Arkansas defensive line coach Deke Adams reeled in another massive commitment on Friday as four-star defensive tackle Kevin Oatis committed to the Hogs.

Oatis, a 5.8 four-star recruit out of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, chose Arkansas over a plethora of other offers, including Mississippi State, LSU, Texas A&M and many others.

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound prospect took his official visit to Arkansas the weekend of May 31. He told Rivals’ Mississippi State site, Bulldog Blitz, the Razorbacks pushed hard for his commitment.

“At first, I didn’t think about it being a top school,” Oatis said Aug. 16. “But when I went on my official visit, I just loved everything about the staff. With Coach Sam Pittman, that staff is clear. If he tells you something, it’s gonna happen. He never lies to any of his players. Coach Deke Adams has a great history of building great D-linemen, like Jadeveon Clowney. I just like how the staff, they’re real. They’re gonna tell you the truth, things you can work on and things that’s good.”

Oatis is the fifth defensive line prospect and third defensive tackle in the Razorbacks’ 2025 class, which is now up to 22 total commitments.

Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest in Arkansas football recruiting.

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We continue HawgBeat's series of analyzing Arkansas' games through the lens of Pro Football Focus after the Razorbacks' 70-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The analytics from PFF keep track of grades for each player on a scale of 0-100. The website goes further into depth on specific grades, but for the purpose of this story, we will just look at defensive grades.

Here are grades on the defensive side of the ball from the UAPB game.

(NOTE: These are premium stats, so please do not share these on free social media sites or other websites. Instead, encourage your friends to subscribe to HawgBeat so they can get the great content, as well.)

Team Grades

~Overall: 90.0
~Defense: 70.2
~Run defense: 83.5
~Tackling: 46.4
~Pass rush: 71.3
~Coverage: 55.7

Notes​

~ DE Landon Jackson finished with a 26.1 tackling grade and a 58.9 overall grade, both lows on the starting defensive line.

~ LB Xavian Sorey Jr. was the team's lowest-graded at the position with a 48.7 overall grade.

~ DB TJ Metcalf finished with the best tackling grade (78.6) on 34 snaps.

~ Only one Razorback had a 70.0+ coverage grade in LB Brad Spence (71.6).

~ Five Hogs finished with a pass-rush grade above 70.0: Sorey (72.4), LB Bradley Shaw (72.0), DE Jon Hill (70.5), DE Quincy Rhodes Jr. (75.5) and DT Kaleb James (81.8).

~ Swiss-army knife DB Anthony Switzer was strong in all areas of the game, as he finished with a 74.3 overall grade, 80.6 run defense grade, 75.8 tackling grade and 63.9 coverage grade.

Arkansas Defense PFF Grades - UAPB

Is this the best offense we've ever seen at Arkansas?

NM

Something I’ve done a really bad job of doing is bringing my faith into my work. I’ve had a burning desire to do it for a while, but I’ve just not been confident enough to put it into action. I’m a Christian, I’m a broken person and I just want to have more of a purpose in my work. I’m not an expert on the Christian faith, but I’ve been working daily to grow in it since re-committing my life to Christ in 2019. No matter what your beliefs are, I hope you at least enjoy reading something different.

—



(Photo credit: Nick Wenger)

Bobby Petrino stood alone on the sidelines at War Memorial Stadium for a brief period of time prior to the 70-0 whopping of Arkansas-Pine Bluff by the Razorbacks on Thursday evening in Little Rock.

Petrino, who is in his first season as offensive coordinator for Arkansas, was not approached by any staff member, nor did he seem to have any interest in sparking up a conversation with anyone nearby. It was clear that the 63-year-old former head coach of the Hogs had a good bit on his mind.

I’m sure most Razorback fans could take a guess at what Petrino was thinking about. The last time he coached a game inside War Memorial Stadium was a 44-17 win over Mississippi State in 2011. Months later, Petrino was fired by Arkansas for his infamous motorcycle accident in April 2012.

He landed on his feet in Dec. 2012, when he took the head coach job at Western Kentucky. Since then, Petrino also returned to coach Louisville for a second time, he led Missouri State at the FCS level for three seasons and then he spent last year at Texas A&M under former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher.

