UA opponent capsules

2014 ARKANSAS OPPONENT CAPSULES

GAME 1

AUBURN

DATE Saturday

PLACE Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.

2013 RECORD 12-2, 7-1 SEC

COACH Gus Malzahn (12-2 in 1 season at Auburn, 22-3 overall in 2 seasons)

RETURNING STARTERS 9 offense, 6 defense

KEY PLAYERS QB Nick Marshall, C Reese Dismukes, WR Sammie Coates, DE Gabe Wright.

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;Arkansas

Sept. 6;San Jose State

Sept. 18;at Kan. State

Sept. 27;Louisiana Tech

Oct. 4;LSU

Oct. 11;at Miss. State

Oct. 25;S. Carolina

Nov. 1;at Ole Miss

Nov. 8;Texas A&M

Nov. 15;at Georgia

Nov. 22;Samford

Nov. 29;at Alabama

OUTLOOK Gus Malzahn, the former Arkansas high school coach and Razorbacks offensive coordinator, has left himself a tough act to follow after his first season as an SEC head coach. He led the Tigers to the SEC championship last season and within a few seconds of beating Florida State for the national title after Auburn went 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the SEC in 2012. The Tigers aren’t sneaking up on anyone this season — they’re ranked No. 6 in The Associated Press preseason poll — but Malzahn has the advantage of a returning starter at quarterback in Nick Marshall. It’s the first time since Malzahn got into college coaching in 2006 that he’s had the same starting quarterback in back-to-back seasons. The Tigers will look to be more balanced with Marshall’s experience in the passing game after Auburn led the nation in rushing offense last season at 328.3 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, an SEC coaching veteran, figures to put together a defense that can help the Tigers win a lot of games with Malzahn’s offense piling up yards and points.

GAME 2

NICHOLLS STATE

DATE Sept. 6

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2013 RECORD 4-8, 1-7 Southland Conference

COACH Charlie Stubbs (10-35 in 4 seasons at Nicholls State)

RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 5 defense

KEY PLAYERS QB Tuskani Figaro, WR Keenan Canty, LB Davin Bovie, DB Byron Cobb

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;at Air Force

Sept. 6;at Arkansas

Sept. 13;Henderson State

Sept. 20;at North Texas

Sept. 27;at Cen Arkansas

Oct. 4;at McNeese State

Oct. 11;Stephen F. Austin

Oct. 18;Lamar

Oct. 25;at Houston Baptist

Nov. 1;Incarnate Word

Nov. 15;at NW (La.) State

Nov. 20;SE Louisiana

OUTLOOK The Colonels were picked to finish ninth in the Southland Conference coaches’ preseason poll . Junior Tuskani Fiagaro is a dual-threat quarterback who rushed for 1,103 yards last season and passed for 1,135. He rushed for 281 yards against Arkansas Tech. Senior wide receiver Keenan Canty figures to be an impact newcomer after transferring from Colorado, where the the previous three seasons he had 19 catches for 210 yards. Senior linebacker Davin Bovie had 78 tackles in eight games last season before being sidelined by a knee injury. Nicholls State Coach Charlie Stubbs was Alabama’s quarterbacks coach from 1998-2000. He also has been an assistant at Oregon State, Memphis, Tulsa and Louisville.

GAME 3

TEXAS TECH

DATE Sept. 13

PLACE Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas

2013 RECORD 8-5, 4-5 Big 12 Conference

COACH Cliff Kingsbury (8-5 in 1 season at Texas Tech)

RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 5 defense

KEY PLAYERS QB Davis Webb, WR Jakeem Grant, OT Le’Raven Clark, DE Branden Jackson

