No. 10 Arkansas to face Petrino, upset-minded Missouri State

Posted September 15, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders (5) runs the ball past South Carolina defensive back Gilber Edmond (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) The Associated Press

Missouri State (2-0) at No. 10 Arkansas (2-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Line: No line on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Arkansas leads 7-0

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The Razorbacks finished a grueling two-game stretch to open the season with wins against Cincinnati and South Carolina. A victory against Missouri State would put the Hogs at 3-0 for the second straight year entering their rivalry game against No. 24 Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas.

KEY MATCHUP

Missouri State QB Jason Shelley vs. Arkansas secondary. Arkansas lost star safety Jalen Catalon for the season due to reconstructive shoulder surgery and nickelback Myles Slusher is questionable. He missed last week's game against South Carolina due to injury. The Gamecocks looked to exploit the depleted Razorback secondary and passed for 376 yards. Shelley leads one of the most explosive passing offenses in the Championship Subdivision.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Missouri State: WR Tyrone Scott. He's eighth in the FCS with 256 receiving yards. In 2021 he set the Missouri State single-season receiving yards record with 1,110. Scott had seven receptions of over 10 yards in the Bears' opener against Central Arkansas.

Arkansas: RB Raheim Sanders. He leads the SEC with 273 rushing yards, second nationally among players who have competed in two games. He gashed South Carolina for 156 yards and two touchdowns last week.

FACTS & FIGURES

Arkansas entered the top 10 in the Associated Press poll for a second straight season. ... Missouri State coach Bobby Petrino coached at Arkansas from 2008-11. '¦ Arkansas has faced a former head coach 14 times in school history and is 7-7 in those matchups. ... Shelley was 10th in Walter Payton Award voting for FCS Offensive Player of the Year last season. ... Arkansas leads the SEC and is eighth in the nation with 259.5 rushing yards per game.

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Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders (5) runs for a touchdown against South Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) The Associated Press

FILE - Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino talks to Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson (8) during a timeout against Alabama in the first half of an NCAA college football game on, Sept. 24, 2011, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Petrino will return to Fayetteville on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, when he will lead Missouri State against his former program in a much-anticipated game for an FCS program that he's quickly turned into a juggernaut. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) The Associated Press

FILE - Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino speaks during a news conference at a Fayetteville, Ark., on April 3, 2012, after being released from a hospital from a motorcycle accident on April 1. Petrino will return to Fayetteville on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, when he will lead Missouri State against his former program in a much-anticipated game for an FCS program that he's quickly turned into a juggernaut. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson, File) The Associated Press

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