Category: Football

Brinkley tops Wynne

November 11, 1911

BRINKLEY – Brinkley High School today won a game of football from the Wynne High School by the score of 11 to 0. The locals were outweighed 10 pounds to the man. Hartley, Woodfin, and McCreight of Brinkley deserve special mention.

Touchdowns, Woodfin 1, McCreight 1. Fred McCreight kicked one goal from touchdown.

Source: Arkansas Gazette, November 12, 1911

Red Wolves drop Decision to SMU

August 31, 2019

By ASU SPORTS INFORMATION

JONESBORO – A record-tying performance by Omar Bayless was not quite enough to move Arkansas State past SMU on Saturday night at Centennial Bank Stadium, as the Red Wolves (0-1) dropped a tough 37-30 decision to the Mustangs (1-0) in the season opener for both teams.

Bayless grabbed four touchdown passes from Logan Bonner, matching the school record set in 1959 by Alfred Bentley vs. Central Missouri. The clock ultimately ran out on A-State’s final drive, which was stopped at the SMU 29-yard mark.

“I really hurt for our team,” interim head coach David Duggan said. “We’ve been through a lot of adversity and I wish I could’ve done a better job getting a win for them. We talked about that adversity – that it can either define you, destroy you or strengthen you. I believe that this group was strengthened by the adversity that it overcame this past week and a half. I’m proud of their effort, I’m proud of their fight, but we just made too many first-game mistakes. You can’t do that against a good football team and think you’re going to win.”

In his first career start, Bonner completed 32 of 50 passes for 324 yards, with 265 of those yards coming in the second half. Brandon Bowling caught a career-high 12 passes to lead the Red Wolves, while Bayless hauled in 10 passes for a team-high 132 yards – both career highs.

Defensively, Jerry Jacobs led all players with a career-high 13 total tackles with William Bradley-King tallying the lone Red Wolf sack on the night.

On the opening drive, the Mustangs ventured into A-State territory, only for Darreon Jackson to pick off a Shane Buechele pass and return it 49 yards to the SMU 7-yard line. That play marked Jackson’s first career interception. The very next play, Logan Bonner fired a bullet to Omar Bayless to give A-State an early 7-0 lead.

With 8:45 left in the first, Kevin Robledo put SMU on the board with a 34-yard field goal. Through the first 15 minutes, A-State led 7-3.

Early in the second quarter, Bradley-King mauled through the Mustang offensive line, sacking Buechele and forcing a fumble, which was recovered in the end zone by left guard Alan Ali for a safety, putting the Red Wolves ahead 9-3.

SMU found the end zone for the first time when Xavier Jones scampered around the right side from nine yards out. Robledo added the extra point to give the Mustangs a 10-9 lead with 7:08 remaining in the first half.

After a pair of big Murray runs, the Mustangs regained possession on an interception by Terrance Newman at the Red Wolf 41-yard line. Robledo later added a 29-yard field goal to up the SMU lead to 13-9 with 3:53 left in the half.

A shanked punt gave the Mustangs prime field position at their own 45, which turned into three more points when Robledo knocked through his third kick of the night, this time from 25 yards to give SMU a touchdown lead at 16-9 with under 30 seconds left in the half. That score would hold as both teams went into the locker room at the half.

After talking things over in the locker room, A-State’s offense kicked it into high gear, starting with its opening drive.

Bonner connected with Bayless again on A-State’s first drive of the second half, scoring from eight yards to cap off a 6-play, 69-yard drive and knot things up at 16-all.

The Mustangs looked to return the favor, driving to the A-State 2-yard line. However, the Red Wolves defense held tough with a goal-line stand. Seven plays later, Bonner found Bayless for a third time, connecting on a 29-yard strike to give the Red Wolves a 23-16 lead.  

SMU punched back with a 98-yard kickoff return by CJ Sanders, but the extra point was shanked, helping the Red Wolves cling to the 23-22 advantage. That score began a run of 15 unanswered points by the Mustangs.

After recovering a fumble on an A-State punt return, the Mustangs turned that into eight more points on the following drive, as Jones plunged forward for a one-yard score. Tyler Page completed a pass to Kylen Granson for the two-point conversion that put SMU ahead 30-23 with under a minute left in the third.

Cody Grace pinned the Mustangs back to their own 11, but Buechele led his offense on an 11-play drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. Jones found the goal line for the third time, scoring from two yards to give SMU a two-score lead at 37-23 with 9:11 remaining. Jones rushed 18 times for 56 yards.

With under 6 minutes remaining, the Red Wolves cut the deficit in half when Bonner found Bayless for the fourth time for a 34-yard strike, matching the program’s single-game record.

SMU halted the Red Wolves’ last chance at tying up the contest, as Delontae Scott sacked Bonner at the SMU 32.

Reggie Roberson, Jr., led the Mustangs with 11 catches for a game-high 180 yards, while Buechele was 30-of-49 passing for 360 yards and one interception. Ke’Mon Freeman led SMU in rushing with 86 yards on 22 attempts.

