Week 11 in college football kicked off this weekend, and there were plenty of exciting moments and plays. In the early slate of games on Saturday, UConn became...
Arkansas' Anthony Brown, Myles Slusher Suspended at Least 1 Game Following Arrests
Nov 7, 2022
Arkansas safety Myles Slusher (2) against Pine Bluff during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, in Little Rock, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas football players Anthony Brown and Myles Slusher have each been suspended at least one game after being arrested Sunday for disorderly conduct, per Alyssa Orange and Elena Ramirez of KNWA/FOX24.
Brown and Slusher will miss Saturday's game against the LSU Tigers—who are likely to move up from 10th in the College Football Playoff rankings after beating No. 6 Alabama last week—as a result.
Head coach Sam Pittman issued a statement, per Orange and Ramirez: "We are aware of the incident involving Anthony Brown and Myles Slusher. We are in the process of gathering information from the proper authorities. Once we have that information, we will determine their status with our team."
Police in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said an officer attempted to get a group of people off North West Avenue at 2 a.m. ET on Sunday. The officer claimed Brown "intentionally" stood in the road and then "pushed me away from him" when the officer grabbed him by the sleeve.
Slusher then allegedly reached for the officer and "attempted to pull him away from Brown."
Both players were released from custody Sunday morning and are due in court Dec. 1.
The incident occurred hours after Arkansas' 21-19 loss to Liberty, which dropped the Razorbacks to 5-4 for the season. Slusher had five tackles and one sack in the defeat.
The junior defensive back has 20 total tackles, four tackles for loss and one pass breakup in five appearances. An undisclosed injury kept him out for wins over South Carolina and Missouri State, and a calf problem left him unavailable as Arkansas lost to Mississippi State and beat BYU.
Brown, a freshman defensive back, has yet to make his Razorbacks debut. He was the No. 48 safety in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2022 class.
Beyond Meat’s Doug Ramsey Arrested for Allegedly Biting Man’s Nose After Arkansas Win
Sep 19, 2022
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 17: An Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleader running with the Razorbacks flag after a touchdown during the college football game between the Missouri State Bears and Arkansas Razorbacks on September 17, 2022, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The chief operating officer of Beyond Meat was arrested Saturday after allegedly biting a man's nose in a parking garage near Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
According to C.C. McCandless of KNWA/FOX24, Doug Ramsey was charged with terroristic threatening and third-degree battery.
The alleged incident occurred after Arkansas' 38-27 win over Missouri State.
Per McCandless, Ramsey was attempting to exit the parking garage when the driver of a Subaru made contact with his vehicle's front tire on the passenger side. Witnesses said Ramsey then exited his car and "punched through the back windshield of the Subaru." That led to a physical altercation between Ramsey and the Subaru driver, during which he allegedly bit the person's nose.
CNBC's Amelia Lucas reported neither Ramsey nor a representative for Beyond Meat provided a statement when asked to comment on the matter. University of Arkansas campus police also would not provide a comment to CNBC, "citing an ongoing investigation."
The Razorbacks trailed 17-0 midway through the second quarter Saturday before turning the tables on the Bears. KJ Jefferson threw for 385 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Raheim Sanders ran for 167 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries.
With the victory, Arkansas maintained its perfect start (3-0) and remained No. 10 in the AP Top 25 poll.
No. 2 Alabama Holds off No. 21 Arkansas as Bryce Young Throws for Record 561 Yards
Nov 21, 2021
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 13: Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up on the field before the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Alabama clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game and a showdown with No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. No surprises there—it's kinda what the Crimson Tide do.
No. 2 Alabama knocked off No. 21 Arkansas, 42-35, behind a record-setting game from Heisman Trophy hopeful Bryce Young.
Bryce Young breaks the Alabama single-game passing yards record against Arkansas 👏
The Razorbacks didn't have many answers for Alabama's passing game or the explosive receiving duo of John Metchie III and Jameson Williams, who carved up the Arkansas secondary, though, few defenses have had many answers for Young and his impressive array of weapons.
