Arkansas football: Should we be worried about Malik Hornsby after struggling against UAPB?
The Arkansas football team demolished Arkansas Pine Bluff 45-3 in Little Rock, Ark., putting an end to their three-game losing streak.
As expected, the Razorbacks were in control the entire game. The size, speed and depth of the SEC squad was no match for UPAB, representing the SWAC of the FCS.
Star wide receiver Treylon Burks led the way for the Hogs with 4 catches for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recorded two rushes for 56 yards and a touchdown. So three total touchdowns on the day for the likely 2022 NFL first round draft pick.
How did Arkansas football freshman Malik Hornsby perform against UAPB?
With a 45 point lead, the highly-touted freshman out of Missouri City, Texas got the most snaps of his Razorback career.
Hornsby entered the game early in the third quarter and struggled mightily against the FCS defense.
His first four snaps in the game were: an incomplete pass, getting sacked for a loss of 17 yards, a completed pass and an incomplete pass on fourth down to turn the ball over on downs.
In all, Hornsby finished the day completing one of five passes for just 19 yards. He finished with three carries for one yard gained.
He played virtually the entire second half, but could not lead the Hogs down the field to score any points. In the five drives he played, they resulted in a fumble, a turnover on downs and two punts. The final drive of the game resulted in a few handoffs to allow the game clock to expire.
If there was ever a game to see Hornsby’s skills and athleticism on display, it was this one. It does give some cause for concern that he could not advance the ball down the field for the Razorbacks.
Yes, he is raw. Yes, he doesn’t get many in-game snaps. But, if he wants to compete to be the Arkansas football team’s starting quarterback one day, Sam Pittman is going to need to see a lot of improvement from Hornsby.
There were sequences in which the young quarterback appeared to panic and try to make something happen that just want there. Some of that will be corrected by watching game tape and getting more experience. However, his inability to do much of anything against such a weak defense leaves great cause for concern moving forward.
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The Arkansas football team will enjoy a Bye Week before their next game against Mississippi State Nov. 6.