FAYETTEVILLE — No position group inside the Arkansas football locker room received an overhaul quite like the offensive line this offseason.
Sam Pittman brought in three starters from the transfer portal and hired Eric Mateos to replace Cody Kennedy, who left for Mississippi State. The play up front simply wasn’t good enough in 2023, and the Razorbacks (1-0) hope a revamped unit can bring the offense back to life this fall.
The first true test for that theory arrives this Saturday when Arkansas hits the road and faces No. 17 Oklahoma State (11 a.m., ABC). The big bodies looked good in a 70-0 romp over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but that game didn’t reveal much to Pittman.
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“The game Thursday, there’s really not a lot you can put into the results of that because, no disrespect, we’re not going to play anybody like that the rest of the year,” Pittman said Monday.
“We didn’t have really pressure problems, but they didn’t pressure us either. We’re going to get pressured Saturday, there is no doubt in my mind.”
In addition to all of the new faces, Pittman is taking on a bigger responsibility with the offensive line’s development.
Aug 29, 2024; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Pine Bluff Golden Lions at War Memorial Stadium.
The head coach worked alongside Mateos with the unit throughout spring practices and fall camp. Players and coaches joked he was the highest-paid graduate assistant in the country.
The Razorbacks scored nine rushing touchdowns in all 2023, and they nearly matched that number with eight in the 2024 season-opener against UAPB. In another sign of progress, the Razorbacks averaged 8.5 yards per carry in the victory after only producing a 2.9 average last year against Western Carolina.
“Went out there and handled business,” right guard Josh Braun said. “We, as a unit, we definitely progressed from last year. I think we all remember how people were feeling after that game, what questions arose.”
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Braun is encouraged by the start, but he refuses to put too much emphasis on the upcoming showdown with the Cowboys. He’s encouraging the offensive line — and the entire team — to treat the contest like any other game on the schedule.
But in reality, the Oklahoma State matchup provides both a test and an opportunity. The Cowboys (1-0) are the first Power Four opponent on the Hogs’ schedule and were picked to finish third in the Big 12’s preseason poll. It’s the first examination — on a national stage — for the Hogs’ revamped offensive line.
And it’s a chance for Arkansas to put the struggles of 2023 out of sight. The offensive line has been under scrutiny for the past 12 months, and Oklahoma State won’t be the most difficult defensive line the unit faces this season. South Dakota State averaged 4.4 yards per carry last week in the Cowboys’ 44-20 win.
By about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the world will know if Arkansas has made significant improvement.
“I like our line, but we haven’t been tested,” Pittman said. “We’ll find out a lot more about them on Saturday.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football’s offensive line set for first test of 2024
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Publish date : 2024-09-03 22:09:00
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