KJ's Biggest Test (Yet): Arkansas Passing Game Required Against Aggies

KJ Jefferson's best passing day this year was against Georgia Southern and the numbers there aren't exactly what you see.

He does have the second-longest scoring pass in Arkansas history (a 91-yarder to Treylon Burks) ... but he threw the ball 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Burks out-ran defensive angles for 95 yards and nobody could catch him.

Maybe the major thing nobody seems to notice is he hasn't gotten close to the 65% completion rate offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said back in fall camp he'd like to see.

Sure, Jefferson can run but I've said since spring practice the odds are not good he can run the Razorbacks to the SEC West title. That hasn't worked in a decade or so because trying it will usually get the quarterback knocked out sooner or later.

Now he's up against a front seven that has the potential to shut down the Hogs' running game. They also have the motivation with this being the SEC opener for both teams.

It's always interesting to hear people talk about what numbers teams have put up. A lot of the expectations from the Aggies in the preseason was a defensive front that shut folks down but they haven't been particularly impressive at times this year.

Until last week. They held New Mexico to 2.1 yards per rush attempt and 129 total. That was more like what people were expecting from the A&M defense.

Oh, and they pitched a shutout.

Nobody has been able to make the Hogs pass this year. The run game has been able to handle what was thrown at them.

On Saturday, Jefferson is probably going to have to pass for the Hogs to have any sort of success at all.

And he'll probably have to get close to that 65% completion rate Briles wanted before the season.

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