Razorbacks May Have to Protect KJ Jefferson From Himself

Doing a header late in a game with 52-35 lead probably not best idea ... now

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Raheim Sanders broke away for the icing on a 52-35 win, you wondered by KJ Jefferson did anything else but hand off.

That's probably not the way Arkansas' offensive coaching staff does things, though.

The Razorbacks basically admitted later how big the game against BYU on the road in Provo, Utah, really was. Sam Pittman knew this was the turning point after a 3-3 start.

"This was everything," he said later.

He only did that once before — against Missouri in 2020 and that backfired, then he said that caused a problem the next week against an Alabama team in a blowout.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Jakob Robinson (1) is brought down Brigham Young University Cougars defensive lineman Tyler Batty (92) in the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. (Gabriel Mayberry / USA TODAY Sports)

The game with the Cougars was different.

"It was because we had the bye," Pittman said. "Wanted to let the kids know how big this was for us. It puts us back into a pretty good bowl, puts us back into finishing second or third in the league, all that kind of stuff."

It gets into the mental aspect of the game that I talked about earlier in the week. Pittman had the mindset in the right direction and now they are set up for a little rest, then a five-game stretch to duplicate last year's 9-4 record after a Jan. 1 win.

"We can do that again," Pittman said.

For a minute or two on the turf at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Hogs' rest of the season was in doubt, though, to a lot of folks.

It didn't help when ESPN cut away to a commercial break with Jefferson laid out on the field after a run to the BYU 2.

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson spent the last two months of the season injured or playing hurt. (Nelson Chenault – USA TODAY Sports)

He didn't come back into the game.

"KJ is fine," Pittman said right after the game on the radio. "He went down and he just had a little stinger in the neck."

A lot of people were ready to pounce on the decision to even have him in the game a week after missing a 40-17 blowout loss to Mississippi State after some sort of head injury the week before against Alabama.

That was never officially ruled a concussion, but there is enough evidence to suggest those things are cumulative and Hog fans held their collective breath.

It worked out fine, but it scared the daylights out of Jefferson.

"In all the years I've been playing football I've never had a stinger," he said later. "It just kind of shocked me a little bit,

"My head went numb for a second and I thought did I break my neck or something."

He was able to laugh about it later.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson throws the ball in the first half as the Razorbacks face the Brigham Young University Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. (Gabriel Mayberry / USA TODAY Sports)

You can "what-if" the whole thing for two weeks, but it won't matter. Everybody is saying all is well and no big deal.

Now you can worry about these last five games and two opponents — Ole Miss and LSU — suddenly playing a whole lot better now.

The Rebels are sitting undefeated and the Tigers seem to be buying into what Brian Kelly is selling in Baton Rouge these days.

That's the biggest issue going forward, not worrying over something that didn't happen.

HOGS FEED:

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SEC ROUND-UP: BAMA COULD FACE BILL O'BRIEN IN WISCONSIN IN 2024

TAKING PLAY OUT OF BAMA PLAYBOOK RIGHT MOVE EVEN IF NO CHOICE

RAZORBACK FANS IN NEED OF REASON TO SMILE, BYU HAPPY TO OBLIGE

HOGS' MENTAL STATE BIGGEST QUESTION MARK HEADING INTO BYU

HOW TO WATCH-LISTEN TO HOGS-BYU ON SATURDAY

BYU TO BREAK OUT THE GOOD STUFF FOR ARKANSAS GAME

HUDSON CLARK BECOMING MR. DEPENDABLE WITH MOVE TO SAFETY

HOGS' ERIC MUSSELMAN ANALYZING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THESE DAYS

SEC ROUNDUP: IS THERE A CULTURE PROBLEM AT TEXAS A&M?

MIKE LEACH DOESN'T REALLY LIKE DINK-AND-DUNK REFERENCE

SEC SHORTS STRIKES WHILE IRON IS HOT AHEAD OF ALABAMA-TENNESSEE

ODDS OF HORNSBY GETTING ON FIELD AS RECEIVER GO WAY DOWN

TALKING ABOUT LAST YEAR'S END AFTER THREE LOSSES IS ABOUT BEST THING SAME PITTMAN CAN COME UP WITH NOW

RAZORBACKS FIGHTING TO KEEP THIS SEASON FROM SLIPPING THROUGH THEIR FINGERS

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