What Three Offensive Players Have to Perform Well in Opener

We may just see them briefly at the beginning, but there are some things with the ball Razorbacks need to have down against UAPB

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Ja'Quinden Jackson takes a handoff during drills in fall camp Aug. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With a better line hovering around Arkansas being a 50-point favorite Thursday night, the game with UAPB will provide some chances to get ideas. Or at least raise some more questions in an offseason full of them.

We haven't seen enough in fall camp to really have much of an educated guess how they will do. Nobody in the media really knows the questions we'll have in a couple of weeks. All they've gone against so far are the players they spend hours a day around.

There are, obviously, some things fans will want to watch with the offense, regardless how the final score turns out. This is about the offense and the other side of the ball will be in a different story. The kicking game is something else altogether and it's simple: Punters need to hammer the ball and kickers have to get it between the uprights.

We'll keep this simple because there are three areas we will be watching. The receivers probably won't be tested that much until the second week of the season against Oklahoma State. If they are a big story, it probably won't be for the right reasons because they should have no problem against the Golden Lions.

Quarterback Taylen Green Needs to Have Clean Game

It would be amazing if the game was perfect because that seldom happens the first week of the season. We've already seen Florida State have a surprising loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland and SMU avoided a collapse with a fourth-quarter rally against Nevada.

Green doesn't have to be spectacular. He simply has to be consistent with his decision-making and let the game come to him. There won't be a nead to make a really big play. If that need arises late in this one, we're going to have a completely different conversation.

Accuracy passing is the biggest factor. We've seen him do that in all of the individual drills and pitch-and-catch in fall camp. We haven't seen him throw a single pass against somebody in a different uniform with the band playing and the crowd calling the Hogs.

Don't worry much about the first couple of drives. Those can go either way, but it's probably a safe guess Petrino is going to want the offense to come out and establish things early. There's not much sense in this game anyway and keeping things in suspense is pointless.

If Green performs up to expectations, don't be surprised to see him out of the game by halftime. There's not really much logic to keep him in there, risk injury or something else. Green needs to show why he's the No. 1 quarterback.

Can Offensive Line Solve Concerns They Have Improved

With Patrick Kutas not playing a meaningful snap in fall camp, there are concerns. We might know Monday in Sam Pittman's press conference if he'll be on the field, but may not be. That's why the coaches get the big bucks to make that call.

One thing is assured, though, just like everything else, there is a difference between practice and game environments for the linemen. It also takes a lot of coordination, maybe more than any other position group on the field.

We may find out if they've managed the coordination well enough to play a game. Even against an out-manned opponent, the Razorbacks should appear to be operating fairly smoothly. That doesn't mean avoiding running into each other (it happened a couple of times last year) because it goes much deeper.

Arkansas can't wait to find out if that's in place against the Cowboys. By then, it may be too late if new offensive line coach Eric Mateos hasn't gotten most of the wrinkles ironed out.

Are Running Backs Ready to Fill Big Role Quickly?

If the transfer portal gutted any position, it was at running back. The guy expected to be the starter in spring, Rashod Dubinion, may be third team now. Transfer Ja'Quinden Jackson has brought a wealth of experience with him from Utah and freshman Braylen Russell has a different look about him coming in from Benton.

This one's going to tie into the second question about the offensive line. There has never been a big-time running attack without a big-time offensive lineman or two. Are the newcomers ready to take over the mantle so Petrino and Pittman can have that running game they need?

Fans will be waiting to see one of those patented Petrino wheel routes down the sideline with a running back, but we haven't seen an awful lot of them catching the ball. They can take a handoff fairly well and run through holes at times, but what happens in a game?

For the Razorbacks to have much success this year, they will have to be able to run the ball when they need to and that's at the end of games. It's a big part of why they haven't been able to close out games consistently the last few years.

Don't forget they have been working some tight ends in a fullback role at times in camp. They have some talent there that could step in and provide some surprises for defenses

Probably the way Petrino would like this to go is just be plain vanilla in this opener, get a big win and some tape on guys they haven't seen much. Even get the backup quarterbacks on the field for some meaningful snaps.

The answers to those three questions, though, will tell us what the questions are we should be asking. It probably won't affect the outcome of the game much, but will prepare us for what's down the road.

HOGS FEED:

• Three key players for Hogs' defense looking to get fast start

• Razorbacks Football: Three things to watch against UAPB

• There really isn't much reason for Hogs playing UAPB on field

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