry. He was arguably the best running back in the country last year and is apparently ready to take up where he left off, despite some off-field issues during the summer. None of that matters now.

It's hard to get nit-picky after a 70-0 win by Arkansas, either. Anybody throwing up red flags really doesn't have a clue what their talking about. You point out that stuff after a close win of a loss. It really was just scrimmage with fans and a band Thursday night.

The bad part is both the Cowboys and Hogs will be improved next week. The old saying in football the second game is when a team makes the biggest improvement it will make all season long. That goes for both teams, so there really isn't a track record to use handicapping Saturday's game.

Coaches on both teams are already preparing before dark. The Hogs saw enough to know things will be different next week. Now they just have to justify that 70-point win.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks silently assembling impressive defensive line haul

• Razorback fall baseball looms, starting preparations for season 

• Did Oklahoma State see enough to lose sleep over Hogs' win?

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