Hogs’ ‘Rocket’ Sanders Still Has Goals in Front of Him

Razorbacks running back might be in front of SEC now, but he wants to finish there

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Oct 29, 2022 10:47 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Even passing 1,000 yards and leading the league isn't enough for Arkansas running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders.

There's more.

"I’ve got more goals to go," he said after a 41-27 win where he rang up 171 yards.

He is now at 1.041 for the season ... with four games left to play. Sanders has become the starting running back and last year's emergence of Dominique Johnson was de-railed by a knee injury Sanders has taken advantage of.

Raheim Sanders-Auburn — Arkansas Razorbacks running back Raheim Sanders (5) gets ready to block Auburn Tigers linebacker Owen Pappoe (0) during the third quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. (John Reed / USA TODAY Sports)

Now he's leading the SEC in rushing and it was the key to getting a win over the Tigers on Saturday for the first time since 2015.

"That (leading the SEC) is a goal I put on my board every week when I'm at home," Sanders said. "I'm just glad we got the win, man. It's going to make me better as an individual, just being a team player as well, outside of football."

The highlight run was his 76-yarder in the second half that set up a touchdown that removed any hopes Auburn had of a comeback.

"We wore them down," Sam Pittman said later. "You always have that one explosive play by Rocket. It seems like every week he has one of those that he takes off on, and he had one of those again today."

A lot of that was the offensive line that has developed over the season.

"Our guys are in great shape up front," he said. "They play well together once they figure out what guys are doing against them. We went back to our bread and butter, we went back to inside-outside zone, ran a little bit of counter against them, but we went with what we do."

And quarterback KJ Jefferson knows exactly what he's got in that asset.

"He’s real humble," Jefferson said. "He’s very unselfish. The first thing he did was thank the O-line. Came up and thanked me. Just a team effort.

"For him to reach 1,000 yards so fast and this is just his second year playing running back just shows his poise and the off-season workouts he’s been doing. Everything he’s taking advantage of."

He may get a chance to pad that a little bit next week when the Hogs face Liberty back at home for the first time in a month.