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;Cen. Arkansas

Sept. 6;at Texas-El Paso

Sept. 13;Arkansas

Sept. 25;at Okla. State

Oct. 4;at Kansas State

Oct. 11;West Virginia

Oct.. 18;Kansas

Oct.. 25;at TCU

Nov. 1;Texas

Nov. 15;Oklahoma

Nov. 22;at Iowa State

Nov. 29;vs Baylor# # At Arlington, Texas

OUTLOOK Texas Tech may have trouble contending for the Big 12 title against the likes of Oklahoma and Baylor, but the Red Raiders figure to have an entertaining offense with Coach Cliff Kingsbury calling the plays for sophomore quarterback Davis Webb and a talented group of receivers. Webb capped his freshman season by completing 28 of 41 passes for 403 yards and 4 touchdowns in Texas Tech’s 37-23 victory over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. Webb completed 226 of 361 passes for 2,718 yards and 20 touchdowns with 9 interceptions for the season, a performance that influenced two of the Red Raiders’ other quarterbacks into transferring. The Red Raiders averaged a school-record 57,933 fans last season, so look for there to be a packed house when Arkansas visits Lubbock in the old Southwest Conference rivals’ first meeting since 1991. Kingsbury, who passed for 11,867 yards and 91 touchdowns as Texas Tech’s quarterback from 1999-2002, was Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator in 2012 when Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy.

GAME 4

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

DATE Sept. 20

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2013 RECORD 12-2, 8-0 Mid-American Athletic Conference

COACH Rod Carey (12-3 in 1 season plus 1 game at Northern Illinois)

RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 5 defense

KEY PLAYERS RB Akeem Daniels, WR/KOR Tommylee Lewis, LB Boomer Mays, LB Jamaal Bass

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 28;Presbyterian Aug. 28

Sept. 6;Northwestern

Sept. 13;at UNLV

Sept. 20;at Arkansas

Oct. 4;Kent State

Oct. 11;Central Michigan

Oct. 18;Miami (Ohio)

Oct. 25;at Eastern Michigan

Nov. 5;at Ball State

Nov. 11;Toledo

Nov. 18;at Ohio

Nov. 28;at Western Michigan

OUTLOOK Northern Illinois has to replace quarterback Jordan Lynch, who finished seventh and third in the Heisman Trophy balloting the previous two seasons, but the Huskies don’t figure to fall off the map. USA Today ranks Northern Illinois No. 39 nationally heading into the season, and the Huskies again are expected to compete for the MAC championship. Whoever is the new quarterback — the top contenders are junior Matt McIntosh and sophomores Drew Hare and Anthony Maddie — will be working with an offensive line that returns four starters. Senior flanker Tommylee Lewis had 1,405 all-purpose yards last season and can make big plays as a receiver, runner and kickoff returner. Senior tailback Cameron Stringily, who rushed for 1,119 yards last season, will miss the first four games (including the Huskies’ visit to Arkansas) in what was announced as an undisclosed injury, but senior Akeem Daniels is back after missing last season with an injury. He rushed for 447 yard and 9 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 259 yards in 2012.

GAME 5

TEXAS A&M

DATE Sept. 27

PLACE AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

2013 RECORD 9-4, 4-4 SEC

COACH Kevin Sumlin (20-6 in 2 seasons at Texas A&M, 55-23 overall in 6 seasons)

RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 7 defense

KEY PLAYERS RB Trey Williams, OT Cedric Ogbuehi, WR Malcomme Kennedy, CB Deshazor Everett

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 28;at S. Carolina

Sept. 6;Lamar

Sept. 13;Rice

Sept. 20;at SMU

Sept. 27;vs Arkansas#

Oct. 4;at Miss. State

Oct. 11;Ole Miss

Oct. 18;at Alabama

Nov. 1;Louisiana-Monroe

Nov. 8;at Auburn

Nov. 15;Missouri

Nov. 27;LSU # At Arlington, Texas

OUTLOOK For the first time Kevin Sumlin’s three seasons as Texas A&M’s coach, he doesn’t have Johnny Manziel as his quarterback. Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time All-SEC first-team quarterback, is now with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. But without Manziel, expectations remain high for A&M, which is ranked No. 21 in The Associated Press preseason poll. Sumlin named sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill as the starter for the Aggies’ opener at South Carolina, saying he had a strong overall body of work in practice during the first two weeks of practice. If Hill falters, freshman Kyle Allen — rated the nation’s top high school quarterback by some recruiting services last year — figures to get his shot. A&M opens at South Carolina, but the schedule gets soft (Lamar, Rice and SMU) before taking on Arkansas as the teams move their series back to Arlington, Texas. The Aggies beat the Razorbacks 58-10 in College Station and 45-33 in Fayetteville the previous two seasons, but Arkansas is 3-0 against Texas A&M in Arlington.

