LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas was focused from the opening kickoff to the last snap on Saturday in a 56-14 win over Arkansas State in War Memorial Stadium.
The game was one many fans had asked for through the years, but it was over pretty fast. Arkansas scored 28 points on its first 14 snaps. Sam Pittman liked the focus of his team.
"Start off by, what an atmosphere over here," Pittman said. "Very appreciative of our fans, it felt like a home game. That started with the Hog walk and we knew the significance of this game to the state of Arkansas. We knew the significance. 130 years of playing and we've decided now that we're going to play the game, so we certainly had to be ready for the game and I felt like we were. We've got some things we've got to fix, but we got a lot of things that we're doing really good."
Taylen Green completed 17 of 26 passes for 239 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed nine times for 151 yards and a touchdown. His rushing total was only two yards short of what the entire Arkansas State team rushed for.
"Yeah, if he's not perfect a lot of times we'll think about the 2 picks, it wasn't like it was a tipped ball, you know what I mean?," Pittman said. "Obviously we got that corrected with his eyes and where to go with the ball after the second quarter I guess is when it was. But he was outstanding with his legs. I mean, when he takes off, you know you're going to get a first down, then what happens after that is gravy."
Pittman chimed in on the Hogs scoring four touchdowns in the first 10 minutes.
"I just think it was damn good coaching," Pittman said. "Yeah, we take it for everything that ain’t. Our coaches had those kids ready and they were ready to play. They knew the significance of this game to the great state of Arkansas. They knew it. We had pounded it into them and they knew it. And like I said, it felt like we were at home out here. I know A-State had some good loyal fans come too. I just think that offensively, I wouldn’t trade Bobby Petrino for nobody and I wouldn’t trade Taylen Green either. And so those guys know how to get guys ready to score.
"And defensively they wouldn’t have scored if we don’t … you can’t say that. We had too many damn penalties on the drive that they scored. Other than that, they ran the damn kickoff back on us and we’ve got to get that fixed. Which we … I don’t think they even returned a kickoff after that. I don’t think they did. So we’ve got to get the fixed. But I think our kids were ready to play and it showed. A lot of times you’re ready to play and it doesn’t work out — that fast. I mean that was fast. But we keep telling them, we’ve got explosive players and we’ve just got to get the ball to them."
The defense has played really well since the bad first quarter to open the season. Linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr., who Pittman had been critical of after the first game, finished with 14 tackles, 0.5 sack, two tackles for loss and picked off a pass.
"Wasn't that something?," Pittman said. "Last week, I think we had five tackles out of those two guys. Today, we had 24 or 25. We had 4 sacks, we had 10 negative yardage plays. We challenged them this week, and I think you all know I said we need more production out of the front seven. We got it against, no disrespect against A&M, but a better team than we played last week. Obviously we're starting SEC play and we needed that going into SEC play, but I knew Sorey was going to have a good game just because he was so low and down about the game that he played last week. But we got production out of the front seven, and that was good to see."
The defense did a great job on Arkansas State's talented quarterback Jaylen Raynor. The Razorback defense held him to 125 yards passing and one touchdown. They picked him off twice as well.
"Well, first of all I thought we pushed the pocket pretty good and the ball had to come out," Pittman said. "We lost contain … well we lost down the middle. He ran a few times. But Kani (Walker) has shown that now for a while. And Julian (Neal) has continued to get better. Our secondary will hit you. So, I think we’re getting better back there. But I also think the faster we can make a guy throw the football the better we become. They caught a few slant routes for 7 and 8 yards, which is going to happen to you. But other than that I thought … They had 250 yards or whatever and I think they’re a good offensive football team. I do. I think they’re going to win a lot of games and I think they’ve got skill. We played pretty good. We kept the quarterback … the quarterback didn’t become a big problem like I thought he might, you know, that he had the opportunity to."
Mike Washington Jr. and Braylen Russell each scored a touchdown in the game.
"Braylen made a really good run down there on the goal line," Pittman said. "Mike broke [on the] second play of the game. Man, Corey Robinson had a hell of a block on that, too. But yeah,I like our backs. They can catch it, they run it, I tell you, they protected the well tonight. I like where we're at Rodney Hill came in and had some good runs there towards the end of the game and so I think we're in good shape there at running back."
Arkansas (2-0) will be in Oxford on Saturday for a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN.
