What Can Hog Fans Gain, if Anything, About Future Non-Conference Foes This Weekend?

Intel gathered on BYU, Missouri State this weekend will be difficult to interpret

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Sep 9, 2022 5:33 PM EDT

This weekend was supposed to be a chance to get a better feel for how difficult the Razorbacks’ remaining non-conference games will be when former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino brings the Missouri State Bears to Fayetteville and when Arkansas blitzes the dry bars of Provo for a showdown with BYU.

Missouri State and Central Arkansas have played so much against each other over the past few years that it’s hard to gauge MSU’s victory in the battle of the Bears last week. Petrino brought back the equivalent of a FCS Heisman Trophy nominee in Jason Shelley against a squad featuring 45 new players, so this week's game between UCA and Ole Miss was supposed to put that Missouri State win in perspective.

Technically, UCA has never lost to Ole Miss. The Rebels won initially in 2012, 49-27, but had to vacate the win because Hugh Freeze exists in this world.

While it should have been relatively easy to compare the Bears’ success in Oxford to how successful the team was against Missouri State, mixing in 45 new players who need time to build chemistry while Lane Kiffin uses this game to kick the tires on Luke Altmyer means not much can be gained from watching this match-up unless UCA pulls the upset.

Meanwhile, the Hogs’ best shot to get a feel for BYU has taken a bit of a hit in credibility also. The Cougars host Baylor in the late game tomorrow night, which would have been a perfect chance for Arkansas fans to see what BYU brings to the table in both talent and atmosphere.

Unfortunately, wide receiver Puca Nacua, who is a player all Arkansas fans should stop down to watch, will miss this game with an ankle injury. Not getting to see his athleticism against Baylor is a major disappointment as it not only would have made the game more interesting, but it would have given Hog fans a better comparison to gauge his athleticism.

BYU will also be missing No. 2 wide receiver Gunner Romney who has averaged 19.7 yards and 17.5 yards per catch the past two seasons.

There are still a few match-ups that might be of interest as far as how things pan out along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. However, if BYU loses, it’s not going to give Arkansas fans that clear perspective that the Razorbacks should win also.

Nacua was worth 7 points in the opening 10 seconds of last week’s game and is a major X-factor in any game BYU plays this year when healthy.

As for Missouri State, Shelley threw for 300 yards and five touchdowns while his running back, Jacardia Wright, ripped off 120 yards on 23 carries last night in a 35-30 win over an undefeated Tennessee-Martin team that won the Ohio Valley Conference last year and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs after taking down Missouri St. 32-31 last November.

The Thursday night game gives Petrino an extra two days to prepare for a game that some have speculated he’s been preparing for since Nov. 27. Petrino got to focus this much for the Oklahoma State game last season when the Big 12 champions narrowly avoided losing to Petrino’s Bears at home.