Razorbacks' Darius Acuff Collects Latest Victim in Huge Road Blowout

STARKVILLE, Miss. — There's been one constant for the Arkansas Razorbacks this season and he comes in the form of another one-and-done for John Calipari.

True freshman point guard Darius Acuff made everything look easy during a brunch outing in Starkville, breezing to an 88-68 victory.

He finished with 24 points on 9-of-19 from the field, 3-of-5 from three and a perfect 3-of-3 at the free throw line.

Not only is he the Razorbacks' best scoring threat, but he continues to get his teammates involved, finishing with eight assists while adding five rebounds.

Darius Acuff.

Man among boys. He toyed with State today pic.twitter.com/x5zpulVi0e
— Jacob Davis (@jacobdaviscfb) February 7, 2026

During the Razorbacks' last outing at home against Kentucky, it seemed there was something missing. Although Acuff reached the 20-point mark against the Wildcats, Arkansas wasn't able to muster any momentum for an extended period of game time.

That was probably the biggest difference during the off week as coach John Calipari rested his team a bit before taking them to Mississippi State in Humphrey Coliseum.

It's a place where the Razorbacks haven't enjoyed much success going 7-24 prior to Saturday's dominant performance.

The Kentucky loss was a learning experience for Arkansas, which is exactly what Acuff reiterated during his postgame interview with the ESPN broadcast crew following the game.

"It's been tough," Acuff said. "We had a couple days off but we had to put a lot of work in and we had to change our gameplan. Had to be a little bit tougher on defense, had to change the gameplan coming in."

Calipari knew a road trip against Mississippi State would present a major challenge to his team physically, which is a hallmark for any Chris Jans coached teams.

His Razorbacks rose to the occasion by being aggressive in passing lanes, blocked nine shots, surpassing the 50-point mark for points in the paint and outrebounded the Bulldogs 38-33.

Acuff continues to dazzle on the hardwood each game, making decisions with ease while either scoring or assisting on what seems like each possession. When he isn't on the floor, the Razorbacks appear out of position and oftentimes unable to generate offense.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

He commands so much attention that it makes it easy for him to read the floor in transition even if it's 80 feet or so from the basket.

"I feel like that's my job as a point guard to read the game and stay poised," Acuff said. "If I'm not rattled I know my team's not going to be rattled. Just staying poised. Like I always say, I want to come away with the win. That's the biggest thing for me."

With veteran contributors Karter Knox (knee) and DJ Wagner (ankle) out against the Bulldogs, it allowed other players like freshman forward Isaiah Sealy to come out and prove himself when his number is called.

Calipari has a team that continues to get better connectivity up and down the roster which will pay off in the long run when it comes to postseason play. Despite the Bulldogs' struggles, Jans' squad had the opportunity to come out and score a ranked upset against the Razorbacks.

Instead, Arkansas was able to take care of business, and avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"I feel like every day we're growing," Acuff said. "Not even in games, off the court, daily we're growing. We are going to be very good [down the stretch]. You saw Isaiah Sealy came in today and make a big impact. We were down two guys, but we wanted to come through for them. When they come back we'll even be more together."

If Saturday was any indication, Calipari’s group is learning how to win in difficult environments, and with Acuff orchestrating the offense, Arkansas looks far more like a team capable of sustaining momentum down the stretch.

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