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Razorback Report: No. 6 Arkansas set to open 2025 season vs. No. 13 Iowa

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Arkansas athletics
Taylor Hodges|
Arkansas soccer players celebrate a goal scored in an exhibition match.
Arkansas soccer players celebrate a goal scored in an exhibition match. | Arkansas Athletics

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the third consecutive season, the SEC coaches have a very high opinion of Arkansas.

The conference’s coaches picked No. 6 Arkansas to win the regular season title in the 2025 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll that was released Wednesday (see full poll below).

The Razorbacks quest to prove those predictions correct will begin Thursday evening in a big season-opening match against No. 13 Iowa. It’ll be the first time the two programs have faced one another on the pitch.

Thursday’s game is also the start of a season-long trend for the Razorbacks, which face three ranked teams (No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 4 Duke, No. 13 Iowa) in their non-conference schedule alone. This is also the first time Arkansas has opened the season with a Top 25 showdown since 2021 when then-No. 13 Arkansas played at No. 6 Duke.

Iowa was picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll after deploying a stingy defense last season. The Hawkeyes set a program record with six-straight shutouts, including four ranked opponents (Texas, Rutgers, Wake Forest and Washington) and allowed only 12 goals all season.

However, Arkansas has its own stingy defense. Or goal keeper at least.

Sophomore Keegan Smith returns for her second season in goal for the Razorbacks. Last season, she recorded 11 shutouts, a .620 goals-against average, shutout 10 regular season SEC opponents and two NCAA Tournament opponents, Oklahoma State and Cal.

At home, Smith was even better. She allowed just six goals at Razorback Field as Arkansas posted an 11-0-2 record in home games.

She finished the season ranked as the No. 3 freshman in the nation and was placed on the Best XI Freshman Team by TopDrawerSoccer. During the offseason, Smith was called up to the U-19 U.S. Women’s National Team training camp in Spain in February of 2025. She was called up a second time in June of 2025, this time for the U-18/19 U.S. YNT combined training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia.

In the Razorbacks’ two exhibition matches this season, they allowed just one goal and outscored opponents, 9-1. Newcomers carried the Razorbacks in both matches, accounting for six of the Hogs’ nine goals.

Freshman Paige Szymanski led the way with three goals. BYU transfer Erin Bailey recorded a brace against Oral Roberts. Freshman Vailana Tu’ua scored the opener against Oral Roberts.

Thursday’s season-opening match between No. 6 Arkansas and No. 13 Iowa is set to air on SEC Network, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

2025 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Arkansas
2. Texas
3. South Carolina
4. Georgia
5. Tennessee
6. Vanderbilt
7. Alabama
8. Mississippi State
9. Auburn
10. Kentucky
11. LSU
12. Texas A&M
13. Oklahoma
14. Florida
15. Missouri
16. Ole Miss

Yesterday’s Results

No games played.

Today’s Schedule

Soccer: No. 13 Iowa at No. 6 Arkansas, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network

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Countdown until Arkansas’s Season Opener

16 days

We’ll Leave You With This

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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