I could relate with Petrino as I watched him take in the pregame atmosphere on a warm Thursday evening in central Arkansas. Whether or not he was thinking about the journey from being the Razorbacks’ head coach in 2011 until now, anyone who laid eyes on him in that moment couldn’t help but think of it.

We all reach a point in life — likely many points — where we feel hopeless. It feels like there is no moving forward. How will I ever recover from this?

I bet you Bobby Petrino felt that way 12 years ago.

Arkansas fans were angry, hurt, betrayed, upset and whatever other word you want to use to describe it — and they deserved to feel that way. Petrino said in November when he was hired that he was never angry at Arkansas, though.

“There never was any anger at all,” Petrino said Nov. 30. “I was always a Hogs fan, man. People would ask me, ‘Are you going to watch the game? Are you going to watch them play?’ I watched as many games as I could. I cheered for them, I rooted for them. I loved the players.”

This is not in any way an article intended to portray Petrino as someone who did nothing wrong. We’ve all done bad things, for goodness sakes, myself included. But, nobody is perfect.

A verse that has stuck with me recently is Hebrews 13:6: “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me.’”

As I battled through my own trials Thursday leading up to the game, I couldn’t help but think about how Petrino felt to be back on the sideline at War Memorial Stadium on Thursday, as he had to overcome obstacles since the incident in 2012. According to him, it was a dream to get back there.

“I thought about it and dreamed about it,” Petrino said of taking the Arkansas job. “I didn’t know if it would ever happen. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back here. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I truly do love Arkansas — the university and the state, and the people. I think it’s the most special place I’ve ever been.”

Just 13 years ago, he was on the same field in the midst of his second-straight double-digit win season as Arkansas’ head coach, but was he in a good spot mentally? There’s no way for me to truly answer that question — only Bobby Petrino can.

I know I’ve had times in my life when it seemed like everything was going right, but I was really doing the wrong thing underneath the table. It’s easy to portray who you want to be while actually living a life that’s the exact opposite.

What is abundantly clear is that Petrino had to work to get back to that sideline Thursday. Sure, it helped to have a Lamar Jackson along the way, or an opportunity from Jimbo Fisher to get back in the SEC as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator for the 2023 season.

I’m not going to act like it doesn’t benefit Petrino that he’s viewed by many as one of the best play callers in all of college football. Good or bad from a soul perspective, most universities just want a coach that will win football games.

Can Bobby Petrino truly be changed, while also remaining an elite offensive mind? Well, sure he can. But that’s not up to us to determine.

In my opinion, there’s only one being who can truly determine where a person’s heart is. That is the same being that I believe created the earth we walk on, the same being that breathed The Word to life and the same being that sent His son, Jesus Christ, to give his life so that we can have a chance at eternal life despite being completely broken people.

I know I have fallen short, and I will continue to do so whether I like it or not — that’s just human nature. But the good news is that there is a Father out there who loves you so much that he is offering you a chance at salvation.

The other good news is that Bobby Petrino is back as offensive coordinator for the Razorbacks, who have scored on all 10 of their offensive possessions to begin the season.

“We had a lot of fun,” Petrino said Friday on 103.7 The Buzz. “I was very proud of our football team. I thought our players did a great job of preparing for the game, and I think that’s the thing that will carry over more than anything else, is how we went about the week of practice and our preparation. We always talk about we need to believe every time we take the field we're going to go score, and I think we did that.”

Sorry for the delay, but here are the highlights from last night, enjoy! Also, I'm officially sponsored by Arkansas Edge now!

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Not every young athlete dreams of becoming a home-grown hero at their home-state university, but new redshirt senior Arkansas linebacker Anthony Switzer did — he just had to take the long way around.

A former two-star safety prospect in the class of 2019 out of Marion, Switzer began his career in the northeast part of Arkansas with the Red Wolves of Jonesboro. From 2019-21, Switzer racked up 91 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and three forced fumbles under head coaches Blake Anderson and Butch Jones.

RELATED: Arkansas wants to be greedy on defense

Following the 2021 campaign, Switzer joined his former head coach Anderson at Utah State but had to sit out in 2022 due to a season-ending ACL injury. In his lone playing year with the Aggies, Switzer totaled 84 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception while playing as a safety-linebacker hybrid. After being courted by Pittsburgh and other select programs, the Arkansas native finally ended up where he always hoped.

