Arkansas defense finds rhythm after early stumble in win over Alabama A&M

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The first quarter of Arkansas' win over an out-manned Alabama A&M group on Saturday did get some folks squirming in their seats.

To call it shaky for the first half of that opening period might be an understatement. Nobody expected the Razorbacks to ever be behind, but that's the way it started.

After the Hogs opened the scoring with a nine-play, 73-yard drive capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Taylen Green to wide receiver CJ Brown, the Bulldogs responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive. There was some collective mumbling

Bulldogs running back Maurice Edwards scored on a six-yard run, tying the game at 7 and exposing early issues in the Arkansas defense.

“We started off slow defensively,” Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said in a massive overstatement. “We certainly had some mental errors there and they had a good game plan coming in. We had some mental errors and some gap problems in the run. They turned the tight end loose a couple of times. He got open one more time on us then we got it fixed and played pretty good defense the rest of the game.”

After Alabama A&M’s lone touchdown, the the Hogs’ defense made quick adjustments. Arkansas held the Bulldogs scoreless for the rest of the game, limiting them to 235 total yards, including 69 rushing yards.

The Razorbacks forced two turnovers, including a strip sack and recovery by linebacker Shakur Smalls, and recorded three sacks.

“It kind of took us to get punched in the mouth on that first drive to realize, wake up and see what was going on,” Arkansas defensive lineman Cam Ball said. “After that, we had a talk with each other, had talks with our coaches, and we came out and dominated the rest of the game.

“I’m just proud of how we had multiple three-and-outs and how we bulled up. We took the play calling and we came out [of the second half] and finished the game how we’re supposed to.”

Junior defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. logged the Hogs’ first sack of the season in the third quarter, dropping the quarterback for a six-yard loss. Smalls, Julian Neal, and Stephen Dix Jr. led the team with four tackles each, while transfers Miguel Mitchell and Caleb Wooden added three tackles apiece.

Personnel decisions on the defensive line were influenced by practice performance. Sophomore Charlie Collins earned the start opposite Rhodes after what Pittman described as a strong week of practice. Florida transfer Justus Boone, who had drawn praise during fall camp, rotated in.

“Charlie had a really good week,” Pittman said. “So we’ve got to reward the guys that practice well and Charlie had earned the right to start for us.”

The defensive effort followed a 2024 season in which Arkansas allowed 246.9 passing yards per game, last in the SEC. The Razorbacks’ performance against Alabama A&M marked progress, but players acknowledged more work remains.

“All we have to do is a lot of self-evaluating,” Ball said.

Green finished 24 of 31 for 322 yards and seven touchdowns, with O’Mega Blake catching two scores and Brown, Jaedon Wilson, Isaiah Sategna, and Ty Washington also reaching the end zone.

The Razorbacks finished with 554 yards of offense. Alabama A&M quarterback Cornelious Brown IV completed 16 of 34 attempts for 166 yards, while Edwards led the Bulldogs with 39 rushing yards.

Arkansas will play its next three games away from Fayetteville, beginning with a matchup against Arkansas State on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

“We’re going to have to keep getting better,” Pittman said. “But I’m proud of how our guys responded.”

The Razorbacks and Red Wolves will meet next Saturday for the first time in program history. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. will be available on the SEC Network.

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