FAYETTEVILLE — Safety Jalen Catalon’s reputation as a hard-striking defender is growing.
It’s an issue receivers who cross the middle of the field must be aware of when preparing for the Razorbacks.
Catalon, who has 10 first-half tackles in each of the past two games, delivered a hit on Florida’s Trent Whittemore in the first half that sent the 6-4, 208-pound freshman out of the game. The Athletic reported on Monday that Whittemore suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung in the game.
In the second half, Justin Shorter dropped a pass over the middle after a huge shoulder-led shot by Catalon that popped the wideout’s helmet off. Shorter acted strangely after the big hit, walking behind the Gators’ line of scrimmage toward their sideline with no helmet and needing a minute to compose himself as the game was paused.
Shorter returned a few plays later.
Tough watch
After leading Arkansas to a 3-3 start, Coach Sam Pittman did not travel with the Razorbacks for Saturday’s 63-35 loss at No. 6 Florida.
“Watching the game was difficult because you’re just not there, and for whatever reason you feel like your presence would have something to do with the game and all that,” Pittman said. “I don’t want to give myself that much credit, but I just missed being around the guys.”
Pittman praised the work of defensive coordinator and interim coach Barry Odom and the staff, and said he also would have made the decision to go for it on fourth and 1 at the Arkansas 49 on the first snap of the second quarter in a 7-7 game, just as Odom and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles did.
“When they went for it on fourth and 1 at about the 50, I would have gone for it, too,” Pittman said. “Even though it wasn’t a successful play. I thought the coaches did a really good job.”
Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller broke up Feleipe Franks’ fourth-and-1 slant for an open Mike Woods over the middle on a play-action pass.
Pittman was planning to watch the game with his bulldog Lucy in the guest house, but that didn’t work out as planned.
“It was hard, and like I said, Lucy doesn’t say much and she wasn’t too much into the game, so I kind of had to be myself on that one,” Pittman said.
Mic’d up
A camera and microphone were close enough Saturday night to record some of the lengthy postgame conversation between Florida Coach Dan Mullen and Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks, the former Gator. The Florida football Twitter account released a snippet of the exchange Monday.
Mullen, wearing a mask, opened the conversation with a quick “Love you” while hugging Franks.
“Love you coach, appreciate it,” Franks replied. “You guys are doing a hell of a job on offense. I was just telling Kyle [Trask], man, he might as well just go ahead and get the Heisman. Seriously, you guys are doing a hell of a job.”
Said Mullen, “Hey, keep staying positive. You’re winning because of your leadership and your attitude, you know what I mean? Keep that going, brother.”
Trask talk
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask’s prodigious performance against Arkansas on Saturday has vaulted the senior into the favorite’s role for the Heisman Trophy race.
The website BetOnLine.com made Trask the 3-2 favorite to win the Heisman on Monday, two days after Trask passed for 356 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 5 coming in the first half, of the Gators’ 63-35 win over Arkansas.
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones was listed at 2-1, with Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at 3-1 and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at 13-4. Fields had been the betting favorite on Nov. 9 at 3-2.
Tube talk
The Razorbacks’ road game at Missouri on Nov. 28 is scheduled for an 11 a.m. kickoff on the SEC Network. The game will not be played on the day after Thanksgiving for the first time since the “Battle Line Rivalry” was started in 2014 when the SEC installed Arkansas and Missouri as permanent crossover opponents.
The Razorbacks have played either LSU or Missouri on the Friday after Thanksgiving every year since 1996, with the exception of a two-year hiatus (2009-10) in which the Iron Bowl game between Alabama and Auburn was played on Friday.
The Razorbacks had been scheduled to play Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., this season until changes were made because of the coronavirus outbreak.