"I’ve always dreamed of being a Razorback," Switzer said. "Unfortunately, I didn’t get that chance coming out of high school. At the end of the day, it did not deter my dream. I just took a different path. It all worked out on god’s time and not my time. I’m here when I’m supposed to be here. I’m glad to be home and make the most of the opportunity."

Switzer is an example of the good the transfer portal brings to college football. After not getting his shot as an SEC player out of high school, the 6-foot-0, 220-pound reformed defender will play a major role in Travis Williams' defense in 2024.

RELATED: Linebacker Brad Spence pass rusher at heart for Arkansas

"Being in a strength program, you’re going to grow physically," Switzer said. "My knowledge, I have been around some great coaches at Arkansas State and Utah State. But through that whole process, you get to pick different defensive coordinators and defensive coaches’ mind.

"You just learn a lot of things and you get to see other people’s perspective on things. I’d say that’s one of the biggest things that helped me. Some things I learned, I can kind of tell (Travis Williams) how I see things. I learned that from another DC’s perspective. He might not have looked at it that way or something. Just helping him to become a better defensive coordinator so that he can help me become a better player.”

A lover of football according to Williams, Switzer's high game IQ enables him to pick up on things quickly and anticipate what's coming next — a pretty valuable trait in a fast-paced conference.

"He’s very, very sharp and he makes check," Williams said. "Any little, small movement, he can kind pick up on what route is coming or what play is coming. If he hears the offensive line say whatever it’s going to say, he’ll point exactly where the ball is going.

RELATED: Arkansas Fall Camp Practice No. 13: Depth Chart, Video, Notes

"Man, just a football player. You can tell he’s a gym rat as far as loving football and you can just tell… We talk as a defensive staff, ‘Okay, he was in the backyard.’ He’s a kid that played in the backyard, got dirty, one of those kids because he loves football."

Switzer said he knew the staff would let him be versatile when he was being recruited, and that's come to fruition as the flexible prospect has seen time at "Hog" (nickel) and linebacker during fastball drills in fall camp. Despite his experience, there's been an understandable learning curve for the sixth-year player.

"Now instead of just getting off blocks by receivers, you’ve got to get off 300-pound linemen trying to block you," Switzer said. "It’s just a different technique. You’ve got to use your hands more in the box and be more under control. Your eyes, you’ve got to see pulls and different things.

WATCH: Video from Arkansas' 13th practice of fall camp

"It’s a bit different with the technique, but Coach T-Will has been doing a very good job of teaching me how to use my hands. Teaching me how to play linebacker."

Arkansas will open its season Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

From @RileyMcFerran



On a hot and humid Thursday evening at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, the Arkansas football team dismantled the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, 70-0, in front of an announced crowd of 40,127.

After a shaky first few plays that included a near-interception and fumble, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's Razorback offense went on to go a perfect 7-for-7 on scoring drives to lead 49-0 at halftime. Leading the Hogs' efforts were quarterback Taylen Green and Ja'Quinden Jackson, two newcomers who transferred in over the offseason from Boise State and Utah, respectively.

Green finished the day 16-for-23 on passes with two touchdowns alongside six runs for 88 yards and two scores on the ground. Jackson added another 101 rushing yards with two touchdowns on eight attempts.

Neither Green nor Jackson played in the second half, as Arkansas made it 9-for-9 on their first 9 scoring drives with rushing touchdowns from freshman running back Braylen Russell and redshirt freshman quarterback Malachi Singleton. The Razorbacks' 687 yards of total offense was the most against an FCS program in school history.

Defensively, Arkansas stymied the Golden Lions on all fronts. At the end of the first two quarters, UAPB had just 76 total yards compared to the Razorbacks' 444. That number didn't improve much in the second half, as defensive coordinator Travis Williams' unit held UAPB to zero points, 130 total yards and 10 first downs compared to 34 first downs by the Hogs.

Throughout and following the season-opening victory, Arkansas fans made their opinions known about the football team on social media:

CHECK OUT SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS HERE

Does CBMFP live in the same house he did back in 2012? Sorry if this has already been discussed, it’s been consuming my thoughts recently. TIA

From @DanielFair

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Most eyes were on the offense in the Arkansas Razorbacks' (1-0) season-opening win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-1) on Thursday night, but the defense put together a strong performance as well.

