FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas Razorbacks (3-6) are projected to receive a postseason bowl berth despite their sub-.500 record because the normal eligibility criteria of six wins has been tossed out due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The SEC, like many conferences, is playing a league-only season.
Recently, Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said his team deserves a bowl bid because a three-win SEC season equates to six or seven wins in a normal season.
The bowl destination projections for Arkansas runs the gamut from the Eastern seaboard to Texas.
CBSSports.com’s Jerry Palm this week projected an Arkansas vs. Texas game in Houston’s Texas Bowl, a rematch of the 2014 game won 31-7 by the Razorbacks.
Brett McMurphy of Stadium picked Arkansas vs. North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl, which is Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Yahoo Sports predicted an Arkansas vs. Colorado matchup in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31 in Fort Worth. Athlon Sports also picked the Armed Forces Bowl for the Hogs with a matchup against Washington.
College Football News guessed at Arkansas vs. West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31.
The latest projections from ESPN.com are also Arkansas vs. Washington in the Armed Forces Bowl by Mark Schlabach, and Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl by Kyle Bonagura.
Franks update
Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks’ rib cage injury is improving, and the senior is sharing reps on the top offensive unit with freshman KJ Jefferson this week.
Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said there’s a chance each of the quarterbacks could take snaps in Saturday’s regular-season finale against Alabama.
The news is not so good on linebacker Drew Morgan, whose knee injury will keep him out of the game on senior day against the No. 1 Crimson Tide at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, according to sources. Morgan was engaged with Missouri offensive tackle Zeke Powell when the pile rolled against the outside of his left leg, buckling his knee to the side and injuring a ligament Saturday.
Missouri tailback Larry Rountree, who serves on the SEC leadership council with Morgan, and Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz, whose special assistant Rick Jones was Morgan’s coach at Greenwood High School, both checked on Morgan along with Pittman and UA medical personnel before he was assisted off the field late in the third quarter.
Franks tested his rib injury during warm-ups but could not play against the Tigers.
Jefferson completed 18 of 33 passes for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns, and added a rushing touchdown in the Hogs’ 50-48 loss.
“Feleipe has practiced,” Pittman said on Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “We’re still working to see how he’s feeling. He’s done a nice job of practicing.
“He’s not 100%. We’ll continue obviously to practice today, tomorrow, and it’ll give him time to heal up a little bit more. Then we’ll make a decision game time on what we’re going to do at the quarterback position.”
The Razorbacks also lost cornerback Montaric Brown to an unspecified injury against the Tigers, and his status is unknown for Saturday’s 11 a.m. game. Defensive end Julius Coates also is not expected to play for reasons unrelated to an injury.
Weather report
After sunny days all week through today, the weather will turn colder and more overcast for game day, per Weather.com.
The high temperature on Saturday is projected at 42 degrees after an overnight low of 34. While there’s a 100% chance for rain Friday, that diminishes to 15% with winds from the west at 12 mph at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday.
Thorpe tout
Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon made the list of 12 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award on Monday, recognition the redshirt freshman doesn’t take lightly.
“In high school I always watched the Jim Thorpe Awards and kind of saw who’s on it and kept up,” Catalon said. “It’s definitely an honor to even be mentioned on the award and kind of lists and everything and be up for it, for sure.”
Catalon said defensive coordinator Barry Odom and cornerbacks coach Sam Carter, a Thorpe Award finalist at TCU in his playing days, helped shape his game.
“I give hats off to Coach Odom and Coach Carter for preparing me the whole entire year, making me a better player and a better person, and I know I couldn’t do it without them,” he said.
Defensive flags
Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak did a good job with his cadences to induce five of the six offsides penalties on the Razorbacks.
The calls against Eric Gregory, Taurean Carter, Dorian Gerald, Jonathan Marshall, Julius Coates and one unidentified Razorback were costly, though not all were accepted. One of the offsides flags nullified a 6-yard loss on the only snap of the game taken by Missouri backup quarterback Brady Cook. Another offset what would have been a 15-yard personal foul penalty against the Tigers.
Three of the offsides came on incomplete passes, and one of them gave the Tigers a first down.
It was a true downer for Coach Sam Pittman when he was asked about a “couple” of defensive offsides calls.
“There was more than a couple,” Pittman said. “That’s unacceptable. We’ve got to coach it better. I have to do a better job with it. The first two drives, I know, we gave them penalty yards and they kicked a field goal and they scored a touchdown off of it.
“We’re not good enough to help somebody down the field. I mean, we have to be penalty-free and disciplined, and we weren’t and it’s very disappointing.”
The Arkansas defense accounted for nine penalties for 85 yards. One of the most damaging was when safety Joe Foucha was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after an incomplete pass on second and 11 late in the third quarter. Replays appeared to show Foucha simply cross his arms on the Arkansas sideline, a much more toned-down celebration than after any number of big plays for either team.
Missouri took advantage of the big break by driving for Harrison Mevis’ 40-yard field goal, which drew the Tigers within 33-26 with 14:51 left in the game.
Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool called the defensive penalties disappointing.
“That’s not who we are,” he said. “We haven’t had that issue, and we kind of got away from our style of playing defense, and I think when you have penalties prolong drives, it hurts you, more points are scored, and ultimately we’ve got to clean all of that up.”