Sam Pittman breaks down Hogs dominant win over Arkansas State

In the final tune up for the start of Southeastern Conference play this Saturday at Ole Miss, the Arkansas Razorbacks ran over the Arkansas State Red Wolves 56-14 and bid a fond farewell to Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium over the weekend. 

The senior duo of quarterback Taylen Green and halfback Mike Washington each ran for over a hundred yards while the Razorback defense reigned in ASU quarterback Jaylen Raynor by sacking him four times. Green accounted for five total touchdowns while passing for 269 yards passing to eight different receivers. 

Here’s everything the Razorbacks had to say after the game. 

Everything Sam Pittman and the Hogs said after beating Arkansas State

Running out to a fast start

“We'll start off by, what an atmosphere over here,” Razorback head coach Sam Pittman said of the team’s unofficial home away from Fayetteville. “(I’m) very appreciative of our fans. It felt like a home game, and that started with the Hog walk.  We knew the significance of this game to our great state, Arkansas. We knew the significance of 130 years of playing (in Little Rock), and we decided we're going to play the game. So, we certainly had to be ready for the game, and I felt like we were.”

Pittman’s Razorbacks set the tone early when Washington took the second play of the game from scrimmage and raced 53 yards for the game’s opening score. After the Razorback forced ASU to a three-and-out on their first possession, Green connected with slot receiver Raylen Sharpe for a 37 yard score and a 14-0 lead. 

“We knew our first eight plays, and we kind of had to memorize them,” Washington said. “(Offensive coordinator Bobby) Petrino told us. He was like — he's been telling us since camp or way before camp that we are an explosive offense.”

In Arkansas’ season opening rout of Alabama A&M in Fayetteville, Washington scored on a swing pass but got tripped up on a potential game-breaking touchdown run. This time he was able to break through thanks to a key downfield block by left tackle Corey Robinson. 

“It's so great. I was able to get the crowd loud. You know, I had a great block from Corey Robinson. I just saw a video of it. I was like, ‘Oh, shoot!’ But yeah, it was great to get that room.”

The Red Wolves responded to Green’s touchdown pass by taking the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to cut the lead in half. ASU Chauncy Cobbs found a crease in the Razorback kick coverage and got down the sideline to make it 14-7 five minutes into the game. 

Green answered just as quickly with a 64-yard touchdown run through the middle of the Red Wolves’ defense, and Arkansas’ next drive ended with a bruising touchdown run by sophomore tailback Braylen Russell and the rout appeared on with Arkansas up 28-7 going into the second quarter. 

“Braylen made a really good run down there on the goal line,” Pittman said. “Mike’s second play of the game — man. Corey Robinson had a hell of a block on that too, but yeah, I like our backs, they can catch it. They can run it. I tell you — they protected well tonight. So I like where we're at. Rodney Hill came in and had some good runs there towards the end of the game, and so I think we're in good shape there running back.”

Respect the Red Wolves

The undersized and outmanned Red Wolves did their best to keep the game close in the first half. Key penalties and a missed field goal undid potential scoring opportunities for ASU. They did manage to cut the game to 28-14 late in the half when Raynor connected with offensive tackle Cameron Ambrose for a two-yard touchdown on a tackle-eligible play action. 

However Green, who was intercepted twice by the ASU defense in the second quarter, finished the half by leading his team on a long drive that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Brown. 

“Have a lot of respect for Coach (Butch) Jones and their program, but those were two things I was really, really proud of when our seconds got in there and they played ball,” Pittman said.  “They took advantage of their situation and their opportunity.

“(ASU) had 250 yards or whatever, and I think they're a good offensive football team. I think they're going to win a lot of games, and I think they've got skill. We played pretty good — kept the quarterback (under control). The quarterback didn't become a big problem — like what I thought he might. You know. He had an opportunity to.”

The second half was all Arkansas however. Green hooked up for touchdowns with tight end Rohan Jones and leading receiver O’Mega Blake in the third quarter. The Razorbacks finale score came courtesy of a 99-yard drive led by backup quarterback K.J. Jackson. 

After the Razorback defense held the Red Wolves on a close fourth down call inside the one yard line, Jackson led the second team offense to the game’s final score. The redshirt freshman from Montgomery, Alabama connected on key passes to Jones and fellow tight end Andreas Paaske on the drive and got key runs from reserve halfback Rodney Hill. Jackson ended the offensive festivities with a six yard scamper into the endzone. 