Altogether, the Arkansas defense held the Golden Lions scoreless, and UAPB only gained a total of 130 total yards in the 70-0 loss to the Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman spoke to the media after the game, and said he was impressed by not just the starters, but the backups as well to preserve the shutout.

"It's hard to shut somebody out, I thought our defense did a good job with that," Pittman said. "The ones, and then the twos and threes that came in, I thought they played extremely hard and I wanted to keep that shutout."

Arkansas in total played 83 players in Thursday's game. Because of the size of the lead, it meant most players had the chance to see the field. That was prevalent along the defensive line, and it's something Pittman said is important in developing depth.

"Quincy Rhodes Jr., we kept him in a little bit more than most of the twos because he was substituting with Landon (Jackson)," Pittman said. "Keivie (Rose), I think JJ Hollingsworth went in there played well. So we have to continue to develop that depth, and I think we got a good head start on that tonight."

Sixth-year defensive end Eric Gregory echoed Pittman's comments about getting the younger players developed.

"I think it's a real confidence booster for the young guys," Gregory said. "Just to get that experience of playing and just being a part of the team. Not just seeing the ones do it, or even the twos do it, for the young guys to get that experience I feel like was big."

All told, 22 Razorback defenders recorded a tackle in Thursday's win. Along with the usual suspects like linebacker Brad Spence, defensive lineman Cam Ball and Georgia transfer linebacker Xavian Sorey — who all figure to see meaningful playing time this year — true freshmen like defensive end Charlie Collins and linebacker Bradley Shaw also got in on the action.

Shaw finished the game with one tackle, which was a sack on Golden Lions quarterback Mekhi Hagens in the fourth quarter.

Surprisingly, senior defensive end Landon Jackson had a quiet game. He only recorded one tackle and one tackle for loss in the game, but his presence was felt more than just on the stat sheet. On the other side of the line, though, third-year defensive end Nico Davillier cleaned up well.

The Maumelle native, who was named a team captain for Thursday's game, had five total tackles to lead the team and 0.5 tackle for loss. After the game, Davillier said it was good to get into some live action for the first time.

"It just builds a lot of confidence going into next week," Davillier said. "It just felt good going against another team today."

The Arkansas Razorbacks will have a few extra days of rest before their next matchup against Oklahoma State. That game will kick off on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. CT from Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It will air on ABC.

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Don’t know about y’all, but I could run through a brick wall. WPS

Welcome to the offseason Diamond Hog fans!

Arkansas is expected to lose multiple everyday starters in the field and in the pitching staff, so Dave Van Horn and company will have a lot of work to do in the transfer portal.

We'll use this thread to keep things updated, and info. will be added to the OP as needed. Enjoy!

Offseason Roster Tracker: https://arkansas.rivals.com/news/arkansas-baseball-2024-offseason-roster-tracker

July 18th:

• Milwaukee OF Carson Hansen plans to decommit from Arkansas

July 12th:

• Vandy 2B Camden Kozeal is a HOG

July 10th:

• Can confirm that Arkansas is going after Vandy 2B Camden Kozeal.

July 8th:

• Yavapai College INF Riley Nelson began his visit Monday, and will wrap things up Tuesday night.

July 7th:

• JUCO catcher Elliott Peterson is a HOG

July 5th:

My vacation is now over peeps. Here's a quick summary of where we're at:

• Arizona State 2B Ethan Mendoza, SCC C Elliott Peterson and Yavapai College INF Riley Nelson are all names to watch
• Mendoza is visiting Texas on Saturday and announcing commitment same day, also considering Oklahoma
• Hogs are likely done with arms, unless there's a perfect fit (like Corpus Christi transfer and Arkansas native Matthew Watson)
• Arkansas has the No. 2 class in the portal per 64analytics

July 1st:

• ECU LHP Zach Root is a HOG

June 30th:

• Arkansas will host Arizona State 2B Ethan Mendoza on Tuesday
• Arkansas will host SCC catcher Elliott Peterson on July 7

June 27th:

• I can confirm that Southest Community College catcher Elliott Peterson has talked with Nate Thompson and is planning on visiting early in July. Across 51 games and 176 at-bats, he slashed .557/.612/.938 with 98 H, 19 2B, 6 3B, 12 HR and 75 RBI. 26 BB and 25 K. Also stole 21 bases. Only made two errors. Believe it's the same league as Hutchinson CC.