For the Red Wolves, Cody Grace punted six times for a 41.5-yard average and a long of 55, landing three inside the 20, giving him 37 for his illustrious career.

The Red Wolves next head out west to Las Vegas, where they will face UNLV with hopes of building on last season’s 27-20 victory in Jonesboro. Kickoff is schedule for 9 p.m. (CT) from Sam Boyd Stadium with the game available on WatchStadium via Facebook. A-State returns to Jonesboro after another road contest at No. 3 Georgia (11 a.m. CT, Sept. 14), when it will host Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. at Centennial Bank Stadium.

Razorbacks open season with Win over Portland State

August 31, 2019

By ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE — The Razorbacks (1-0) beat Portland State (0-1), 20-13, at Donald W. Reynolds Stadium Saturday. Touchdowns on the ground from Devwah Whaley and Rakeem Boyd, along with three Hog interceptions, were enough to grab a win in the season opener.

Big Plays

Arkansas 3 – Portland State 3

Following a six-play, 42-yard drive, senior K Connor Limpert knocked through a 34-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 with 9:40 left in the first quarter.

Arkansas 10 – Portland State 3

​Senior RB Devwah Whaley scored Arkansas’ first touchdown of the 2019 season, punching it in from one yard out with 3:19 left to play in the first quarter. It was Whaley’s 13th-career touchdown, and his first since Arkansas played at Colorado State (9/8/18) last season.

Arkansas 10 – Portland State 6

On third and long, Arkansas forced its first turnover on the young season, as junior SS Kamren Curl continued his excellent day by nabbing his first-career interception. Curl also had two sacks in the first half. ​​

Arkansas 10 – Portland State 6

Junior QB Nick Starkel connects with ​​freshman WR Trey Knox for 38 yards, the Razorbacks longest reception of the game. It was also the longest reception by a true freshman since Devwah Whaley hauled in a 43-yard pass against Florida back in 2016.

Arkansas 10 – Portland State 6

Sophomore CB Jarques McClellion nabbed his first-career interception playing with 7:25 to go in the third period. The second INT of the day for the Hogs shifted second half momentum back to the Razorbacks.

Arkansas 10 – Portland State 6

Sophomore WR Mike Woods put him on SKATES! The 15-yard reception was the long on the day for the second-year player, and drew quite the reaction from the Razorback faithful.

Arkansas 17 – Portland State 6

Junior RB Rakeem Boyd scored Arkansas’ second touchdown on the day, breaking through from two yards out with 2:20 left to go in the third quarter. The score would give the Hogs an 11-point cushion over Portland State as the two teams headed down the stretch.

Arkansas 20 – Portland State 13

Sophomore FS Joe Foucha sealed Arkansas’ opening day win, intercepting Portland State for the third time in the game. It was Arkansas’ first three interception performance since 2014, when they picked off Ole Miss three times.

For more information on Arkansas football, including in-game updates, follow @Razorbackfb on Twitter.

10 Things to know About Portland State

August 31, 2019

By MICHAEL MINSHEW/ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas opens the 2019 campaign and year two under head coach Chad Morris against Portland State on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 3 p.m., at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network, as well as the ESPN app. Here are 10 things to know about the game before kick off.

