Razorbacks report

Full game with Agim on wish list

Arkansas defensive end McTelvin Agim is blocked during a game against Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Oxford, Miss.
Arkansas defensive end McTelvin Agim is blocked during a game against Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Oxford, Miss.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks have played essentially four of the past eight quarters without sophomore defensive end McTelvin "Sosa" Agim.

Agim was suspended for the first quarter of the Razorbacks' 38-37 victory at Ole Miss two weeks ago for arriving late to a meeting. Arkansas fell behind 21-7 in the first quarter, then outscored the Rebels 31-16 after Agim began playing in the second quarter.

The 6-3, 286-pounder from Texarkana, Texas, who finished his prep career at Hope, drew Arkansas' first targeting call of the season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Coastal Carolina quarterback Tyler Keane early in the second quarter last week. Agim was ejected after the replay review showed the helmet-to-helmet shot, though he was not called for roughing the passer.

"Sosa is a very powerful and explosive kid," Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. "At that position, that's very important to our defense. He has the ability to be a playmaker and a very productive player.

"When you take that away from your lineup, you lose that component. Fortunate that it happened in the first half and we'll have him for a complete game. I look forward to having him for a complete game."

Coach Bret Bielema said Agim's motor and speed set him apart.

"For a D-lineman ... he's a really good 'play away,' where he can run down and tackle some things where a lot of guys maybe don't have the ability to necessarily get that done," Bielema said.

Bielema groups Agim with a large pack of second-year Razorbacks "that are really dynamic guys that can hopefully do some things.

"A lot of guys that have continued to move forward ... as we give them more and more reps, they just get better and better and hopefully that's a positive."

Broyles lobby

The lobby of the Fred W. Smith Football Center will be named for legendary coach and athletic director Frank Broyles due to a $500,000 grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the UA announced Thursday.

The grant was made in honor of the life and legacy of Broyles, who passed away Aug. 14 after serving the university for 50-plus years. A bust of Broyles will be added to the Frank Broyles lobby next to a bust of Smith.

Smith had a long career in newspaper publishing and media before being named chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in Las Vegas. The 80,000-square-foot Smith Center opened in August 2013 to house Razorbacks football.

Tank Cantrell

Tight end Austin Cantrell got the first three carries of his career Saturday as the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville diversified its run game.

Cantrell had a 3-yard run in the second quarter, a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 5-yard run to the Coastal Carolina 1 on the Razorbacks' game-winning touchdown drive. All the runs were between the tackles.

"It was something coach had mentioned earlier in the summer or fall about using him as kind of a big back, protection back, maybe on third down some," tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. said. "And then we thought, 'Well, it might not be bad for short yardage.' And then it kind of came about a little with the evolution of Cole's package that we started in the A&M game."

Cantrell played tailback, among many other positions on offense and defense, at Roland (Okla.) High School.

"I guess they just wanted somebody who was a little bit bigger," said Cantrell, a 6-3, 264-pound sophomore. "They gave me some reps, and I guess they liked it."

It's Danny, boys

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron has been asked often this week why freshman Myles Brennan is not under consideration to start at quarterback over senior Danny Etling.

"Myles has not beaten him out," Orgeron said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference, echoing comments he made at his weekly news conference Monday. "Danny is our quarterback. It's all about competition. Myles is not beating him out.

"Danny has done a lot of good things for our program. We believe in him. If Myles goes in a game or practice and beats him out, then that would be a different story, but that has not happened."

Etling has completed 58 percent of his passes (105 of 181) for 1,589 yards with 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Brennan came in late against Alabama and was 3 of 5 for 18 yards and was sacked twice. The 6-4, 193-pound freshman is 13 of 23 (56.5 percent) for 178 yards, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

Ground pound

Arkansas ran for 259 yards against Coastal Carolina, 1 yard fewer than the Hogs had in their 38-37 victory at Ole Miss the week before. Those rushing totals are the two highest of the season for the Razorbacks, who rank No. 47 in the country with 182.7 rushing yards per game.

The Razorbacks have rushed for 200-plus yards in five games and 171 or fewer in the other four games, including a season-low 27 at Alabama.

Tiger Stadium debut

Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads will coach in Tiger Stadium for the first time Saturday.

Rhoads said he's excited about experiencing the atmosphere.

"Very much so," he said. "We don't go on very many family trips without stopping by a stadium when we have a chance. I've never seen it, never been there, so yeah, I'm very much looking forward to it."

Series stats

LSU leads the series with Arkansas, which has been played in six cities, by a count of 38-22-2. The Tigers hold an 11-3-1 advantage in games played at Tiger Stadium, though Arkansas won the last game there 31-14 in 2015.

The series is tied 2-2 in Fayetteville, with LSU taking a 38-10 victory at Reynolds Razorback Stadium last season.

The Tigers own a 15-10 edge since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992 and a 13-8 advantage since the Golden Boot Trophy created by former Arkansas linebacker David Bazzel was introduced to the rivalry in 1996.

LSU leads 8-7 in Little Rock, 16-9 in Shreveport and 1-0-1 in two Cotton Bowl games in Dallas. The Razorbacks lead 1-0 in Memphis.

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Sports on 11/10/2017

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