June 26th:

• Division II slugger Carson Boles is a HOG

June 25th:

• Fresno State OF Rocco Peppi is a HOG
• Oregon State RHP Aiden Jimenez is a HOG

Updates around the SEC (as of 7/8):

LSU - No. 1:
~ RHP Jacob Mayers, Nicholls - No. 15
~ RHP Luke Hayden, Indiana State - No. 24
~ DH Dalton Beck, UIW - No. 26
~ RHP Deven Sheerin, Mount St. Mary's - No. 38
~ 1B Luis Hernandez, Indiana State - No. 60
~ RHP Zac Cowan, Wofford - No. 68
~ RHP Chandler Dorsey, USF - No. 144
~ 1B Edward Yamin IV, Dayton - No. 213
~ CF Chris Stanfield, Auburn - No. 225
~ RHP Connor Benge, DBU - No. 985
Georgia - No. 2:
~ 2B Ryan Black, UT Arlington - No. 18
~ 3B Ryland Zaborowski, Miami (OH) - No. 39
~ RHP Brian Curley, VCU - No. 51
~ RF JoJo Jackson, Georgia State - No. 63
~ 2B Christian Adams, Florida Atlantic - No. 106
~ CF Robbie Burnett, UNC Ashville - No. 129
~ LHP Alton Davis II, Alabama - No. 185
~ C Daniel Jackson, Wofford - No. 199
~ INF Charlie Jones, Air Force - No. 227
~ 1B Brennan Hudson, Georgia State - No. 240
~ RHP Eric Hammond, USC - No. 371
~ RHP JT Quinn, Ole Miss - No. 641
~ DH Justin Byrd, USK Aiken - No. 1,822
~ RHP Davis Chastain, Georgia State - No. 2,015
~ LHP Bradley Stewart, Eastern Kentucky - No. 2,485
Arkansas - No. 3:
~ LHP Zach Root, ECU - No. 5
~ LHP Landon Beidelschies, Ohio State - No. 6
~ OF Logan Maxwell, TCU - No. 34
~ OF Rocco Peppi, Fresno State - No. 36
~ 2B/OF Charles Davalan, FGCU - No. 49
~ SS Maximus Martin, Georgia State - No. 166
~ 1B Michael Anderson, Rhode Island - No. 183
~ RF Carson Hansen, Milwaukee - No. 306
~ OF Carson Boles, Lincoln Memorial - No. 377
~ DH Kuhio Aloy, BYU - No. 733
~ RHP Aiden Jimenez, Oregon State - No. 882
Kentucky - No. 4:
~ C Raphael Pelletier, Kansas State - No. 42
~ DH Cole Hage, Columbia - No. 82
~ RHP Ryan Verdugo, CSU Bakersfield - No. 89
~ RF Jackson Strong, Canisius - No. 146
~ RHP Nic McCay, South Dakota State - No. 163
~ RHP Scott Rouse, Radford - No. 200
~ LHP Ethan Walker, Longwood - No. 218
~ RHP Oliver Boone, Cal - No. 309
~ SS Trent Youngblood, Transylvania - No. 312
~ LHP Cole Hentschel, Richmond - No. 513
~ RHP Chase Alderman, Eastern Kentucky - No. 606
Mississippi State - No. 8:
~ RHP Travis Smith, Kentucky - No. 19
~ DH Noah Sullivan, USC Upstate - No. 29
~ RHP Chase Hungate, Virginia - No. 56
~ 3B Gehrig Frei, North Alabama - No. 137
~ RHP Jacob Pruitt, Indiana State - No. 194
