Historic matchup in Little Rock between Razorbacks and golden lions
game summary
The Razorbacks had no problem getting into the endzone on Saturday. In the first half, KJ Jefferson threw 4 touchdowns, including one to Ketron Jackson Jr for his first career receiving touchdown. Blake Kern also caught an 18-yard touchdown from KJ. Treylon Burks caught 2 touchdowns and ran the ball twice for 56 yards, including his first rushing touchdown. Dominique Johnson also had a good day running the ball six times for 91 yards.
The Razorbacks also played well on the defensive side of the ball, not giving up a single touchdown. Pine Bluff did make a couple good plays offensively, including a 28-yard run by Kierre Crossley, and a 42-yard reception by Daemon Dawkins over Myles Slusher, who has filled in for the injured Jalen Catalon. Slusher was able to redeem himself later in the game by grabbing an interception in the endzone. Malik Chavis also caught an interception and with a great return, he gave the hogs great field position.
Arkansas also had a great showing on special teams. Nathan Parodi showed Arkansas its first punt return touchdown since Joe Adams’ in 2011. Bryce Stephens also had a good punt return for 27 yards. Cam Little was 100%, with 6/6 extra points and a 31-yard field goal.
The game may have been one-sided, but that doesn’t mean it was boring. This was the first ever matchup between the two schools and a big opportunity for both of them. Pine Bluff was able to play on a big stage and though they didn’t put up much of a fight against Arkansas on the field, they still gave fans something to be excited about in the form of the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South. UAPB’s band kept fans alive as their team suffered a 42-point loss. This may have been many Razorback fans’ first time experiencing an HBCU marching band, and it was impossible not to be impressed. Thanks to their band, the Golden Lions likely gained some fans in the state of Arkansas.
Historical Game
History was made this past weekend in Arkansas as the Razorbacks faced their first in-state opponent in football since 1944 when the Razorbacks beat Arkansas A&M 41-0. (Now University of Arkansas at Monticello) On Saturday, Arkansas beat Pine Bluff 45-3 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Whether or not Arkansas should play other in-state schools is a topic for debate among Razorback fans. Some believe that the Razorbacks should be Arkansas’ team and there should be no competition from other in-state schools. Personally, I am in favor of these in-state competitions because it gives the Razorbacks an opportunity to prove that they are the dominant team in the state. Not only does it give the smaller schools in Arkansas an opportunity to play on a bigger stage, but it also exposes Razorback fans to the other schools in Arkansas. As a kid from Little Rock, I am even more excited by the fact that this in-state matchup took place at War Memorial Stadium.
Whether or not the Razorbacks should continue to play in War Memorial stadium is another topic of debate among Razorback fans. It is no debate that the Razorbacks are Arkansas’ team. Even though the state capital is a 3-hour drive from Arkansas’s campus, there is a big portion of the Razorbacks fanbase that lives in Little Rock. The home of the Hogs is in Fayetteville, but there is still a number of fans in Central Arkansas that enjoy going to the games in Little Rock. Despite this, War Memorial stadium simply cannot compete with Donald W. Reynolds Razorback stadium. With the $160 million renovation in 2017, Razorback stadium seats over 80,000 people. Not only is War Memorial considerably smaller, but it is also very dated compared to the stadium on-campus in Fayetteville. Little Rock simply cannot provide sufficient facilities for a big-time SEC matchup. Because of this, in recent years, Arkansas has scheduled non-power 5 opponents in Little Rock.
Arkansas fans can debate all they want to about who they play and where they play, but the fact is, some things are already set in stone. Despite the disapproval of War Memorial, there are still a few investors in Little Rock that will make sure the Razorbacks continue to play in Little Rock. To satisfy this, the Razorbacks played their annual red-white game at War Memorial this last Spring. Arkansas is also scheduled for a rematch against Pine Bluff in Little Rock in 2024. Also, Arkansas is set to play Arkansas State for the first ever matchup between the schools at War Memorial in 2025.