Arkansas football report: WR Andrew Armstrong questionable for game against Oklahoma State

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas wide receiver Andrew Armstrong's participation in Saturday's important nonconference opener at No. 16 Oklahoma State appears questionable, coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday.

In a conference call with SEC coaches, Pittman said the elder Armstrong continues to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered at the start of training camp on Aug. 6.

Armstrong, the Hogs' leading receiver last season with 56 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns, did not dress in last week's 70-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock.

“Andrew has gotten better since last week from Monday to Tuesday,” Pittman said. “He's improving every week. Whether he can hit the ground running on Saturday or not … I just don't know at this point. But I can say he looked a lot better this week, even Monday to Tuesday, and I expect him to look better today as well.”

Arkansas offensive guard Patrick Kutas (back) will likely miss his second game, Pittman said.

Had Arkansas played an SEC opponent this weekend, the Razorbacks would have had to file an availability report on Wednesday due to a new SEC rule. Kentucky and South Carolina, which face off in an SEC opener on Saturday, were the first league schools to file the required reports on Wednesday.

Pittman was asked who he thought quarterback Taylor Green's main targets might be if Armstrong is unable to play against the Cowboys.

Against UAPB, wideouts Tyrone Broden, Isaac TeSlaa and Jordan Anthony and tight end Luke Hasz all had three receptions, the most on the team. Among the reserves, Khafre Brown, Monte Harrison and Krosse Johnson each had two catches, and starter Isaiah Sategna had one for 34 yards and a 42-yard catch-and-run that was nullified by a holding penalty.

“We're confident we have five, six, seven receivers that are fast and catch the ball very well,” Pittman said. “I like the strategy that Coach (Bobby) Petrino is using there. If we have time and can protect, I think we have enough receivers … (and) Broden is obviously a big target that can run, and Sategna is playing very well.”

“Obviously Jordan Anthony is fast. And then you look at TeSlaa. We have a couple of guys. (Freshman CJ) Brown. We have a couple of guys that we can stretch the field with and be successful if Andrew can't play.”

Captains of the second week

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman announced the names of Saturday's captains during his appearance on the radio show “Sam Pittman Live” from the Catfish Hole on Wednesday night.

The game captains against Oklahoma State are senior guard Josh Braun and sophomore tight end Luke Hasz, an Oklahoma native, on offense and senior safety Jayden Johnson and junior linebacker Xavian Sorey on defense.

Pittman said he was pleased with his new approach of appointing four game captains each week rather than selecting permanent captains in the preseason.

He pointed out that junior defensive end Nico Davillier of Maumelle had his best game as captain in last week's opener in Little Rock.

“Does it matter?” Pittman asked rhetorically. “Damn right it matters.”

Hasz appeared on Pittman's radio show along with second-year safety TJ Metcalf.

Petrino's AGV

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy praised Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's offensive system, which essentially boils down to a “feed the studs” approach.

“He has a system that he believes in,” Gundy said. “I've seen him from afar and then watched years of crossover video of him. He has a system that he sticks to and then he'll vary it a little bit depending on what the strengths of his talented players are.”

“One comparison would be what we've done on offense for the last 15 years. We don't deviate from our core system and what we do on offense, but it varies depending on who our quarterback is, what threat we have on the outside and who our running back is. … I would say that would be a pretty good illustration of his system, in my opinion.”

Ticket demand

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, a native of Grove, Oklahoma, has many family members heading to Oklahoma State's game in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday.

“Well, it's exciting for my family,” Pittman said. “I think I have about 31 or 32 tickets to the game. I think games like this are just really good for college football and regional football.”

No QR for you

The NCAA has blocked Oklahoma State from putting QR codes on the back of its players' helmets, so the Cowboys came up with the idea of ​​connecting fans to the program's general Name, Image and Likeness Fund, which benefits all players on the roster.

The NCAA informed Oklahoma State officials that it interpreted the codes as “unacceptable advertising/trademarks.”

“We disagree with the interpretation of the rule, but we will abide by it and work with the appropriate groups to make the necessary changes,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg responded in a press release distributed before kickoff of the Cowboys' season-opening game against South Dakota State last Saturday.

The best DS

The SEC had a handful of clear wins over Labor Day weekend, and half of the SEC finished in the top 25 in the country in total defense, led by Missouri, which limited Murray State to 85 yards last Thursday.

The Tigers were the only school in the FBS to hold a team to fewer than 100 yards in season-opening games, and only 25 teams held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards. Arkansas was second in the SEC and fifth in the nation after allowing 130 yards to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The remaining SEC teams in the top 25: No. 6 Kentucky (131), No. 9 Alabama (145), No. 14 Ole Miss (172), No. 21 Georgia (188), No. 23 Texas (192) and No. 25 Oklahoma (197).

Texans get approval

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green and tailback Ja'Quinden Jackson both received honorable mention honors Wednesday for the weekly Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which is given to the best offensive player in Division I football who was born in Texas, graduated from a Texas high school or currently plays at a Texas four-year school.

Green and Jackson are both former high school stars from Texas. Green completed 16 of 23 passes for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran 6 times for 88 yards and 2 scores in the Hogs' win over UAPB. Jackson added a team-high 101 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns and collected 121 all-purpose yards in less than a half.

Call crew

The team commentating the game for ABC includes Dave Pasch as live commentator, Dusty Dvoracek as analyst and Taylor McGregor as sideline reporter.

McGregor graduated from Arkansas in 2015 and worked for KTHV-TV in Little Rock. She is also an anchor for Marquee Sports Network in Chicago, where she serves as a field reporter for Cubs games. McGregor has also served in a similar role for Colorado Rockies games in her hometown of Denver.

The last Arkansas game she played in was the Hogs' 39-36 overtime win at Florida last season, the team's first victory at The Swamp.

Keli McGregor, the reporter's father, was Arkansas' assistant athletic director from 1989 to 1993. He left Arkansas and went to Colorado, where he worked for the Rockies for 17 years, including nine years as president until his death in 2010.

Ex-Razorback shines

UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard, a Little Rock native who played three seasons at Arkansas from 2020-2022, was named Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America on Wednesday.

Woodard had 11 tackles, including three sacks (an FBS-best) on four tackles for losses totaling 28 yards, in the Rebels' 27-7 victory over Houston. Woodard, a graduate of Little Rock Christian, transferred to UNLV last season and made 114 tackles in 14 starts for the 9-5 Rebels under new coach Barry Odom.