When you play in the SEC West, competing against top-ranked teams becomes the norm.
Last Saturday’s game against Alabama marked the 10th time that Arkansas has played a No. 1 team in the past 12 seasons.
Arkansas is 0-7 through the decades against No. 1 Alabama teams and 4-20 against all No. 1 teams. The four wins came in 2007 against LSU and in 1964, 1965 and 1981 against Texas.
The good news for Razorback fans in Saturday’s 65-31 loss was that Arkansas managed 405 yards of offense.
The bad news was that the Razorback defense gave up 639 yards. Another sore point: Arkansas has now allowed a defensive or special teams touchdown in each of the past four games.
Alabama simply doesn’t lose games it’s supposed to win. Saturday’s Tide victory was the 78th consecutive win in a game against an unranked opponent. At 1-5, meanwhile, Arkansas is off to its worst start since Frank Broyles’ first team lost six consecutive games to begin the 1958 season.
Arkansas teams have now lost to Alabama for 12 consecutive years. The 65 points given up last Saturday were the most points scored by an SEC team against Arkansas since Auburn did it in 2010. Alabama has now gained more than 500 yards of offense and scored 45 or more points in six consecutive games.
On to Ole Miss.
The weather Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium should be nice. The crowd should be a good one. I think the game will be close.
The record was 6-1 on the picks last week, making the record for the season 38-12.
Here are the picks for this week’s games:
Appalachian State 30, Arkansas State 26 — College football should never be played on Tuesday nights, but Arkansas State must go with the hand it’s dealt in the Sun Belt Conference. Appalachian State gave Penn State a scare before losing the season opener in overtime by a final score of 45-38. This team is the most talented squad in the Sun Belt and has since rolled to victories of 45-9 over Charlotte, 72-7 over Gardner-Webb and 52-7 over South Alabama. Arkansas State has had 10 days to get over its 28-21 loss at Georgia Southern. The home team won on a 47-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds remaining in the game. That loss dropped ASU to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Red Wolf quarterback Justice Hansen has now tied the school record with 67 career passing touchdowns. He was 38 of 50 passing for 376 yards in the loss at Georgia Southern. In that game, ASU was outrushed 348-117. That doesn’t bode well for Tuesday night’s game in Jonesboro.
Ole Miss 34, Arkansas 31 — The Rebels moved to 4-2 with a 70-21 win over Louisiana-Monroe in Oxford last Saturday. The other three victories have been by scores of 47-27 over Texas Tech, 76-41 over Southern Illinois and 38-17 over Kent State. The losses have been by scores of 62-7 to Alabama and 45-16 to LSU. Arkansas is improving. With a loud home crowd, the Hogs should be able to hang around until the end of this one.
UCA 28, Stephen F. Austin 20 — The Bears improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in Southland Conference play on Saturday night in Conway with a 66-35 victory over Houston Baptist (1-4, 0-3). Those 66 points were especially impressive when you consider that UCA is down to its third-string quarterback. Sophomore starter Breylin Smith broke his ankle a week earlier. Junior reserve Kirk Baugh then injured his shoulder. That left it to redshirt freshman Luke Hales. It wasn’t a bad start. His first pass on the second play from scrimmage went for a 65-yard touchdown. His first run also went for a touchdown. His fourth pass went for a 31-yard touchdown. Hales was 16 of 27 passing for 304 yards and five touchdowns. And he didn’t even know for sure that he would start until Friday night. The Bears travel to Nacogdoches, Texas, this week to take on a struggling Stephen F. Austin team that’s 1-4. The lone victory was by a score of 24-21 over Abilene Christian. The four losses have been by scores of 63-6 to Mississippi State, 31-7 to Incarnate Word, 17-10 to McNeese State and 54-21 to Sam Houston State.
Ouachita 32, Oklahoma Baptist 21 — Ouachita moved up to No. 5 nationally in the American Football Coaches Association’s NCAA Division II poll following a tension-filled victory over a nationally ranked Harding team in Searcy. The 7-3 final score was like something you would have seen in the 1950s. It was the result of two of the country’s best defenses being at the top of their game. Harding led 3-0 at the end of the third quarter with Ouachita quarterback Brayden Brazeal out due to an injury to his throwing hand. Senior wide receiver Drew Harris from Benton, who had missed the previous two games due to an injury, was forced to play quarterback for the first time since high school. He led the Tigers on a 12-play, 85-yard scoring drive. The game’s only touchdown came with 9:29 left. The Bisons then had their ball-control offense use up the remaining time on the clock, reaching the Ouachita one in the final seconds before an illegal procedure penalty and an incomplete pass on fourth down dropped them to 4-2 on the season. The 6-0 Tigers travel to Shawnee to take on a 2-4 Oklahoma Baptist team that lost by a final score of 56-21 to Henderson last Saturday.
Southeastern Oklahoma 36, Southern Arkansas 35 — Upset special. The Muleriders are 6-0 and ranked 15th nationally by the AFCA this week. But they have struggled in games against teams from Oklahoma. The most recent example came Saturday in Magnolia when SAU only defeated a 1-5 Southern Nazarene team by a final score of 21-16. The Crimson Storm had the ball twice late in the game with a chance to take the lead, but the final two drives ended in turnovers. Southeastern Oklahoma, which is 4-2, is tough in Durant. The Savage Storm has won three consecutive games — 21-7 over UAM, 37-9 over Northwestern Oklahoma and 31-20 over Southwestern Oklahoma.
Harding 50, Southwestern Oklahoma 29 — Harding is probably the best 4-2 team in the country in NCAA Division II. Don’t be surprised if the No. 24 Bisons run the table, finish the season 9-2 and make the playoffs again. Southwestern Oklahoma, which is 2-4 so far this year after a 3-8 finish in 2017, will have no answer for the Harding rushing attack this Saturday in Weatherford.
UAM 24, Southern Nazarene 22 — The Boll Weevils went to Russellville on Saturday and stunned Arkansas Tech by a score of 34-16 to move to 2-4 on the season. Senior quarterback Cole Sears was 20 of 33 passing for 220 yards for the Weevils.
Henderson 44, East Central Oklahoma 39 — The Reddies evened their record at 3-3 with that 56-21 victory over Oklahoma Baptist. Henderson outrushed the Bisons 383-87 while quarterback Richard Stammetti was 17 of 29 passing. Henderson travels to Ada this Saturday to take on an East Central team that’s 2-4 thus far this season after going 2-9 in 2017.
Arkansas Tech 27, Northwestern Oklahoma 25 — The Wonder Boys lost their first two games, won their next two games and now have lost back-to-back games to Ouachita and UAM. It appears time to win a couple. That can start Saturday after the long trip to Alva to take on a Northwestern Oklahoma team that’s also 2-4 following a 5-6 finish in 2017.
This content originally appeared on Rex Nelson's Southern Fried blog.