However, Alabama didn't make things easy on themselves. After the Crimson Tide went up 31-14 in the third quarter, Arkansas battled back to within six points. Some crucial Alabama mistakes—a penalty that erased a touchdown, a poor decision from Young to take a sack that led to a missed field and Cameron Latu's fumble in the red zone—aided the comeback attempt.
Oh, and there was Arkansas' brilliant fake field goal, too:
And so, a week ahead of the Iron Bowl, Alabama clinched the SEC West. The annual rivalry game with Auburn won't lose much luster—a second loss on the season would make it much more difficult for the Crimson Tide to reach the College Football Playoff—but Alabama's place in Atlanta is secured.
Key Stats
Bryce Young, Bama: 31-of-40 for 561 yards and five touchdowns
John Metchie III, Bama: 10 catches for 173 yards and a score
Jameson Williams, Bama: Eight catches for 190 yards and three touchdowns
KJ Jefferson, ARK: 22-of-30 for 326 yards and three scores; 22 rushing yards
Treylon Burks, ARK: Eight catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns
Blake Kern, ARK: Three catches for 47 yards and a score
Bryce Young Kept Himself In The Heisman Hunt
On a day that saw Ohio State redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud throw for 432 yards and six touchdowns, Young—a sophomore—made sure he would remain one of the favorites for the Heisman.
Imagine where Alabama would be without his play this season. The defense hasn't been great, something of a rarity under Nick Saban, and yet Young has made one big play after another to propel Bama to the SEC Championship Game through the ever-difficult SEC schedule.
Bryce Young is the 3rd player in Alabama history to reach 35 pass TD in a season. Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones are the others. pic.twitter.com/xfVsWpekYF
And he just makes it all look so effortless. He's a special player, and there's no doubt that NFL teams are eagerly scouting him ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. It's going to be fun watching him go to work against Georgia's ferocious defense in two weeks.
Treylon Burks Had Himself A Game
Burks came into Saturday's game with 51 catches for 796 yards and eight scores, so it wasn't a huge surprise that Alabama's secondary couldn't slow him down either on Saturday.
"He is a physical mismatch," Alabama's head coach told reporters this week. "He's bigger than most of the guys that are trying to guard him. It's kind of like a point guard trying to cover a power forward-type guy who can run fast."
On Saturday, the power forward won. Well, the individual matchup, at least.
What's Next?
The aforementioned Iron Bowl. Auburn will host the Crimson Tide next Saturday (time TBD). Arkansas will close its season by hosting Missouri on Black Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) finds running room as Texas A&M defensive back Antonio Johnson (27) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) give chase in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
No. 16 Arkansas' red-hot start to the season continued Saturday with a 20-10win over No. 7 Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
The Razorbacks have already won more games in 2021 (four) than they did all of last season (3-7). This is the program's first 4-0 start since 2003 when Houston Nutt was head coach.
Second-year head coach Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Art Briles wasted no time sending a message. Arkansas jumped out to a 17-0 lead with 13:55 remaining in the second quarter.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson finished the game with 212 passing yards and two touchdowns on just seven completions. He did leave the game for a period of time in the second half, but he was able to return late in the fourth quarter.
The scoring ground to a halt after that, but the Razorbacks defense had no problems shutting down Texas A&M.
The Aggies only had two drives in which they ran plays in Arkansas territory. That doesn't include Isaiah Spiller's 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cut the score to 17-10.
Arkansas looked like it was on its way to a blowout win early in the second quarter. The offense had two touchdown drives of a combined 162 yards that took a total of 93 seconds off the clock.
Treylon Burks had the first big play of the game with an 85-yard touchdown catch on a dime from KJ Jefferson on the Razorbacks' second possession.
After the defense forced a punt on Texas A&M's next possession, AJ Green got in on the scoring with a 48-yard touchdown that was aided by poor tackling from Aggies linebacker Aaron Hansford.
At that point in the game, Arkansas' offense had put up 17 points on just 13 plays.
Things did eventually settle down with the Aggies defense tightening up. The Razorbacks did have a chance to increase their lead late in the second quarter, but Trelon Smith's run on 4th-and-1 was stuffed for a turnover on downs.
