Five Burning Questions That Must Be Answered Against Kent State

Hogs have specific glaring issues Pittman, Arkansas staff that must be resolved before schedule gets tougher

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While Western Carolina gave Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and Razorback fans plenty of reasons to be excited, there were issues that popped up that need to be sorted out before the Hogs reach SEC play. Here are the five most pressing.

How will the running game do without Sanders?

It wasn’t pretty last week with a 105 yard output. With every back returning this season it would’ve been expected to at least hit the 230 yard mark against Western Carolina. It’s over and done with and the Catamounts sold out on the run. Now, the Hogs turn the page to a Kent State team that was throttled in its season opener by 50 and allowed nearly 400 yards rushing.

The last time the Hogs were without Sanders, Rashod Dubinion and AJ Green rushed for 100-yards apiece. That can certainly happen on Saturday, especially if the offensive line improves as expected.

“I think we played OK [on the offensive line],” Pittman said. “I think we can play a lot better and I think we will.”

How active will the Hogs front seven be?

The talk during the offseason was how impressive the defensive line had performed. There were times Pittman mentioned them overwhelming the offensive line in practice and not allowing them time to operate.

Not a single defensive linemen recorded a sack against the Catamounts which could’ve been by design. Many plays were short passes or screens to keep the Hogs’ from bull rushing. Still, they did come away with five tackles for loss, but will probably be looking for more against the Golden Flashes.

Linebacker was an undervalued position during the offseason due to the loss of so much experience and production. The Hogs brought back Chris Paul and Jordan Crook who played quality snaps throughout last season with both starting in the Liberty Bowl.

One player who came out of the game with plenty of mojo is Jaheim Thomas. The Cincinnati transfer led the team with 8 tackles while posting 1.5 TFL.

Will KJ reach 250 yards passing?

If Arkansas plans to dedicate time running the ball then Jefferson won’t hit the 250 yard mark fans are anxious to see him meet as he continues to hunt down records.

Offensive coordinator Dan Enos will want to set the tone offensively, and if abandoning the run game is something they have to do, so be it. Jefferson has shown he can handle more workload. The Sardis, Mississippi native was an efficient 18-of-23 passing for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns Saturday. Betting on him to surpass 250 yards may be pushing it if he doesn’t play more than 3 quarters.

Will more young players make their name known?

How about true freshman Brad Spence? He came out ready to play in his first collegiate appearance with an 85-yard pick six. Not every college player gets to experience that at any point, but the Houston native was able to in his debut.

Isaiah Sategna had nearly 100 yards on special teams last week. At some point he is going to find the end zone. Kent State is as good of a candidate as any team to give up the touchdown. That’ll be something to keep an eye on.

With the absence of Sanders this weekend, plenty of running backs are going to get a chance with the ball. Freshman Isaiah Augustave rushed four times for 20 yards last Saturday with an authoritative running style. The bright lights of a large home crowd can either provide an adrenaline boost or scramble the mind. If given the chance, Augustave will get to show whether the power he displayed last week is sustainable enough to challenge some of the veterans in front of him.

Fan Turnout

After just over 44,000 fans bought tickets to the game last week in Little Rock despite viewership being limited to streaming, there will be extra eyeballs waiting for the opening kickoff. Fayetteville will have more fans. It only remains to be seen whether Hog fans actually fill up Razorback Stadium for a MAC school.

The fight between keeping a game in Little Rock every other year or just abolishing them altogether has been a hearty subject on Twitter this week. Razorback Stadium holds just over 78,000 so it’ll be interesting to see the percentage of fans who show up. If the stadium is packed out Saturday, the great stadium debate is over.

HOGS FEED:

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