~ OF Ace Reese, Houston - No. 253
~ SS Sawyer Reeves, The Citadel - No. 285
~ 1B Reed Stallman, Campbell - No. 339
Auburn - No. 13:
~ C Lucas Steele, Samford - No. 31
~ RHP Samuel Dutton, LSU - No. 44
~ LF Bristol Carter, East Carolina - No. 134
~ RHP Mason Koch, Creighton - No. 229
~ SS Eric Snow, South Florida - No. 256
~ RHP Ryan Hetzler, Cal Baptist - No. 505
~ 2B Andrew Dutton, Birmingham-So. - No. 585
~ LF Jett Johnston, Texas A&M - No. 2,484
South Carolina - No. 16:
~ CF Dalton Mashore, Saint Mary's - No. 83
~ SS Henry Kaczmar, Ohio State - No. 121
~ DH Nolan Nawrocki, Clemson - No. 320
~ RHP Caleb Jones, Winthrop - No. 366
~ LHP Jarvis Evans, Georgia - No. 463
~ 3B Charlie Meglio, Campbell - No. 703
~ C Max Kaufer, Texas A&M - No. 1,774
~ LHP Ashton Crowther, Miami - No. 1,828
~ LF Nathan Hall, Clemson - No. 2,499
~ LHP Wyatt Evans, Tennessee - No. 3,315
Alabama - No. 17:
~ C Brady Neal, LSU - No. 16
~ 1B Jason Torres, Miami - No. 23
~ RHP Aeden Finateri, Georgia Tech - No. 33
~ DH Carson Ozmer, Penn - No. 41
~ 3B Garrett Staton, Samford - No. 64
~ C Nathan Cmeyla, Dartmouth - No. 329
~ RHP Trent Hodgdon, USC Upstate - No. 379
Vanderbilt - No. 22:
~ LHP Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State - No. 10
~ 2B Mike Mancini, James Madison - No. 71
~ RHP Cody Bowker, Georgetown - No. 76
~ RF Koby Kropf, USC Upstate - No. 206
~ RHP Connor Fennell, Dayton - No. 249
~ LF David Mendez, Dayton - No. 416
~ RHP Tommy O'Rouke, Stanford - No. 3,971
Florida - No. 24:
~ LF Blake Cyr, Miami (FL) - No. 22
~ RHP Michael Ross, Samford - No. 61
~ RHP Billy Barlow, Clemson - No. 78
~ CF Kyle Jones, Stetson - No. 351
~ 2B Justin Nadeau, Jacksonville - No. 369
~ DH Landon Stripling, Texas Tech - No. 811
Ole Miss - No. 41:
~ RF Ryan Moerman, Illinois - No. 90
~ RF Mitchell Sanford, New Orleans - No. 111
~ RHP Will McCausland, Saint Joseph's - No. 171
~ C Collin Reuter, BYU - No. 232
~ SS Luke Cheng, Illinois State - No. 1,451
Texas A&M - No. 51:
~ 1B Gavin Kash, Texas Tech - No. 8
~ 3B Wyatt Henseler, Penn - No. 94
~ 1B Matt Bergevin, Fairfield - No. 157
~ C Jacob Galloway, USC - No. 228
Tennessee - No. 100:
~ SS Gavin Kilen, Louisville - No. 4
~ RHP Tanner Franklin, Kennesaw State - No. 373
Missouri - No. 104:
~ RHP Jackson Holmes, Saint Louis - No. 154
~ CF Sean Barnett, Wingate - No. 293
~ RF Pierre Seals, Memphis - No. 297
Rankings courtesy of 64analytics

