Even Without Rocket, Hogs Should Be Able to Control Saturday

With top running back out, Sam Pittman doesn't sound worried ... and he always worries

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Sep 6, 2023 10:28 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If there's one thing Arkansas coach Sam Pittman does every week, it's be worried about some aspect going into a game. Not this win, though, even with top running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders probably out with a knee injury at least this week.

"I love our depth," Pittman said on his weekly radio show Wednesday night. "Rocket has an injury that is going to take a couple of weeks for him to heal." That would put him out against next week's game against BYU that isn't nearly as important for the Razorbacks as the following week on the road against LSU. "We're not positive about it, but it's not going to linger any further than maybe a couple games."

But Pittman didn't sound worried. That may have been a little telling because this is a coach that is worried if he's not worried about anything before playing just about anybody. He's been around long enough to know that feeling of positivity he has could flip the other direction once the game starts. The running back depth, though, is there and that's a reason to feel pretty good.

The Hogs have AJ Green and Rashod Dubinion that have experience, including playing a lot in a Liberty Bowl win over Kansas in December. Dominique Johnson is back and he's done it in games before a couple of knee surgeries de-railed him, but that's in the past.

"Jimmy has done such a good job with the room that gives these kids opportunities to go out there and play," Pittman said. He's mentioned before the guys in his room aren't in Pittman's office, which means he's not dealing with problems the position coach can't figure out.

But he has a backup in place. The wide receivers showed up big in Saturday's opening-day against an over-matched Western Carolina team. That's continued, apparently, in practices this week.

"We catch everything in practice," Pittman said Wednesday. "Whatever happens in practice, it's going to happen in the game. You might be surprised because you don't get to watch practice film all the time, but there are no surprises out there. If it happens in practice, it's going to happen in game and we catch everything in practice."

Now they just have to do it, probably again this week. Kent State may be as over-matched as the Catamounts were last week. They ganged up to stop the running game, which is really about the only hope a team has to really make it a game. It didn't work out well last week and Pittman is counting on that working again. The Hogs' home opener in Razorback Stadium is Saturday against Kent State at 3 p.m. on SEC Network and fuboTV .