How things looking in national projections for Razorbacks against Missouri

Hogs look to finish season strong in rivalry game against Tigers with odds stacked against them

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green after scoring against Arkansas State at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks will put an end to a disappointing season when Missouri comes to town Saturday afternoon.

The Razorbacks have failed to defeat a Power Four opponent this season and have lost four games this season with at least a double-digit lead in the second half.

If Arkansas ultimately falls to Missouri, it will be the third time since 2018 that the football program has failed to notch a victory against a P4 opponent.

Last week, the Razorbacks couldn't hold steady during the second half against Texas in what was a back-and-forth affair for the first 30 minutes.

Missouri brings a potent offensive attack which ranks No. 26 nationally along with a run game that averages over 226 yards per game, ranking No. 9 among FBS teams.

The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Arkansas a 37.3% chance of defeating Missouri this weekend. If the Razorbacks are able to pull off the upset, it will just its third Battle Line Rivalry trophy and first since 2021.

This is Petrino's first go-around leading Arkansas as coach against Missouri. During his initial tenure from 2008-2011, the Razorbacks faced LSU which was an intense series with several exciting one score games.

Arkansas Razorbacks interim coach Bobby Petrino talking to an official during game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

“Definitely new for me," Petrino said. "We used to always finish this one off with , which was a lot of fun. Missouri’s done a really nice job. Their football team they’ve built with the D-line, linebackers, secondary, they’re very good on defense.

“Offensively they’ve been a team that always can run wide zone. They believe in it, they do it really well. Their running back is a really, really good player. And they’ve had some quarterback issues with injuries, so, that they’ve overcome a lot."

What ESPN thinks

ESPN's Bill Connelly has the Tigers' ranked No. 21 in his SP+ ratings this week although they fell out of this week's College Football Playoff top 25 rankings. The Razorbacks maintain a top 50 ranking at No. 46 despite a a 2-9 (0-7 SEC) record, and is the only team in the Top 50 with less than three wins on the season.

The Tigers' have were thought to be in the race for a playoff bid, but injuries has cost Eli Drinkwitz team several games over the past month.

While he gives Missouri 2.5 point edge, he predicts a final score of 33-27 which is yet another one score game in a challenging season.

ESPN FPI (SEC) Rankings

1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Texas A&M
4. Texas
5. Ole Miss
6. Oklahoma
7. Tennessee
8. Vanderbilt
9. Missouri
10. Auburn
11. LSU
12. South Carolina
13. Arkansas
14. Kentucky
15. Florida
16. Mississippi State

What Drinkwitz is saying about Arkansas game

Drinkwitz saw firsthand what Taylen Green could do to his physical defense a year ago and knows he will be a threat Saturday in his final home game at quarterback.

“[Taylen Green] is a really difficult test for our defense," Drinkwitz said Monday. "Does an excellent job understanding the system. Two years of coach Petrino's offensive system, you always see a jump at the quarterback position. I think it's the effectiveness of which coach Petrino teaches. They start thinking like him.

Missouri Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz on field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Against such incredible odds, Petrino has been able to keep his team holding onto the rope, but have yet to find the recipe for victory this fall. That didn't stop Drinkwtiz from sharing his respect to former coach Sam Pittman along with Petrino and staff.

"Arkansas has really faced a lot of adversity this year," Drinkwitz said. "But they are a very dangerous team as being able to tell through the point differential, the number of close games that they've played, the style of offense that Coach Petrino has put together.

"I would like to say, I have a lot of respect for Coach Pittman, and believe that he did a really nice job at the University of Arkansas. I believe he deserves a lot of praise for the job he did there. When he took over that job, it was in a really tough spot, and Coach Pittman went in there and got some really good results."

Game Information

Arkansas at LSU

Kickoff Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV Channel: SEC Network
Radio: Arkansas Razorbacks Sports Network
Series Record: Missouri leads 11-4