Despite a losing record, Arkansas brings a dangerous, high-powered offense to Austin, led by dual-threat star Taylen Green, as Texas looks to fix defensive issues and avoid a costly SEC upset.
This weekend, the 2-8 Arkansas Razorbacks roll into Austin, Texas, looking to shock their old Southwest Conference rivals, the Texas Longhorns.
Look at the team's records, you'd think Texas winning is a mere formality. But, Arkansas has been a team that's been a few breaks away from having a winning record. In the Razorbacks' four road games, they've only lost by a combined 11 points. That includes trips to Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Arkansas' ability to stay in ballgames is largely thanks to its high-powered offense. The Razorbacks rank 25th in the FBS in points for, scoring about 34 points per game, and are in the top 40 nationally in both passing and rushing yards per game.
"The record is not indicative of how well these guys have been playing," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said about Arkansas. "We've got our work cut out for us."
A lot of their success can be attributed to star dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green. Green has terrorized opposing defenses with his arm and legs, throwing for over 2500 yards, fourth in the SEC, and rushing for 717 yards, 8th in the conference.
For the Longhorns, who've recently struggled to contain other dual-threat QBs like Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Green will pose tons of problems.
The other name to look out for on Arkansas' offense is Mike Washington Jr. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound running back is big, but also carries plenty of explosiveness. For the season, Washington has rushed for 913 yards, averaging a stellar 6.5 yards per carry.
On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Texas defense enters the contest, allowing over 30 points in its last three games. Most of its struggles stem from its secondary, but with the availability of linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. in question, gaps could open up for Green and Washington to exploit on the ground.
On Thursday, Sarkisian said Hill has been limited in practice and anticipates him being listed as questionable on the Thursday night injury report.
The biggest point of emphasis for the Longhorns' defense has to be pass-rush integrity. If edge rushers like Colin Simmons and Ethan Burke can limit Green's ability to escape the pocket, it makes the secondary's job a lot easier.
If Green is allowed to roam free, Texas' defensive backs will be stuck trying to decide whether to stick to their receivers or attack the QB. That's not a position you want to be in.
One area the Longhorns can look to exploit is Green's carelessness with the football. Green's thrown 10 interceptions, including two last week against LSU. So far, that's been the easiest way to slow him down this season.
All eyes seem to be on Texas' matchup with Texas A&M in just over a week. However, Arkansas' offense deserves the Longhorns' full attention.
Anything less, and they could be the Razorbacks' first casualty in SEC play this season.