“We realized like this was gonna be put in history books, and so I think we all kind of felt that coming into the game,” Preseason All-SEC guard Fernando Carmona said. “You know Just arriving on the bus and just the line of people. Hog fans just waiting outside the fences just waiting to see us. That kind of made everything so real and so just kind of put everything into perspective of how awesome of an opportunity we had today. And I feel like we truly seized the opportunity.”

Defense Sorey Missed

The Razorback defense seized several opportunities as well over the weekend. Preseason All-SEC linebacker Xavian Sorey returned to form after a lackluster performance in the season opener. Xorey intercepted Raynor in the first half and got in on one of the Razorback’s four sacks in the game. He also finished with a game-high 14 tackles. 

Overall, the Razorback defense racked up 10 tackles for negative yardage in the game. 

“Wasn't that something?” Pittman said. “Last week, I think we had five tackles out of those two guys, today we had 24 or 25. We had four sacks. We had 10 negative yardage plays. We challenged (the defense) this week. I think you all know that I say we need more production out of the front seven and we got it against ASU. No disrespect to A&M, but (we played) a better team this week than what we played last week. So obviously, we're starting SEC play, and we needed that going into SEC play.”

“I knew Sorey was going to have a good game —  just because he was so low and down about the game that he played last week. We got production out of the front seven, and that was good to see.”

The Razorback defense also got two sacks each from defensive ends Quincy  Rhodes and Phillip Lee in the game. Both players are tied with three on the year and are half way to matching last season’s team high in sacks after only two games. 

Cornerback Kani Walker also got into the act with the team’s other interception against ASU.

“Well, first of all, I thought we pushed the pocket pretty good, and the ball had to come out,” Pittman said. “We lost down the middle and (Raynor) ran a few times, but Kani has shown that now for a while. (Cornerback Julian Neal) continues to get better, and our secondary will hit you. I think we're getting better back there, but I also think the faster we can make a guy throw the football, the better we become. They caught a few slant routes for seven and eight yards, which is going to happen to you, but other than that…”

As a Little Rock native Rhodes said he tried to impart to his teammates what playing games in Little Rock has meant to Arkansans over the years. Playing Arkansas State to most likely close that chapter in Razorback history made it all the better, but Rhodes added that it should get this year’s team ready for the start of SEC play. 

“Most definitely. Just speaking to my other teammates — I told him like, big teams like LSU, Alabama, — big schools like that, they played here. It’s the game that everybody's been wanting for years. So, I thank God I'm a part of this opportunity. This is in the history.”

Revisiting Oxford

Putting one chapter of history behind them, the Razorbacks now turn their attention to the challenges presented by the No. 17 ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Unbeaten Mississippi moved up from No. 20 in last week’s poll by avenging a loss to fellow SEC foe Kentucky on Saturday. 

Arkansas should have some vengeance of their own in mind going into this week after the Rebels embarrassed the Razorbacks 63-31 in Fayetteville last season. 

“I think we should take everything just week by week,” Rhodes said. “We’ve got great coaches who prepare us for moments playing SEC ball. So just to sum up everything, like I said, (we) just take everything week by week, keep our heads down and just keep working.”

Pittman added that while he’s pleased to go into SEC play undefeated for the first time in two years, he knows his team has several things to work on going into Oxford to face the Rebels. Pittman said he saw progress in the offensive line, secondary, tight ends, running backs and other areas, but the team will have to continue improving this week when the competition level increases significantly. 

“We got some things we've got to fix, but we got a lot of things that we're doing really good,” Pittman said. “There's a couple things that I was really pleased with, and I know you're going to ask me about Taylen. You're going to ask me about the offense. You're going to ask me about a lot of different things.

“I like the guys on the team. They're very coachable. They're tough.I like the guys on the team, not just because we won. I mean, we're supposed to, but you don't always win once you're supposed to. I think we're pretty explosive on offense. I think our run defense has been pretty good the first two weeks, but you know, it depends on who you're playing.  I like our team. I like how we play, and how hard we play. We're a pretty good tackling team, and we're able to play a little bit more man coverage than we have in the past. I think that'll help us, and that'll help us go after the quarterback.”