Anyone know how much money UAPB received for playing us?

We are FINALLY back to Arkansas football, folks. Whether you're excited, whether you think they'll win 3 games or whether you think they shock the world, we are all going to get questions answered soon.

Live updates to come ITT, plus all of your thoughts. Kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU

Who leads the Razorbacks in receiving yards?

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Seeing Bobby Petrino slowly pacing the sideline ahead of Arkansas' season-opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday was a goosebump moment.

It's been 13 years since the former Razorback head coach-turned-offensive coordinator dawned the Cardinal and White, and his chance to right the wrongs of his past had finally arrived.

RELATED: Taylen Green off to the races with Arkansas

Following a 70-0 four-quarter explosion by Arkansas' offense — including a program record-breaking 10-straight scoring drives — it's safe to say Petrino started the 2024 season on the right foot.

"He's a really good coach," head coach Sam Pittman said after the game. "I've developed a really good relationship with him and I bet he has with me, as well. But the kids believe in him. I believe in him. The team believes in him. Whatever you call, they have to execute it and they did a good job with that."

Per Greg Harvey of Stats Perform, Arkansas is the only FBS or FCS team over the past 25 seasons to record a 70-plus point shutout while converting every third-down attempt in a game.

"But Bobby, I'm sure he feels pretty good tonight," Pittman said. "10 tries and 10 touchdowns, that's hard to do. I don't care who you play. So I'm really happy for him and told the team, I think it's the first time in history that that's happened, and it happened when Bobby came back. The legend is going to continue to grow. Good for him, he deserves it."

RELATED: Highlights from Arkansas' shutout win over UAPB

Leading the way for Petrino's dynamic offense was hand-picked transfer signal-caller Taylen Green, who didn't return in the second half after finishing 16-of-23 in the passing game (69.6%) with 229 passing yards, 88 yards on the ground and four total touchdowns.

"Even when we were up a lot, we were still watching film," Green said after the game. "(Petrino) was still learning. He was still critiquing us on the different stuff that we can get better at. You know? So that's what I like. (There's) always room for improvement."

Another standout performer was former Utah transfer running back Ja'Quinden Jackson, as he carried the ball eight times for 101 yards and two touchdowns behind an offensive line that didn't allow a sack throughout the contest.

RELATED: Social media reacts to Arkansas' 70-0 win over UAPB

Jackson spoke during fall camp about not being labeled a power-back, and he showcased his versatility with a 46-yard score against the Golden Lions in the first quarter.

"(Jackson) can run over you," Pittman said. "On our sideline, he lowered his head or lowered his shoulder and ran over a guy, then the next play made 2-3 in the hole miss. Like I said, he caught a really nice ball out of the backfield.

"I like the group of backs we have because they're all a little bit different, but JJ rushing eight times for 101 yards was a good job for him and a good job by the offensive line, tight ends, wideouts blocking for him."

Up next, the Razorbacks will return to Fayetteville to prepare for their Week 2 matchup at No. 17 Oklahoma State. That game will kick off at 11 a.m. CT at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Saturday.

For now

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is him

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HawgBeat continues its weekly partnership with BetSaracen, the official mobile sports wagering platform of the Saracen Casino Resort.

Each game day eve, we provide an easy guide for all of the lines, player props and specials featured on the BetSaracen app for that week's Arkansas Razorback football game.

This week, the Hogs will face off against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will be broadcast ESPNU and streamed on the ESPN app, and there is no shortage of options for bettors.

Here is a full breakdown:

(Lines and odds are subject to change at any point after the publishing of this story. HawgBeat does not guarantee any bet as a winner or loser. You must be at least 21 years of age to use BetSaracen. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net)

ML/SPREAD/TOTALS:​

Money Line:

Arkansas: N/A
UAPB: N/A

Spread:

Arkansas: -48.5, (-110)
UAPB: +48.5, (-110)

Total Points:

OVER 57.5, (-110)
UNDER 57.5, (-110)

Team Totals:

Arkansas OVER 50.5, (-115)
Arkansas UNDER 50.5, (-115)
UAPB OVER 8.5, (-115)
UAPB UNDER 8.5, (-115)

(Alternate lines, spreads and team totals are available on the BetSaracen mobile app.)

Arkansas-UAPB Specials:​

Pinto's Pessimistic Picks:

UAPB to cover spread (+49.5), Razorbacks UNDER 400 total offensive yards and Razorbacks to commit 2+ turnovers (+1000)

Sully, Wess and Joe Trifecta Special:

Arkansas Razorbacks to score an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown (+1600)

