#20 Arkansas football hosts Georgia Southern Saturday

Published: Sep. 16, 2021 at 11:09 AM CDT|Updated: Sep. 18, 2021 at 12:17 AM CDT
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Arkansas takes on Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia Southern for the first time in history this weekend, looking to jump out to a perfect 3-0 start to the season for the first time since 2016. Kickoff at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium is set for 3 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network.

The Razorbacks made a strong statement last Saturday, steamrolling nationally ranked Texas, 40-21, en route to a spot in college football’s national polls for the first time since November 2016. Arkansas cracked both The Associated Press poll and USA Today Coaches poll, checking in at No. 20 and No. 24, respectively.

Following the season-opening win against Rice and this past weekend’s thorough thrashing of rival Texas, Arkansas has won back-to-back games for the first time since 2017. QB KJ Jefferson, praised for his big arm, has proven he can also do serious damage with his legs. The Razorback signal-caller is second on the team in rushing this year, totalling 162 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. In the win against Rice, Jefferson became the first Arkansas quarterback to rush for two scores in a game since Tyler Wilson did so at Ole Miss on Oct. 22, 2011.

RB Trelon Smith, Arkansas’ leading rusher one year ago, has run for 177 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games of 2021, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the third time in his career against Rice. Dating back to 2020, Smith has scored seven rushing touchdowns in his last six games, including one against Texas, while averaging 94.0 rushing yards per game during that stretch. WR Treylon Burks, named to Bruce Feldman’s 2021 College Football Freaks for his 10.75-inch hands, continues to show why many called him the best returning wideout in the SEC. Burks, who extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 22 against Texas, led Arkansas with 51 catches for 820 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020. He once again paces the Hogs’ receiving corps with 10 catches for 79 yards through the first two games this year.

DB Jalen Catalon, recognized as a preseason All-American by the Associated Press, is the only FBS player in the nation to post double-digit tackles and record two interceptions in a game this season. The ballhawking safety, who has five interceptions to his name since 2020 (12 games), is third on the Hogs in total tackles with 19, including 1.0 for loss.

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