Know Yer Phoe: Arkansas

[pdub]

6-6 ( 3-5 ).
30 Sagarin.
Early spread is -4.5 Arkansas, under over 67.5.

Best wins:
v 23 Cincy 31-24, v 14 Ole Miss 42-27
Worst looses:
v Liberty 21-19, @ MIZZOU 29-27

Played 6 ranked teams.
Their last 3 looses came by a combined 7 points.
They played no. 7 LSU close and lost 13-10.

26th in total offense at 454 YPG ( KU 38th at 425 ).
51st in scoring offense at 30.7 PPG ( KU 27th at 34.2 PPG ).

Their total defense, on paper, is actually slightly worse than KU's, which is pretty bad.
Rank 123rd out of 131 giving up 454 yards a game, compared to Kansas's 452.
Their scoring defense is better, 90th, at 28 PPG, compared to Kansas's 34 PPG.

They are a rushing team, 9th in the nation in rushing yards per game, at 223.4 YPG.

Led by running back Raheim Sanders, 6 foot 2 227lb sophomore:
1,426 yards - 6.5 AVG.
Should be the all SEC RB.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson, 6 foot 3, 242 lb junior.
2,361 yards passing. 22 TDs. 4 INTs.
510 yards rushing.

Defense led by Drew Sanders, junior LB, 6 foot 5 232 lbs, expected to go in the 2nd/3rd rounds of the NFL draft. He likely will be all SEC.
At the moment, I don't think he's actually declared so you'd expect him to play.

But that brings us to two early NFL draft entries, both expected NOT to play in the bowl.
Ricky Stromberg, the Razorback's starting center ( also likely ALL SEC ), and Jadon Haselwood, their 2nd leading receiver, likely won't be playing.

[pdub]

I think, considering we are one of the worst teams in the nation at defending the run, we could be in trouble here, even with their starting center opting out.

Texas ran for 427 yards against us in Lawrence.
While I don't expect that to happen again, you could reasonably see them putting up 300 and if that happens, I can't see us winning.

Hold em under 250, limit the turnovers, and I could see us just getting by in a close one.

[Sparko]

Many thanks. 116 years have brought changes.

[Sparko]

I think, considering we are one of the worst teams in the nation at defending the run, we could be in trouble here, even with their starting center opting out.

Texas ran for 427 yards against us in Lawrence.
While I don't expect that to happen again, you could reasonably see them putting up 300 and if that happens, I can't see us winning.

Hold em under 250, limit the turnovers, and I could see us just getting by in a close one.

Bichon was incredible. He made something out of nothing many times. Bad scheming for a one-dimensional team though. Hope we learned from it.

[ousdahl]

What town is this school in and what’s the south Asian soup scene like!!!!

[NewtonHawk11]

Bowls mostly come down to who wants to be there more.

Does Arkansas want to be there after a disappointing season after starting the season preseason ranked 20 and getting up to 10 before finishing 6-6.

On the other hand, does Kansas want to be there after not sniffing a bowl for 14 years? Same kind of story. Got to the top 20 and then really struggled to end the year.

I think Kansas will want to be there more than Arkansas.

[pdub]

Also:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/saigon-bistro-fayetteville

Here's Darin A.

"Yo I just found out today they charge a whole dollar for their Togo boxes. And plus when I got the check, the server literally stood there as I'm signing. Awkward to say the least."

[KUTradition]

nothing says Vietnamese food like Fayetteville, AR

[CrimsonNBlue]

Bowls mostly come down to who wants to be there more.

Does Arkansas want to be there after a disappointing season after starting the season preseason ranked 20 and getting up to 10 before finishing 6-6.

On the other hand, does Kansas want to be there after not sniffing a bowl for 14 years? Same kind of story. Got to the top 20 and then really struggled to end the year.

I think Kansas will want to be there more than Arkansas.

This. Bowl games are so friggin' weird, especially these small ones, that you could throw away just about the whole regular season in some of these. I'd be shocked if we saw guys play that we don't know or barely know. Players getting sent home/deactivated for partying too hard, etc. is also not unheard of.

That said, I do feel like KU as a program really wants to be there and to win. I know almost nothing about what is going on at Arkansas.

[pdub]

If Raheim Sanders plays a full game, we still have our work cut out for us.
He just ran for 232 yards and 3 TDs against no. 14 Ole Miss.

[NewtonHawk11]

Will say this. Last time Arkansas played in Liberty Bowl was like 2016 or 2017 and they filled about 3/4 of the damn stadium.

It's about a 4 hour drive from their campus to Memphis and that's the furthest drive. They'll be there. They can just take one day off work, drive there in the morning, drive home in the evening and be at work on Thursday. Hope KU fans show out big time. But it'll likely be very heavy in fan support towards Arkansas.

This will be fun, all. I'm excited.

[UnholyLivingDead]

I've always enjoyed the times I've spent in Memphis. I was really hoping for the Liberty Bowl because that's the one bowl I thought I'd be able to go to. Alas, it's just not going to work out for my schedule. Hope there's plenty of crimson and blue there because Arkansas fans will definitely show out.

[AlOerter]

Going to have to outscore them in a shoot-out. May be one of those "whoever has the ball last" deals.

[NewtonHawk11]

Getting these guys like 20 extra practices is going to be HUGE. Not only practices, but time to get healthy too.

[UnholyLivingDead]

I'm excited to see what kind of game plan Kotelnicki comes up with when given almost a whole month to plan for one game.

[NewtonHawk11]

He was damn good against kstate. Just ran out of horses, specifically at running back.

[UnholyLivingDead]

[Sparko]

Drew Sanders sitting out is a good thing. He knows the spankings they received at the turn of the last century.

[PhDhawk]

Scurred

[Sparko]

I saw about 16 names on their transfer list or not playing. Bumper Pool is out after hip surgery too. I think the line is wrong. With missing receivers too, we are playing a mostly one-dimenional team. Box them in.