  1. Saturday will be the first meeting between Arkansas and Portland State on the football field. It will also be the first of three “first-time” games for the Razorbacks this season. Arkansas will also host San Jose State (Sept. 21) and Western Kentucky (Nov. 9) later this year.
  2. The Razorbacks return 68 players from last year’s squad, welcoming in 53 newcomers. Arkansas has 53 freshmen on this year’s roster, including 36 true freshmen. Arkansas brings back its leading rusher (Rakeem Boyd), receiver (Cheyenne O’Grady), tackler (De’Jon Harris), tackler for loss (McTelvin Agim) and kicker (Connor Limpert) from the 2018 season. Forty-six student-athletes on the 2019 roster are from inside the state’s borders, with four from Fayetteville – Ty Clary, Elias Hale, Ty Clary and Cheyenne O’Grady.
  3. On Monday, Aug. 26, coach Morris named Ben Hicks the starting quarterback for the Razorbacks. A native of Waco, Texas, and graduate of SMU, Hicks made the decision to finish his collegiate career with a few familiar faces on the Hill. Hicks was with head coach Chad Morris & offensive coordinator Joe Craddock from the beginning of their tenure in Dallas, as Hicks redshirted in 2015, then became the starting quarterback after his first game as a Mustang in 2016. During their time together, Hicks became an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American (Campus Insiders), an Athlon Sports All-AAC fourth team member, earned various weekly awards and set the school’s single-season & career touchdowns records. Hicks left SMU as the all-time leader in passing yards (9,081), total offense (8,977), touchdown passes (71), touchdowns responsible for (74), completions (718) and 300-yard passing games (12).
  4. Senior linebacker De’Jon “Scoota” Harris returns for his senior season to help lead the Arkansas defense. Harris has led the team in tackles in each of the last two years, with 115 in 2017 & 118 in 2018, the first since Jerry Franklin (2010-11) to do so in consecutive seasons. He has also recorded seven double-digit tackle games in each of the last two years, the first since Ken Hamlin (2001-02). Harris takes over as the conference active leader in career tackles with 270 heading into his senior year. He finished 2018 fifth behind senior teammate Dre Greenlaw & three others, playing between five & 17 fewer games than those in front of him.
  5. Another senior who came back for his senior year is defensive tackle McTelvin “Sosa” Agim, who will anchor the defensive front for the Razorbacks in 2019. Last season, Agim started all 12 games and posted 45 tackles, 19 solo and a team-high 10 for loss (44 yards), along with 4.5 sacks (25 yards). He also forced a team-best three fumbles and recovered another, while getting credit for 11 quarterback hurries. Agim is the only Razorback on the roster to have forced multiple fumbles in two different games, doing so at Colorado State last year and Mississippi State in 2017.
  6. The Razorbacks return 82 percent of their yards on the ground from a year ago, including the top three rushers in Rakeem Boyd (734), Devwah Whaley (368) and Chase Hayden (251). All three have recorded at least one 100-yard rushing game in their collegiate careers, as Boyd led the team with three last year while Whaley has four over his time at Arkansas. The trio has also been effective catching passes out of the backfield, combining for 42 receptions and 313 yards. Boyd finished the 2018 campaign ranked third in receiving with 23 receptions for 165 yards.
  7. Senior kicker Connor Limpert had an unforgettable 2018 season, writing his name in the Arkansas record books and positioning himself to land among the preseason favorites for the Lou Groza Award in 2019. A seminfinalist for the award last year and a watch list member heading into this season, Limpert put together a 19-for-24 line in field goal attempts, hitting multiple 50-yard kicks, including the seventh-longest in school history at 55 yards against Vanderbilt on Oct. 27. He enters the 2019 campaign with a career 81.8 field goal percentage, which currently leads all Arkansas kickers. His clip was aided last year by a streak of 10-straight over a five-week stretch, which ended on a 60-yard attempt against Vanderbilt that would’ve been the third-longest in Arkansas history.
  8. At a recent team meeting, head coach Chad Morris unveiled a new honor to be given to a senior every year on the third Saturday of fall camp. The award is named after legendary Arkansas coach & athletic director Frank Broyles and is presented to the player who best exemplifies what Coach Broyles stood for. It was a no-brainer for the first recipient of the award, as T.J. Smith was recognized on Aug. 17 to be this year’s honoree. Smith will wear a decal on the back of his helmet during the 2019 season that represents Coach Broyles.
  9. When the Razorbacks take the field this season, they’ll be sporting a new look that gives a nod back to a special era of Arkansas football. Back in July, the Razorback Football Twitter account posted photos of the “throwback” uniforms the team will wear this season as a call-back to an era of one of its greatest players in school history, Darren McFadden. With the word “ARKANSAS” emblazoned across the front of the jerseys and the two solid red stripes that will run down both sides of the pants, the Razorbacks will be donning a look that dates back to 2006 and 2007, McFadden’s final two years as a Hog.
  10. The 2019 season also marks the return to natural grass at DWRRS. The Tahoma 31 derives its name from the Native American word, Tahoma, which means frozen water. In test after test, Tahoma 31 shows its exceptional winter hardiness, tested up to 75 percent more cold tolerant than other bermuda grass varieties. With the additional characteristics of both improved wear tolerance and drought resistance, Tahoma 31 is ideal for sports turf, golf courses and high-quality lawns in the Mid-Atlantic & Transition Zone. The approximately 1800-pound rolls of Matrix turf feature an interwoven mesh support layer that provides strength and stability to the sod without compromise to drainage. The game lines seen on the field were painted by a self-propelled robot. New to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the first time in program history will be the introduction of painted-red endzones on the new natural grass. The north endzone will feaure the “Arkansas” wordmark, while the south endzone will brandish the “Razorbacks” across its borders.

Flyover scheduled for Saturday’s Football Opener

August 31, 2019

By ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE – The 1st of the 114th Aviation Regiment, part of the 77th Combat Aviation Brigade in the Arkansas National Guard, will perform a flyover prior to Arkansas’ game against Portland State on Saturday.

Two UH-72A Lakota and one UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters will fly past the stadium immediately following the national anthem just prior to the 3 p.m. kickoff.

The 1-114th Aviation Regiment provides airlift, MEDEVAC, search and rescue, as well as reconnaissance capabilities to the citizens of Arkansas and to the Nation. The battalion is a premier unit in the 77th Combat Aviation Brigade and is often called to action by the Governor for state active duty. These Guardsmen, from all across our great state, quickly respond to aid the state of Arkansas and other locations around the nation as needed.