ARKANSAS FORECAST: Razorbacks escape from rut of missing bowl games

Junior running back Rakeem Boyd will rush for more than 100 yards in each of Arkansas’ first two games this season, according to our predictions.
Junior running back Rakeem Boyd will rush for more than 100 yards in each of Arkansas’ first two games this season, according to our predictions.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The crystal ball saw a 7-5 regular season for the Arkansas Razorbacks and a loss to Louisville and Bobby Petrino in the Independence Bowl in 2018.

The crystal ball went haywire.

But the picture is clear now. It sees a return to more accurate predictions this time around.

The ball was right on these games: victories over Eastern Illinois and Tulsa, and losses to Auburn, Texas A&M, Alabama, Mississippi State and Missouri. The ball was wrong by envisioning victories over Colorado State, North Texas, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and LSU.

So the ball went 7-5 straight up, which won't win you money in Vegas (or wherever gambling is legal) but was a sight better than the Razorbacks' 2-10 debut under Coach Chad Morris.

The most accurate visions were a predicted 24-21 loss to Texas A&M (actual score: 24-17) and the pick of a 36-35 victory over Ole Miss (actually a 37-33 loss).

The Forecast really dropped the ball on a handful of games, including predictions of a four-point win at Colorado State, a 10-point win over North Texas, a 13-point win over Vanderbilt, and a one-point win over LSU. But the real stinkers came at the end.

What was projected as a 37-33 loss at Mississippi State became the nightmare reality of a 52-6 loss, and a 33-28 projection at Missouri was a 38-0 rout in reality.

So we've created some fanciful scenarios and concocted some quotes as we look ahead to the 2019 season. The reckoning, based on this prediction for a 6-7 season, will come one year from now.

Aug. 31

Arkansas 48, Portland State 13

FAYETTEVILLE -- The ground game runs wild as Rakeem Boyd rushes for 119 yards, while Devwah Whaley and Chase Hayden each score a touchdown. Grayson Gunter catches five passes for 74 yards and a score, while freshmen Trey Knox and Treylon Burks also catch touchdown passes.

Ben Hicks fires the scoring pass to Knox for the first points of the season, while Nick Starkel comes on to notch the other two scoring passes.

Kam Curl scoops a fumble forced by De'Jon Harris and cashes it in for a second-half touchdown. Greg Brooks and Hayden Henry also account for takeaways.

The Razorbacks pile up 505 yards and force three turnovers.

"Now that's popping the clutch in that left lane and putting the hammer down!" Arkansas Coach Chad Morris declares.

Sept. 7

Ole Miss 30, Arkansas 27

OXFORD, Miss. -- Matt Corral follows blockers for a 2-yard score with five seconds remaining as the Rebels rebound for their second win in a row in the series, and their first at home against the Razorbacks since 2013.

Rakeem Boyd powers for 123 yards and scores twice, while Chase Harrell catches a 19-yard touchdown pass and Connor Limpert makes field goals from 44 and 47 yards.

Sept. 14

Arkansas 33, Colorado State 20

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Razorbacks avenge last year's second-half collapse in Fort Collins, Colo., spearheaded by Devwah Whaley's 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Mike Woods catches a 70-yard touchdown pass from Nick Starkel, and Jordan Jones scores on a 44-yard catch and run.

The defense makes an impact on Montaric Brown's interception return for a touchdown, while McTelvin Agim, Bumper Pool and Gabe Richardson also notch takeaways.

Sept. 21

Arkansas 44, San Jose State 10

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Razorbacks rack up 557 yards and recover two fumbles for touchdowns while improving to two games over .500 for the first time since ending the 2016 regular season at 7-5.

Tackle Colton Jackson lives a lineman's dream when he falls on an offensive fumble in the end zone in the second quarter, then Joe Foucha scoops and scores after T.J. Smith's strip sack for a defensive touchdown.

Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel combine for three touchdown passes to Hudson Henry, Treylon Burks and Devwah Whaley, and KJ Jefferson scores on a quarterback sneak at the end of his first series.

Sept. 28

No. 18 Texas A&M 29, Arkansas 27

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Aggies extend their winning streak in the series to eight games by making a 40-yard field goal as time expires.

The comeback spoils two big individual achievements: Quarterback Nick Starkel's 285 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, and Cheyenne O'Grady's 110 receiving yards and a touchdown for the Razorbacks.

Texas-born tailbacks Rakeem Boyd and Devwah Whaley score the Hogs' other touchdowns.

Oct. 12

Kentucky 28, Arkansas 21

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Wildcats break a late tie with a 70-yard touchdown drive, then tackle Jordan Jones at the end of a breakaway hook-and-lateral play at the 10-yard line as time expires in the first meeting between the teams in Lexington since 2008.

Rakeem Boyd and Chase Hayden have short touchdown runs for Arkansas, and De'Vion Warren catches a 12-yard touchdown pass from Nick Starkel.