GAME 6

ALABAMA

DATE Oct. 11

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2013 RECORD 12-2, 7-1 SEC

COACH Nick Saban (74-15 in seven seasons at Alabama, 180-74-1 overall in 20 seasons)

RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 5 defense

KEY PLAYERS TB T.J. Yeldon, WR Amari Cooper, DB Landon Collins, LB Trey DePries

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;vs. W. Virginia#

Sept. 6;Florida Atl.

Sept. 13;S. Mississippi

Sept. 20;Florida

Oct. 4;at Ole Miss

Oct. 11;Arkansas

Oct. 18;Texas A&M

Oct. 25;at Tennessee

Nov. 8;at LSU

Nov. 15;Miss. State

Nov. 22;W. Carolina

Nov. 29;Auburn #at Atlanta

OUTLOOK Alabama, ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press preseason poll, is hungry for redemption after finishing last season with back-to-back losses at Auburn and against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide figure to again have a punishing running game led by tailbacks T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake and Derrick Henry, but Alabama may do more passing with Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator and talented wide receivers in Amari Cooper and Christon Jones. The key will be if AJ McCarron’s replacement at quarterback — either junior Jacob Coker, a Florida State transfer, or senior Blake Sims — can pass well enough to take advantage of teams focusing on the run. Kiffin finds himself back in the SEC after one season as Tennessee’s coach and an ill-fated run at Southern California, and he seems to be adapting well to being with Alabama. It helps that Kiffin can focus on coaching and recruiting and let Saban be the program’s spokesman. Alabama’s defense hasn’t allowed a point against Arkansas since 2011 with the Tide rolling over the Razorbacks 52-0 each of the past two seasons.

GAME 7

GEORGIA

DATE Oct. 18

PLACE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock

2013 RECORD 8-5, 5-3 SEC

COACH Mark Richt (126-45 in 13 seasons at Georgia)

RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 8 defense

KEY PLAYERS RB Todd Gurley, QB Hutson Mason, WR Chris Conley, LB Ramik Wilson

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug.30;Clemson

Sept. 13;at South Carolina

Sept. 20;Troy

Sept. 27;Tennessee

Oct. 4;Vanderbilt

Oct. 11;at Missouri

Oct. 18;at Arkansas#

Nov. 1;vs Florida

Nov. 8, at Kentucky

Nov. 15;Auburn

Nov. 22;Charleston S.

Nov. 29;Georgia Tech # War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock & Jacksonville, Fla.

OUTLOOK Georgia has lost quarterback Aaron Murray, a four-year starter and the SEC’s career leader in passing yards, but the Bulldogs have plenty of talent and are ranked No. 12 in The Associated Press preseason poll. Junior tailback Todd Gurley is a leading Heisman Trophy candidate after rushing for 2,374 and 27 touchdowns the previous two seasons, and new starting quarterback Hutson Mason has go-to receivers in Chris Conley, Michael Bennett and Malcolm Mitchell. Mason is a fifth-year senior who has been waiting to take over for Murray. Mason gave a sneak preview of his talent when he played well in starts against Georgia Tech and Nebraska last season after Murray suffered a knee injury. Jeremy Pruitt is the Bulldogs’ new defensive coordinator after having the same position at Florida State last season and helping the Seminoles win the national championship. Georgia is playing Arkansas for the first time since 2010 — when the Razorbacks won 31-24 at Athens — and the Bulldogs will make their first ever appearance in Little Rock.

GAME 8

ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM

DATE Oct. 25

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2013 RECORD 2-10, 1-7 Conference USA

COACH Bill Clark (1st season at Alabama-Birmingham, 11-4 in 1 season at Jacksonville State)

RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 3 defense

KEY PLAYERS RB Jordan Howard, WR JaMarcus Nelson, DE Diaheem Waktins, PK Ty Long

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;Troy

Sept. 6;at Mississippi State

Sept. 13;Alabama A&M

Sept. 27;Florida Int.

