FAYETTEVILLE -- Keeping up with the Joneses normally doesn't concern teams favored by 31 points.
Nevertheless, the 24th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks know it behooves them to keep up with a Jones tonight against the Texas State University Bobcats at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Coach Bret Bielema's 2-0 Razorbacks are 31-point favorites over the Sun Belt Conference's 1-0 Bobcats.
But if Texas State senior quarterback Tyler Jones is on, all bets are off on Arkansas covering the spread. Especially if the Hogs can't cover the Spread, TSU's hurry-up offense.
Just two Saturdays ago, Arkansas escaped 25-point underdog Louisiana Tech 21-20 in Fayetteville.
Jones is certainly more heralded than J'mar Smith, Louisiana Tech's redshirt freshman backup who bedeviled the Hogs in place of Tech's suspended senior starting quarterback.
"He actually may be more mobile than Kenny Hill," said Arkansas freshman defensive tackle McTelvin Agim, referring to TCU's heralded quarterback.
Hill rushed for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns and passed for 377 yards and a touchdown on Arkansas last Saturday in Fort Worth, although Arkansas prevailed 41-38 in double overtime.
Last year against Southern Miss, Jones passed for 310 yards and rushed for 160.
In Texas State's 56-54 overtime victory Sept. 3 in Athens, Ohio, over Ohio University, Jones completed 40 of 55 passes for 418 yards and 4 touchdowns vs. 2 interceptions. He rushed for a touchdown among 19 carries, netting 57 yards after sacks.
"I think his rushing numbers are a little bit misleading for some of the negative plays," Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said. "He got a lot of crucial yardage for them in critical moments."
Against Ohio, Jones even caught a touchdown, a 22-yard trick play pass from receiver L.G. Williams.
"He is the focal point of their entire offense," Smith said.
The Razorbacks will put a ton of focus on Texas State's focal point.
"He's a really good player," Arkansas senior linebacker Brooks Ellis said. "A senior knowing what he's doing at all times. He really knows how to control that offense. He's obviously their best player. We've got to be ready to stop him and get him uncomfortable."
If they don't, these Razorbacks know how uncomfortable it can be.
Arkansas' fifth-year seniors and sixth-year senior Kody Walker remember when they were ranked No. 8 in 2012 and a 30-point favorite against the Sun Belt's Louisiana-Monroe, which beat the John L. Smith-coached Razorbacks 34-31 in overtime in Little Rock.
Bielema's 2015 Razorbacks were 18th-ranked and 21-point favorites when Toledo stunned them 16-12 in Little Rock.
Neither of those Arkansas teams that were ambushed in September re-entered the Top 25.
So the Razorbacks know if they are to keep up with the Joneses, they had better keep up with Tyler Jones tonight.
Sports on 09/17/2016