Oct. 19

No. 13 Auburn 31, Arkansas 20

FAYETTEVILLE -- Joey Gatewood rushes for two touchdowns and throws for two more as the Tigers extend their winning streak to four games in the series.

Dorian Gerald notches a pair of sacks for Arkansas, which amasses 340 yards and allows 375 to the Tigers.

Fort Smith native Gus Malzahn improves to 6-1 as a head coach vs. Arkansas, and 2-0 vs. his buddy Chad Morris.

Oct. 26

No. 2 Alabama 52, Arkansas 16

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Tua Tagavailoa hits Jaylen Waddle with a 77-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game to jump-start another rout in the lopsided series.

The second-play touchdown breaks a two-year streak of first-play scores against Arkansas covering 75 and 76 yards for the Crimson Tide, which extend their winning streak to 13 games in the series.

Nick Saban, fighting off an illness early in the week, says there is no truth to the rumor he's going to employ an animatron version of himself to coach the game.

"The animatron still has a lot of bugs to work out, so right now that thing would be about as effective as my statue as a coach," Saban says. "Plus, that would be disrespectful to Arkansas and would take away from the positive self-gratification our student-athletes would receive by following the process to another victory."

Nov. 2

Arkansas 38, No. 24 Miss. State 31 (OT)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas snaps its 16-game losing streak against SEC competition by rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter.

The Razorbacks get the ball first in overtime and score on Nick Starkel's 14-yard play-action pass to Cheyenne O'Grady. Jarques McClellion intercepts a pass on third down in overtime to seal the victory.

Chase Hayden breaks a 37-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining to pull Arkansas within 31-28, then Jalen Catalon recovers a fumble at the Bulldogs' 38 with time winding down. Connor Limpert nails a 49-yard field goal on the final play in regulation.

Arkansas wins by the same score it did in Starkville as the No. 13 team in the AP poll in 2010.

Nov. 9

Arkansas 31, Western Kentucky 16

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Razorbacks put together a perfectly balanced offensive attack -- 250 rushing and 250 passing yards -- and notch three takeaways and four sacks to drop the Hilltoppers.

Three of the sacks -- by McTelvin Agim, D'Vone McClure and Mataio Soli -- come against former Arkansas teammate Ty Storey.

Rakeem Boyd, Grayson Gunter and Treylon Burks tally offensive touchdowns, and De'Jon Harris returns a fumble for a 58-yard defensive score.

Montaric Brown gets an interception, and Bumper Pool recovers a fumble as the Hogs win the turnover battle 3-1.

Nov. 23

No. 12 LSU 27, Arkansas 13

BATON ROUGE -- Joe Burrow passes for two touchdowns and runs for another as LSU prevails in a night game highlighted by rare snow flurries at Tiger Stadium.

De'Jon Harris stops a quarterback sneak on fourth and inches in the third quarter, setting up Rakeem Boyd's 50-yard touchdown run on the next snap. Connor Limpert boots a pair of long field goals to improve to 17 of 21 on the season.

Jubilant LSU Coach Ed Orgeron makes some nearly unintelligible postgame remarks that are later translated from Cajun to read: "Never seen no snow like dat down here, but our guys like it and dats da way dem Tigers do it!"

De'Vion Warren sets up a fourth-quarter field goal with a 67-yard kickoff return to pull Arkansas within 17-13, but LSU scores the final 10 points.

Nov. 29

Arkansas 24, Missouri 23

LITTLE ROCK -- Missouri's Akial Byers forces a fumble in the backfield on the game's final play, but T.J. Hammonds picks up the loose ball, circles left end and runs 41 yards for a touchdown as the horn sounds to cap the Razorbacks' frantic comeback and clinch bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record.

Arkansas fans herald the third "Miracle on Markham" against a conference opponent in the past 18 years while Chad Morris gets a Gatorade bath from a happy bunch of seniors, led by McTelvin Agim and De'Jon Harris.

"Everybody got me? This shows the level of buy-in from our players, and let me tell Razorback Nation, we're on our way up!" Morris says to open his postgame remarks.

Rakeem Boyd rushes for 83 yards to push his season total to 1,004, and Devwah Whaley scores while adding another 55 on the ground.

Dorian Gerald, D'Vone McClure and Joe Foucha all post sacks for the Hogs, who receive an invitation to a bowl.

Dec. 26

Independence Bowl

Florida State 30, Arkansas 27 (OT)

SHREVEPORT -- The Seminoles score on fourth and goal from the 3 in overtime on a bold decision from Coach Willie Taggart to cap an entertaining performance early in bowl season.

The Razorbacks take a 27-24 lead to start overtime on Connor Limpert's 34-yard field goal, but Florida State wins the first meeting between the teams.

"Everybody got me? All right, Arkansas football is back," Coach Chad Morris says. "We lost today, but the Razorbacks are on the right track. The hammer is going down, and if you want to keep up with us, you better get in the left lane!"

photo

AP file photo

Alabama Coach Nick Saban isn’t ready to turn over his coaching duties with the Crimson Tide to an animatronic version of himself … yet.

Sports on 08/25/2019

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