Razorbacks clash in Red-White Game

Arkansas Razorbacks look to better their spot in the SEC standings

From the University of Arkansas

arkansasrazorbacks.com

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football concluded its 2024 spring practice slate Saturday with its annual Red-White Spring Game.

The Red team, which was made up of the first-team offense and defense in the first half and the third team in the second half, defeated the White team of primarily second- teamers 38-12. According to coach Sam Pittman, the winning team will receive a big breakfast catered by Bizys while the losing team gets cereal.

Quarterback Taylen Green had 3 passing touchdowns and, unofficially, was 15-of-21 passing for 242 yards.

Green led two efficient touchdown drives with the Red team. He went a combined 9of-11 passing on those drives for 100 yards. The first possession ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Broden, who was the Red team’s leading receiver with 5 receptions for 60 yards.

'[Broden has] always been very, very athletic, but I don't know if he's always thought that he was a great receiver,' Pittman said. 'I think some of the catches he made today proves that we need him….I think he had a reason and a purpose to go out there today and play well.'

Green capped his next drive with an impressive touchdown throw to Andrew Armstrong in the back left corner of the end zone with freshman defensive back Selman Bridges in coverage. It was one of three receptions for Armstrong, who finished with 52 yards.

Both Armstrong and Broden missed some practice time leading up to the spring game. Armstrong was limited due to a hamstring injury, and Broden missed this week's practices while attending to a family matter.

'I think [Green] had a really good day,' Pittman said. 'I think he made some great throws. We also made some really good catches out there.

It was good to have Tyrone back and good to have Armstrong back. Those guys make us better.'

Ja’Quinden Jackson led Arkansas’ running backs with 65 rushing yards on 9 carries and 2 rushing touchdowns. He later added a 15-yard receiving touchdown. Jackson was responsible for the third consecutive touchdown for the Red team in the second quarter when he fought through contact for an 8-yard touchdown.

'He's had a really good spring,' Pittman said of Jackson. 'He's a guy that's probably even better when when it's live [tackling]. He looks better because he bounces off people.'

He scored his second touchdown when he ran a toss from Green to the end zone for an 8-yard score. The star of the drive, however, was tight end Luke Hasz, who caught both of Green’s completions on the drive for 38 yards and 14 yards.

The White team’s defense got its first stop of the day on the Red team’s fourth drive.

Freshman Sam Dubwig’s punt took a favorable roll and pinned Green and the firstteam offense at its own 1 yard-line. Running back Rashod Dubinion had a 19yard run, but the offense couldn’t overcome a sack by Lorando Johnson and after an incompletion was forced to punt.

Linebacker Carson Dean made a good play for the White team on Red’s final drive when he started the drive with a 2-yard sack of Green. But Green went 3 of 3 for 58 yards passing during the drive’s remainder and capped it with a 15-yard pass to Jackson. That helped the Red team to a 32-0 lead at halftime, after which the firstteam players were done for the day.

The first-team defense more than handled the second-team offense. The White team went three-and-out on three consecutive drives, led twice by quarterback Malachi Singleton and once by Jacolby Criswell, and did not find the end zone in the first half.

Pittman highlighted defensive linemen Landon Jackson and Cam Ball, linebackers Xavian Sorey, Carson Dean and Brad Spence, and defensive back Jayden Johnson as defensive standouts.

Arkansas’ field goal kicking was a concern. Rather than kick traditional extra points, kickers Matthew Shipley and Vito Calvaruso came out after each touchdown to each try a kick from varying distances.

Each kicker was 2 of 4.

Shipley was good from 40 and 33 yards, but missed on 40- and 45-yard attempts.

Calvaruso was good on 45and 33-yard tries and missed twice from 40.

'We have to be more consistent,' Pittman said. 'They're doing it at practice better than they did earlier in the year….They have the capabili-

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lities. I haven't lost any trust or anything like that.' After a 10-minute halftime, Arkansas started a running 15-minute game clock and announced that rather than play two full quarters, it would end the scrimmage at 2 p.m. The first-team offense and defense didn’t play past the first half.

Freshman running back Braylen Russell had a 32-yard rushing touchdown after the break to give the White team its first score.

Red answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by walk-on Jezreel Bachert.

Shortly thereafter, a 75-yard touchdown pass from Singleton to freshman receiver CJ Brown made it 38-12.

It was one of three receptions for Brown, who had 94 receiving yards.

Season opener vs. UAPB moved to August 29

The Arkansas Razorbacks will get to start the 2024 season a little sooner than anticipated and in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU for the team’s in-state matchup vs.

UAPB at War Memorial Stadium with kickoff now set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 29.

The season starts in Little Rock for the Hogs for the second straight season but the Thursday night opener will be the first for the program since 2017 when the Razorbacks opened the campaign with a 49-7 victory over Florida A& M on a Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium.

Arkansas will meet the Golden Lions for just the second time in history on the football field. The Hogs beat the Golden Lions 45-3 at War Memorial Stadium in 2021 en route to a nine-win season in Head Coach Sam Pittman’s second season.

Ticket Information

Season tickets for the 2024 season and single-game tickets for the season opener in Little Rock are now available by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 479.575.5151.