FAYETTEVILLE- Arkansas was able to overcome a lackluster performance on Saturday to get their second win of the season by defeating Kent State, 28-6. Arkansas struggled all day on both sides of the ball but were able to get the win and go back to the practice field next week to prepare for the BYU Cougars who will come to Fayetteville next Saturday.
Below are highlights and excerpts from the post-game press conference for the Kent State game as provided by the University of Arkansas:
QB KJ Jefferson has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of his last six games under center. Jefferson finished by completing 13-of-19 passes for 136 yards and two scores.
After accounting for two touchdowns vs. Kent State, QB KJ Jefferson is now responsible for 73 career touchdowns (53 passing and 20 rushing). He is four shy of the Arkansas career touchdown responsibility mark currently held by Matt Jones with 77 (53 passing and 24 rushing).
RB AJ Green made his first career start. He finished with career highs in attempts (15) and yards (82).
WR Andrew Armstrong has recorded at least one reception in 18 consecutive games dating back to his 2021 season at Texas A&M-Commerce.
After hauling in two touchdown receptions, WR Andrew Armstrong has caught multiple touchdown receptions in a game six times in his career.
The Razorback defense has returned an interception for a touchdown in consecutive weeks (vs. Western Carolina, vs. Kent State) for the first time since 2016 (at TCU, vs. Texas State).
Since the start of the 2020 season (Sam Pittman’s first as head coach), the Razorbacks have totaled 40 interceptions in 38 games.
DL Trajan Jeffcoat has a career high with 1.5 sacks.
LB Antonio Grier recorded an interception (and returned it 25 yards for a TD) in his first career snap as a Razorback.
LB Jaheim Thomas posted a career high 12 tackles (three solo). Thomas finished with two tackles for loss, including tying his career high in sacks with 1.5 on the day. It was his second career game with double-digit tackles.
Arkansas defense allowed just 26 total rushing yards. It was the fewest by a Razorback opponent since against New Mexico State (11) in 2017.
The 19 points by Razorback opponent in the first two games are the fewest since allowing 10 for the first two games of 2011 (7 by Missouri State and 3 by New Mexico).
Arkansas is off to a 2-0 start for the third consecutive season under head coach Sam Pittman. The Hogs had not started 2-0 in three consecutive seasons since 1998-2000 under Houston Nutt.
The last time Arkansas’ defense held somebody to less than 10 points was against UAPB on Oct. 23, 2021.
ATTENDANCE
73,173
ARKANSAS QUOTES
Sam Pittman, Arkansas Head Coach
Opening statement:
“I give Kent State a lot of credit. With what happened to them last week and then to come back and play like they did, I want to give them a lot of credit. They had a nice game plan of trying
to control the clock and letting it run down… We had nine drives all day… They were very physical.
“I thought they [outplayed us physically] in the first half especially, but congratulations to them. I told Coach [Kenni Burns] after the game the score was much closer than 28-6, I felt like, and
that he did a wonderful job with his team.
“They will have a good football team if they continue to work through him. He’s a good football coach. We have a lot to get better at, I’m sure you’ll ask me about it.”
“Right now, we’re still trying to figure out who that other guy besides Jaheim Thomas is. I was frustrated at half because we couldn’t get off the field.”
“I can tell you the analytics say to go for it, the ‘Samalytics’ says don’t. We went for it on 4th and 4, too, and we end up scoring.”
“In the second half the play was better, but it still wasn’t good.”
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas QB
“It all comes down to focus, I mean that’s the main thing, no excuses. We just got to lock into the details and execute the game plan and come out with an edge and play passion from the
start. I mean we kind of did that second half play with an edge and a chip on our shoulder and a edge to want to go on and pull this thing out and get a victory but I feel like we got to come out
with an edge, a chip on our shoulder early on in the game to go on and set that tempo, set that standard.
Was that a little surprising that you had to run as much as you did?
“Not at all. I mean I would do anything for my team as long as we get the victory and put my teammates in the best position to win. So, I would do anything. Once Coach Enos called the play
and I mean it was just up to me to execute and I put my trust in those guys to block. Andrew, the lineman, the running back, those guys can block, and I just executed so I wasn’t surprised at
all.
In the first touchdown pass to Andrew., can you describe that play from your perspective?
“Well, the snap was kind of low, it caught me by surprise, the low snap. But first before the play started, I looked at the down visual and it was 3rd down so I didn’t want to fall on the ball. You
know it’s the red zone so I just grabbed it and rolled out. And I saw Andrew wide open, so I just tried to give him a good catchable ball and he made a play. Originally, he was supposed to be
a little high/low route for Andrew and the running back so that was originally what it was supposed to be but we made it work. I mean we ended up still getting back to the high/low so we
made it work.
On Arkansas’ defense:
“The defense did an outstanding job. I mean they came out, they executed their game plan, they played as a unit, as a team on defense, they fly around the ball, get a lot of TFLs and a lot of
guys run the ball. So, they came out, executed their game plan.
“I was extremely proud of our defense and as an upfront offense perspective, I’m just telling my guys like defense is doing their job. So, it’s time for us to wake up and go on and play
Arkansas standard football. So that’s the main thing. I mean we gotta come out, get back to the drawing board, clean up some things that we had messed up on and keep moving forward.
Have good days and good days.
Isaac had 3 catches today, a couple of them were really contested.
“Like you said, they both led to touchdowns. We needed a spark, needed somebody to make a play, and Isaac came through with a contested catch on the first one. We needed that to get the
momentum flowing on our side. So just being able to just read the defense and then just Teslaa making a great contested catch and me putting the ball in the air that only he can catch.
“And the second pass I threw to Tes was contested as well. We felt like it was pass interference, because he basically tackled him, but I mean like just putting the ball anywhere near Tes. I
mean he’ll go make a play on it, so just having a guy like that, that you can put it around. He has an extreme catch radius, so just putting the ball around it and knowing that he’ll make a play.
Arkansas improves its record to 2-0 overall and will host Brigham Young University on Saturday. Kickoff at Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