Oct. 4;at W.Kentucky

Oct. 11;North Texas

Oct. 18;at M.Tennessee

Oct. 25;at Arkansas

Nov. 1;at Florida Atl.

Nov. 8;Louisiana Tech

Nov. 22;Marshall

Nov. 29;at Southern Miss

OUTLOOK Alabama-Birmingham’s game at Arkansas was supposed to be a homecoming for Garrick McGee, except the former Razorbacks offensive coordinator no longer is the Blazers’ head coach. McGee bolted UAB after two seasons to rejoin Bobby Petrino at Louisville as offensive coordinator, and while the move was a surprise, Blazers fans probably weren’t that upset considering McGee had a 5-19 record. Bill Clark, who led Jacksonville (Ala.) State to an 11-4 record last season, is UAB’s new coach and faces a tough task trying to move the Blazers up the ladder in Conference USA. The Blazers have a preseason all-conference tailback in sophomore Jordan Howard, who rushed for 905 yards last season. McGee is gone, but Razorbacks fans should remember UAB receiver Maudrecus Humphrey, who was dismissed from Arkansas for disciplinary reasons and is eligible to play for the Blazers after transferring and redshirting last season.

GAME 9

MISSISSIPPI STATE

DATE Nov. 1

PLACE Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss.

2013 RECORD 7-6, 3-5 SEC

COACH Dan Mullen (36-28 in 5 seasons at Mississippi State)

RETURNING STARTERS 8 offense, 9 defense

KEY PLAYERS QB Dak Prescott, WR Jameon Lewis, LB Benardrick McKinney, DT Chris Jones

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;Southern Miss.

Sept. 6;Ala.-Birmingham

Sept. 13;at S. Alabama

Sept. 20;at LSU

Oct. 4;Texas A&M

Oct. 11;Auburn

Oct. 25;at Kentucky

Nov. 1;Arkansas

Nov. 8;Tenn.-Martin

Nov. 15;at Alabama

Nov. 22;Vanderbilt

Nov. 29; at Ole Miss

OUTLOOK Mississippi State looks primed to play in a bowl game for the fifth consecutive season with 18 starters back from a team that closed last season by beating Arkansas and Ole Miss in overtime, then pounded Rice 44-7 in the Liberty Bowl. The nonconference schedule has the look of four sure victories, so the question isn’t if the Bulldogs can play in a bowl game, but whether they can challenge for their first first SEC West title since 1998, when they shared the division championship with Arkansas. Junior Dak Prescott gives Mississippi State a dynamic dual-threat at quarterback. Prescott, voted the All-SEC second-team quarterback at SEC media days, accounted for 23 touchdowns as a passer and rusher last season. Junior Jameon Lewis has 1,537 all-purpose yards last season, including 64 receptions for 923 yards. Junior middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney led the Bulldogs with 71 tackles last season. The Bulldogs should get off to a fast start opening with Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham and South Alabama, but then face a major test in their SEC opener at LSU

GAME 10

LSU

DATE Nov. 15

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2013 RECORD 10-3, 5-3 SEC

COACH Les Miles (95-24 in nine seasons at LSU, 123-45 overall in 13 seasons).

RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 7 defense

KEY PLAYERS RB Terrence Magee, OT La’el Collins, LB D.J. Welter, CB Tre’Davious White

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;vs Wisconsin#

Sept. 6; Sam Houston State

Sept. 13;La.-Monroe

Sept. 20;Miss State

Sept. 27;New Mexico State

Oct. 4;at Auburn

Oct. 11;at Florida

Oct. 18;Kentucky

Oct. 25;Ole Miss

Nov. 8;Alabama

Nov. 15;at Arkansas

Nov. 27;at Texas A&M #(at Houston)

OUTLOOK Nine players departed in last spring’s NFL Draft, so LSU will need big contributions from a highly-regarded recruiting class — led by running back Leonard Fournette, quarterback Brandon Harris and wide receivers Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn — to challenge Alabama and Auburn in the SEC West. Fournette is expected to be an immediate star, but he’ll have to share carries with seniors Terrence Magee (626 rushing yards last season) and Kenny Hilliard (310 rushing yards). Whoever gets the ball will be running behind an experienced offensive line. Harris is battling for the starting quarterback job with sophomore Anthony Jennings, who led the Tigers on a 99-yard touchdown drive to beat Arkansas last season after Zach Mettenberger suffered a knee injury. It’s possible Jennings and Harris will share the quarterback duties. There is plenty of returning talent on defense, including junior middle linebacker D.J. Welter, who led the Tigers with 80 tackles last season. The Tigers are ranked No. 13 in The Associated Press preseason poll, and they hope to make an early statement about SEC supremacy against the Big Ten when they open against No. 14 Wisconsin in Houston.

