Could We Be Looking at Wild West Shootout Saturday?

Razorbacks' KJ Jefferson, South Carolina's Spencer Rattler may hold key

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Sep 8, 2022 3:28 PM EDT

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

South Carolina Gamecocks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Get ready for a possible shootout Saturday.

South Carolina doesn't have an offensive line that's getting any respect and Arkansas' defense has a lot of question marks in the secondary.

Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler might be better when he's moving outside the pocket.

"He'll hurt you," Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said this week. "When he gets outside the pocket, he’s as accurate of a quarterback as I’ve seen in a long, long time."

Spencer Rattler-Georgia State — South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) passes against the Georgia State Panthers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. (Jeff Blake / USA TODAY Sports)

In the opener, Cincinnati had guys so open behind the Hogs' secondary it looked like they were out for an afternoon jog. The quarterback couldn't hit them pretty much the same way Texas collapsed like a cheap lawn chair a year ago.

The coaches notice those things. Coaches on both sides.

Now it appears the Hogs will have to do without safeties Jalen Catalon and Myles Slusher against a quarterback who was a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy just a couple of years ago at Oklahoma.

He can hit the open man, especially on the deep throws.

So can KJ Jefferson and he might have the receivers to do just that.

All of that could be adding up to one of those wild scoring affairs much like the Hogs got into against Ole Miss last year when they couldn't hit the pass at the end for a two-point conversion to win.

KJ Jefferson-Cincinnati — Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) passes in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Razorback Stadium. (Nelson Chenault / USA TODAY Sports(

There's a hunch that over-under at SISportsBook.com of 53 might just be a little low. If you sit back and look at both teams it's not hard to draw a path where unless there's a blowout one way or the other, these two just might light up the scoreboard.

It will all depend on what the Hogs are able to do with the secondary against a quarterback that's experienced and won't be particularly over-whelmed with whatever crowd shows up at Razorback Stadium.

Who can stop the other one — or score last — may be the one on top at the end.