That 11-play, 65-yard drive was one of only two times afterthey went up 17-0 their offense gained at least 20 yards on a single possession.
Jefferson appeared to injure his leg on a run in the third quarter, causing him to limp off the field.
Despite briefly trying to play through the injury, the sophomore was replaced by Malik Hornsby midway through the third quarter.
Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson obviously limping and replaced by redshirt freshman Malik Hornsby.
The transition at quarterback started smoothly, with Hornsby running for 16 yards on his first snap. It quickly fell apart after that when the same drive ended with a sack as he was trying to scramble out of pressure.
Even with limited offensive production, especially in the second half, Arkansas' defense stepped up in a big way. Isaiah Spiller did get the unit for a 67-yard score in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 17-10, but that was one of only two Aggies drive that gained more than 20yards in the second half.
I’ve been advocating for Arkansas moving into the top 10 with a win today.
Hell, the Razorbacks look like a top 5 team to me so far on Saturday
There will be games later this season when Arkansas has to play more consistent on offense if it wants to win.
For now, though, Pittman has his team moving in the right direction as they attempt to challenge Alabama atop the SEC West division.
Aggies Still Seeking Answers in Passing Game
There have been a lot of positives to take away from Texas A&M early in the season. The defense came into Saturday ranked first in the nation with 5.7 points allowed and seventh with 239.3 yards per game.
After the Razorbacks broke off two big plays against that defense early in the game, the Aggies found their bearings. They only allowed 118 yards over the next seven drives combined.
As has been the case for most of the season, Spiller gave the offense a big boost with 95yards on the ground. His touchdown run was one of two plays for the Aggies that gained at least 20 yards.
The problem that head coach Jimbo Fisher needs to figure out is at quarterback. It's been an ongoing issue to start this season. The injury to Haynes King has obviously played a significant role in the team's overall depth at the position.
Zach Calzada, who threw for 151 yards in Saturday's loss, has averaged fewer than five yards per attempt twice in the past three games. The sophomore out of Georgia threw a crucial interception early in the fourth quarter when Texas A&M was trying to tie the score.
It's certainly difficult for any team to play at a high level when it must rely on its second-string quarterback.
Freshman Blake Bost is the only other quarterback currently listed on the Aggies' depth chart. Eli Stowers was one of the nation's top-ranked dual-threat quarterbacks coming out of high school, but he has switched positions to tight end.
Until King recovers from a fractured leg, it appears as if Calzada is going to be the quarterback for the Aggies. He is going to have to take significant steps forward quickly to keep the team going now that SEC play has started.
What's Next?
Texas A&M will return home to host Mississippi State at Kyle Field on Oct. 2. Arkansas will play its first true road game of the season next Saturday against No. 2 Georgia at 12 p.m. ET.
College Football Hall of Famer Loyd Philips Dies at Age 75
Dec 27, 2020
The Hog Formation Flight Team performs a flyover at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium before the start of Arkansas game against Georgia during an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark. Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
College Football Hall of Famer Loyd Phillips died Sunday following complications from a stroke, the University of Arkansas announced. He was 75.
Phillips was named an All-American in 1965 and 1966 before joining the Chicago Bears for two years as the No. 10 overall pick in the 1967 draft.
In a statement from Arkansas vice chancellor and director of athletics Hunter Yuracheck, the AD called Phillips one of the school's true legends:
“Loyd Phillips was a ferocious competitor for Coach Frank Broyles in what was a truly golden era of Razorback Football. As his accomplishments attest, he established himself among the best to ever play college football. However, away from the field, Loyd was a humble gentle giant who made a meaningful difference in the lives of generations of young people in our state through his dedicated service in secondary education. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Betsy, their son Mackenzie, their daughter JoAnn, the entire Phillips family and all those impacted by the extraordinary life of Loyd Phillips.”
The defensive tackle was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 after racking up 304 career tackles while playing for the Razorbacks.
Phillips began his Razorbacks career on an undefeated team that won the 1964 national championship at 11-0 and ended his college career with the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the country.
Among the other accolades Phillips earned, he was named a member of Arkansas' All-Century team, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame as a native of Fort Worth.