Double-R Props:​

Arkansas team total offense OVER 450.5 and total defense UNDER 225.5 (+185)
Arkansas team total yards passing OVER 249.5 and total yards rushing OVER 124.5 (+165)
Braylen Russell total number of carries OVER 7.5 and OVER 1.5 touchdowns (+150)
Devin Bale total number of punts OVER 5.5 and longest punt yardage OVER 59.5 (+195)
Isaiah Sategna total receptions OVER 2.5 and total receiving yards OVER 44.5 (+185)
Ja'Quinden Jackson total yards rushing OVER 80.5 and OVER 1.5 total touchdowns: (+150)
Luke Hasz total receptions OVER 3.5 and total touchdowns receiving OVER 0.5 (+145)
Taylen Green total yards passing OVER 199.5 and total yards rushing OVER 49.5 (+105)
Xavian Sorey total tackles OVER 7.5 and tackles for loss OVER 1.5 (+195)
Andrew Armstrong total receptions OVER 6.5 and total receiving yards OVER 60.5 (+250)
Arkansas team total team interceptions OVER 2.5 and 3.5 total team sacks (+220)
Landon Jackson total tackles OVER 5.5 and tackles for loss OVER 1.5 (+275)
Matthew Shipley total field goals OVER 1.5 and longest field goal made OVER 49.5 (+300)
Isaiah Sategna total punt return yardage OVER 59.5 and total punt return touchdowns OVER 0.5 (+550)
Arkansas team offensve TD OVER 7.5, defene TD OVER 0.5 and special teams OVER 0.5 TD (+3000)

HAWGBEAT'S PICKS​

Each week, HawgBeat will list a few picks that look favorable based on trends and statistics throughout the season.

Isaiah Sategna total receptions OVER 2.5 and total receiving yards OVER 44.5 (+185)​

With question marks surrounding the availability of wide receiver Andrew Armstrong heading into this matchup, Taylen Green will be working the entire field to spread the ball around to his pass-catchers.

Sategna has looked like an experienced SEC playmaker over the offseason, and could easily crush the yard-mark on one deep bomb against a less-talented Golden Lions' secondary. The redshirt sophomore should also be prioritized enough offensively to catch at least three passes.

Arkansas -28.5 points 1H spread (-115)m​

When Arkansas faced FCS program Western Carolina in its season-opener last season, the Razorbacks finished the first half up 35-3. Sam Pittman's club was up 45-0 against UAPB at halftime in the 2021-22 tilt, and the 2024 version of the Golden Lions may be worse.

In Bobby Petrino's re-introduction as an Arkansas coach, the offense lights up the scoreboard in the first two quarters and the defense dominates to easily cover the spread.

From @RileyMcFerran


After spending two seasons in Fayetteville with the Arkansas Razorbacks, senior defensive back Dwight "Nudie" McGlothern announced he will enter his name in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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In 2023, McGlothern totaled 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, six defended passes and three interceptions.

McGlothern officially accepted an invite to play in the 99th East-West Shrine Bowl, which will take place on Feb. 1 at the Force Center in Frisco, Texas, for his efforts in 2023.

The Texas native played in just nine games this season and started in six. Injuries hurt his second season in Fayetteville, which he entered as a preseason second team All-SEC selection.

A former LSU Tiger, McGlothern finished the season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.8 — the third highest of any cornerback in the country and the best in the SEC this season.

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📢 Effective with the 2024-25 athletics year, @SEC to provide public availability reports for football, basketball, and baseball: secsports.social/reports

Reporting Requirements
• SEC school personnel must submit availability reports three days before each football game, with daily updates leading to a final report 90 minutes prior to game time. For basketball and baseball, reports are filed the night before the game, with an update on game day.

Player Status Designations
• Players are designated as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful,” or “out” before game day; and as “available,” “game time decision,” or “out” on game day.

Consequences for Non-Compliance
• Penalties for inaccurate or late reports range from $25,000 to $100,000 for football and $15,000 to $25,000 for basketball and baseball.

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Myself, @RileyMcFerran and @DanielFair get you set for Arkansas' season-opener against UAPB with a full breakdown of the Week 1 depth chart, news from the week, the Hogs' captain situation, prop bets, the great stadium debate and who we think will score the first touchdown... plus more!

Watch the podcast exclusively on the YouTube link below (it's not made public) or listen wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple and Spotify.

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More of HawgBeat's Arkansas football coverage​

- Arkansas' official depth chart for UAPB game

- VIDEO: Sam Pittman preview press conference - UAPB week

- Injury Report: Latest on Andrew Armstrong, Patrick Kutas

- Arkansas offense could be preparing for explosion vs. UAPB

- Size Comparison: How Arkansas and UAPB stack up

- What Sam Pittman said about UAPB

- Behind Enemy Lines: Gaining UAPB insight with Tanner Spearman

- What UAPB HC Alonzo Hampton said about Arkansas

I'm going with a Green 23 yard run.