Arkansas Football vs. UAPB: Scouting Report, Prediction

FAYETTEVILLE – The fifth year of the Sam Pittman era begins Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Arkansas football opens the 2024 season with an in-state rivalry game against Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB). Kickoff between the Razorbacks and Golden Lions is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU).

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Arkansas has an overall record of 153-62-4 at War Memorial Stadium. The Hogs crushed Western Carolina in last year's season opener in Little Rock, but they've also had some shocking losses to Louisiana-Monroe and Toledo in recent years.

Here are four things to watch for when the Hogs play UAPB, and a prediction for their first game of the 2024 college football season.

Expect lots of screens and stretch runs

Pittman expects UAPB to use a lot of bubble screens and RPO looks after studying film from Grambling State, where UAPB offensive coordinator Tony Hull coached last season.

On the ground, Pittman said Arkansas needs to stop the stretch play. UAPB has decent team speed and will look to get outside, even though Arkansas may have a big athletic advantage.

Mekhi Hagens' double threat

Hagens won the QB1 title for UAPB this offseason. The 6-foot-3 redshirt junior from St. Louis can hurt opposing defenders both in the air and on the ground.

Last season, Hagens ran for 163 yards and scored four touchdowns while throwing for 580 yards and three touchdowns. He was part of a three-man quarterback rotation, and it would be no surprise to see UAPB backup DJ Stevenson start against the Hogs.

Can Arkansas make a statement locally?

Despite the final score of 56-13, alarm bells should have been ringing after last season's opener when the Hogs averaged 2.9 yards per carry against Western Carolina. The problems running the football persisted throughout 2023.

Arkansas needs to avoid a similar struggle against UAPB. The offensive line – and the entire team – could get a huge confidence boost if they're able to dominate in the trenches and have sustained success on the ground on Thursday night.

What does Taylor Green look like?

Green should have a great game, but pay special attention to his accuracy against UAPB.

Against FCS competition, the throwing windows will be larger than in the SEC, but it's important that Green makes progress in that category after completing just 57.1% of his passes last year at BYU.

It will also be interesting to see if there is a favorite target for Green in week one. He has shown great chemistry with Tyrone Broden all offseason, but Andrew Armstrong, Isaiah Sategna and Luke Hasz are all options to become the Hogs' top receiver in 2024.

Prediction: Arkansas 55, UAPB 10

This is a lopsided game, and the Hogs should have no problem starting their season with a blowout win. All eyes will be on Bobby Petrino and his offense. Arkansas will need to create explosive plays and show that it can create gaps on the offensive line that can be sustained against bigger competition. Have fun, Arkansas fans, because the rest of the season won't be so easy.

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Arkansas Football vs. UAPB: Scouting Report, Prediction

Expect lots of screens and stretch runs

Mekhi Hagens' double threat

Can Arkansas make a statement locally?

What does Taylor Green look like?

Prediction: Arkansas 55, UAPB 10

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Arkansas Football vs. UAPB: Scouting Report, Prediction

Expect lots of screens and stretch runs

Mekhi Hagens' double threat

Can Arkansas make a statement locally?

What does Taylor Green look like?

Prediction: Arkansas 55, UAPB 10

Related posts:

By Hudson Brooklyn

Related Post

Death of an EY employee in India: Harsh Goenka shares 6 tips to promote a healthy workplace culture

Debut of Raab's new TV show: How a candidate got his dream performance

Women draw, men lose to Colorado Northwestern CC in first ever home game

You Missed

Death of an EY employee in India: Harsh Goenka shares 6 tips to promote a healthy workplace culture

Debut of Raab's new TV show: How a candidate got his dream performance

Women draw, men lose to Colorado Northwestern CC in first ever home game

São Paulo Military Police uses Motorola Solutions body cameras to improve security