GAME 11

OLE MISS

DATE Nov. 22

PLACE Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville

2012 RECORD 8-5-1, 3-5 SEC

COACH Hugh Freeze (15-11 in 2 seasons at Ole Miss, 45-18 overall in 5 seasons)

RETURNING STARTERS 6 offense, 9

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS QB Bo Wallace, WR Laquon Treadwell, FS Cody Prewitt, OT Laremy Tunsil

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;vs Boise State#

Sept. 6;Vanderbil

Sept. 13;La.-Lafayette

Sept. 27;Memphis

Oct. 4;Alabama

Oct. 11;at Texas A&M

Oct. 18;Tennessee

Oct. 25;at LSU

Nov. 1;Auburn

Nov. 8;Presbyterian

Nov. 22;at Arkansas

Nov. 29;Mississippi State #Atlanta

OUTLOOK Ole Miss has made improvement in Coach Hugh Freeze’s two seasons with bowl victories over Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech and has better overall depth on the roster thanks to strong recruiting classes. A sign of the national respect the Rebels carry is their No. 18 ranking in The Associated Press preseason poll. Senior Bo Wallace is going into his third season as a starter and is the SEC’s most experienced quarterback. He set a school record with 3,701 yards in total offense last season but threw 10 interceptions. Wide receiver Laquan Treadwell will look to build on a big freshman season after having 72 catches for 608 yards and 5 touchdowns last year. Senior safety Cody Prewitt is a big-time hitter who had 71 tackles last season and led the SEC with six interceptions. Sophomore tackle Robert Nkemdiche is back to anchor the defensive line. Ole Miss fans are hoping the Rebels have progressed enough to challenge for their first SEC West title, but they’ll get to play in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome at least once with the season opener against Boise State. Home games against West favorites Alabama and Auburn should be a plus for the Rebels.

GAME 12

MISSOURI

DATE Nov. 28

PLACE Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.

2013 RECORD 12-2, 7-1 SEC

COACH Gary Pinkel (102-62 in 13 seasons at Missouri, 175-100-3 overall in 23 seasons)

RETURNING STARTERS Offense 4, Defense 5

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS QB Maty Mauk, RB Marcus Murphy, C Evan Boehm, DE Markus Golden

2014 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30;S.Dakota State

Sept. 6;at Toledo

Sept. 13;Central Florida

Sept. 20;Indiana

sept. 27;at South Carolina

Oct. 11;Georgia

Oct. 18;at Florida

Oct. 25;Vanderbilt

Nov. 1;Kentucky

Nov. 15;at Texas A&M

Nov. 22;at Tennessee

Nov. 28;Arkansas

OUTLOOK Gary Pinkel, going into his 14th season at Missouri, matches Georgia’s Mark Richt for the longest tenure for a coach at his current SEC school. The Tigers are going into their third season in the SEC but have credibility in their new home now after winning the East title last season. Georgia and South Carolina are expected to be the East’s top teams, but Missouri is ranked No. 24 in The Associated Press preseason poll. If sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk plays as well as expected — he excelled as a starter in four games last season for injured James Franklin — and the team finds some new play-making receivers, the Tigers could be an SEC force again. The running game is solid, led by tailbacks Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough. Defensive ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray should provide a big-time pass rush after combining for 11 sacks last season. Missouri is now Arkansas’ annual opponent from the East, replacing South Carolina, and the teams will meet in an SEC game for the first time on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The last time the Tigers played the Razorbacks was on Jan. 1, 2008, when Missouri beat Arkansas 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl.

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