LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas and Arkansas-Pine Bluff will meet on Thursday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock to open the 2024 season.
While the Razorbacks open as a heavy 49.5-point favorite over the Golden Lions, head coach Sam Pittman is excited to face an in-state opponent and get back into a gameday atmosphere after 279 days.
"Looking forward to playing Pine Bluff, looking forward to playing an in-state opponent," Pittman said. "We have so many new players... It's difficult to know what you have until you line up [and] it'll be fun to truly find out what we have."
The Hogs are 153-62-4 all-time at War Memorial Stadium, with one of those victories being a 45-3 rout over UAPB in their first meeting in 2021.
Although Golden Lions head coach Alonzo Hampton wasn't with the school for that historic matchup, he knows how much a win would mean for the university, and they aren't backing down from the challenge of upsetting the Razorbacks.
"We're definitely excited about it," Hampton said. "There won't be any Golden Lions that are afraid. There won't be any coaches that are afraid. We're looking forward to an opportunity to go out there and showcase what our players and coaches can do, and we'll do it with a smile. It'll be fun."
UAPB hasn't won a season opener since 2022, while Arkansas is seeking its fourth consecutive victory to start a season. Here are the keys to the game for both teams.
3 keys to victory for Arkansas
Start fast:
The Razorbacks focused on "starting fast" in last year's season opener against Western Carolina, and look what happened—Arkansas scored 56 points, the program's most in a single game since 2016. The Hogs put their foot on the gas early, holding the Catamounts to a three-and-out on the game's first drive before scoring on its second offensive play to take an early lead.
There's no reason to believe Arkansas won't enter Thursday's game against UAPB with the same mindset. If the Razorbacks can build a two-score lead and crush the Golden Lions' confidence early, the game could result in a blowout.
Dominate the trenches:
Games are often won in the trenches, and the Hogs' ability to protect quarterback Taylen Green while disrupting the backfield on defense can be a real difference-maker in this area.
Pittman said they must shut down UAPB's stretch run, as their team speed allows them to utilize the RPO. Additionally, Pittman said quarterback Mekhi Hagens fuels the Golden Lions' offense. The Razorbacks will be in good shape if they can generate pressure, make him uncomfortable and generate a few turnovers.
"They've got good team speed, and we've got to stop the bubble screen... stop the stretch play," Pittman said. "That's what I thought they did very well last year... [Hagens] is athletic, so he can throw and pass."
Do your job:
To put it bluntly, Arkansas can't prove anything with a victory over UAPB, but they have everything to lose. A loss would set an unpleasant tone for the rest of the season, and Pittman's hot seat would become even hotter.
All of that can be avoided if everyone does their job. It's a simple thing to say, but this game could be over by halftime if everyone checks their ego at the door and executes. On offense, this means beating the zone and sustaining drives to pile on points while the defense stays on their toes, generates pressure and gets off the field early.
"[Arkansas-Pine Bluff] is very well coached, and they play extremely hard," Pittman said. "Defensively, we haven't seen a lot of pressure from them... we are taking what we saw from them last year. Zone team, not a lot of man coverage."
3 keys to victory for Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Bury the doubts:
Unlike the Hogs, UAPB has everything to prove with nothing to lose. Coming off a 2-9 season that saw the offense average a mere 15 points and 167 yards per game, Hampton and the rest of the Golden Lions need something to spark the program, and a victory over the Razorbacks would provide that.
With a win, UAPB can shake up the college football landscape, and burying the doubts puts the negativity aside and allows that opportunity to happen.
Control the clock:
Bobby Petrino is back at Arkansas as the offensive coordinator, which means the Razorbacks will be on the hunt to score early and often. UAPB's chances of securing a victory are slim if they fall behind by multiple possessions, which means they need to limit Arkansas's time of possession.
The Golden Lions can achieve this by keeping drives alive, winning on third down and milking the play clock. The less time the Razorback offense is on the field, the less time it has to score points.
The formula is simple: UAPB needs to score when they have the chance while giving the Hogs less time and opportunities to score.
Win the turnover battle:
Coaches say it all the time, "You can't win games if you lose the turnover battle." Being nearly a 50-point underdog means there's a slim margin for UAPB to make mistakes.
The Golden Lions will need all the scoring opportunities they can get, which means generating turnovers while playing a mistake-free game. Hampton and the rest of the team believe Hagens' ability to play smart will help them pull off an upset.
"I just want [Hagens] to be able to go out there and relax and play his best football game," Hampton said. "This young man deserves it. He worked his tail off, so he deserves this opportunity... our team believes in him."
Winning the turnover battle will be challenging. Arkansas finished last season tied for the national lead with four interceptions returned for touchdowns, the most in a single season for the Hogs since 2016.
The Aug. 29 kickoff marks the earliest start to a season in program history for the Razorbacks. Coverage from War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock begins at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.