What Razorbacks must do to beat Missouri in Battle Line Rivalry

Arkansas must forget about shortcomings in nightmare season, put it all together against Tigers

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Mike Washington breaking free against the Ole Miss Rebels in a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has a chance to close the season out the right way with a victory in what's believed to be Bobby Petrino's final game as interim coach.

Petrino was welcomed back with open arms two years ago this week when former coach Sam Pittman hired him as offensive coordinator. It was a move out of desperation as the Razorbacks had fallen on hard times in 2023 following a disappointing 4-8 season.

While things haven't gone the way anyone would've hoped this season, there is one final game for the Razorbacks to get things right and close the door on a challenging season.

Here are three biggest things Arkansas must do in order to take the Battle Line trophy home for the first time sicne 2021.

Stuff the Run

Stopping Missouri's offense is quite simple: stack the run.

The Tigers have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation, ranking No. 9 nationally with more than 226 yards per game on the ground. Running back Ahmad Hardy has been a very nice addition to the backfield after coming in from ULM after a solid freshman season.

He's paced the rushing attack this season with 214 carries for 1,403 yards and 15 touchdowns and is currently having one of the best single-season performances of any tailback in school history.

"[Missouri] believes in in the wide zone, and they do run counter that complements it, and they do a great job with their offensive line," Petrino said. "They have ever since Drinkwitz was at Appalachian State. That's been their gig.

Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) runs for a touchdown as several Mississippi State Bulldogs defenders chase during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"That's probably what helped him get that job is their ability to run wide zone and scheme it up. [Hardy] is real. He's very, very powerful. He sees things, he makes cuts, and he breaks as many tackles as guys I've seen or that we've played. And then they have another guy that's bigger and just as fast come in behind him. So the two of them complement each other very well."

The Razorbacks have struggled to consistently stop the run this season, allowing just over 173 yards per game. However, interim defensive coordinator Chris Wilson's unit have improved drastically over the past three weeks by giving up 119 yards per game against Mississippi State, LSU and Texas.

Arkansas has slashed opponents rushing touchdowns by more than half over the past three weeks with just four scores in the previous three weeks. Should the Razorbacks capitalize on recent success, it's reasonable to believe it can force Missouri to be one dimensional.

Score, score, score

Multiple coaches at Missouri have produced solid defenses capable of squeezing the life out of opposing offenses. This season, the Tigers are giving up just 277 yards per game which ranks No. 10 nationally and have been fairly solid against conference opponents (332 yards per game, No. 3 SEC).

Coach Eli Drinkwitz's defense has specialized at keeping games close by allowing 19.7 points per game, ranking No. 23 nationally but when it comes to facing SEC offenses things roll back a bit.

The Tigers have allowed 28 points per game over its previous three games against the likes of Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Oklahoma.

Arkansas has been fairly successful at home when it comes to offense, scoring over 37 points per game inside Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies in a game at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

It'll be interesting to see if Arkansas' offense plays inspired football and limites turnovers inside its house to potentially pull off an upset in what has become a lopsided rivalry.

"It's been a hard go when you have an offense that is explosive and able to score points, but not able to score as many as the other team," Petrino said. "That puts a lot of pressure on you. You start feeling the pressure and you tighten up. And I think that's where some of these errors and things have come is, when you feel like you have to score every single time you go out on the field, you don't just play as freely as you would.

"That's been some of the issues. Obviously, he needs to overcome that and take care of the ball. It's just been a thing about taking care of the ball more than anything else. Everything else, he's done a good job of playing, but he has been prone to turn the ball over. In games where you have to try to outscore the other team, it adds up."

Lean on Missouri's defensive line

Arkansas' Mike Washington has been a pleasant surprise this season, adding his name to an extensive list of running backs who have exceeded the 1,000 yard mark. That list consists of Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Alex Collins, Ben Cowins, Michael Smith, Cedric Cobbs, Madre Hill and many others.

The senior transfer hasn't done it on his own either as the Razorbacks have leaned on an offensive line that's forced the issue for much of the season. For the season, the Hogs' group of backs along with quarterback Taylen Green average nearly 204 yards per game with 25 touchdowns.

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman E'Marion Harris during game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

One of the biggest question marks will be whether or not an improved Arkansas offensive line will be able to slow down Missouri's versatile defensive line. The Razorbacks' offensive line has allowed only 25 sacks this season, an vast improvement compared to recent years under assistant coach Eric Mateos.

The group has trimmed back its tackles for loss with just 54, which is tied for No. 46 among FBS teams. However, the Razorbacks have yet to face a disruptive line like Missouri's which has forced 77 tackles for loss and 31 sacks, ranking in the top 25 in both categories.