Following his NFL career, Phillips returned to college to complete a degree in health and education, later earning a master's in secondary education, leading him to a career as an assistant principal in Arkansas for 37 years.
Phillips' brother, Terry, and his son Mackenzie both also played football for the Razorbacks in college, helping strengthen the bond between the university and the family of one of its best players.
Arkansas HC Sam Pittman Tests Positive for COVID-19, Will Work Virtually
Nov 9, 2020
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman looks on after a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Arkansas announced Monday that head football coach Sam Pittman has tested positive for COVID-19 but is not symptomatic:
"I'm feeling great," Pittman said Monday. "I'm embarrassed. I wish I wouldn't have gotten the COVID. I haven't done anything different."
Pittman will work virtually during the week for team meetings, while defensive coordinator Barry Odom will become the team's interim coach.
"As far as the voice of the team this weekend, if I'm not there, it'll be Coach Odom," Pittman added. "He'll do a damn fine job, I'm sure."
Arkansas is scheduled to play at Florida on Saturday night.
Pittman becomes the third SEC coach to test positive for COVID-19 following Florida's Dan Mullen and Alabama's Nick Saban. Saban's test was later determined to be a false positive afterfive negative tests.
The 58-year-old Pittman is in his first year as a Division I head coach, taking over a squad that had gone 4-20 over the previous two years, including 0-16 in conference play. The Oklahoma native worked the previous four seasons at Georgia, where he was the offensive line coach and a recruiting extraordinaire. Before that, he was Arkansas' O-line/assistant head coach for three years.
The Razorbacks have been much more competitive in 2020, improving to 3-3 after Saturday's win over Tennessee. Each of the three losses (Georgia, Texas A&M and Auburn) have come against ranked opponents on the road.
Bret Bielema Files $7M Lawsuit Against Razorback Foundation over Arkansas Buyout
Jun 13, 2020
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 18: Head Coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks with his team warming up before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 28-21. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Former Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema filed a $7 million lawsuit against the Arkansas Razorback Foundation for unpaid wages related to a $12 million buyout when he was fired by the school in 2017.
Michael McCann of Variety reported Friday the Razorback Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the school's athletic department, argued Bielema didn't fulfill the "duty to mitigate" portion of the agreement and ceased making payments to him as of January 2019.
Razorback Foundation attorney Marshall Ney told McCann it had previously requested Bielema return the over $4.5 million it had already paid him after discovering "multiple material breaches of the agreement."
The baseline argument surrounds whether Bielema made a concerted effort to obtain new employment that would have helped offset payments the foundation would have owed him.
After leaving Arkansas, he joined the New England Patriots staff in 2018 as a consultant to head coach Bill Belichick. There are conflicting reports about the nature of that position and whether it was a volunteer role for a period of time, per McCann. He then joined the Pats staff as a defensive line coach in 2019.
The New York Giants hired Bielema in January as an outside linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant.
Dan WolkenofUSA Todayreported the 50-year-old Illinois native made $350,000 across his two years with the Patriots and is scheduled to make $400,000 annually with the Giants. Those figures are far below the typical salary of a college football head coach in a Power 5 conference.
Bielema's agent, Neil Cornrich, also reached out to representatives from Boston College, Florida Atlantic, Rutgers and South Florida about head coaching vacancies since leaving Arkansas, per McCann. Those claims, if proved true, could hurt Arkansas' argument the coach hasn't been seeking more high-paying employment.
The Variety sports law reporter predicted the sides will eventually reach a settlement to avoid a trial in the case.
"Bielema's lawsuit likely won't be resolved for months," McCann wrote. "Even in normal times, contract litigation can take a long time. There are several stages of litigation, including time allotted for motions and pretrial discovery. The COVID-19 pandemic only elongates the timeline, with courts limiting operations and postponing hearings."
Before taking the Arkansas job, Bielema spent seven years as head coach at Wisconsin.
Arkansas Recruit Catrell Wallace Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault of Minor
Feb 25, 2020
Arkansas gets ready to start the second half against Missouri at War Memorial Stadium during an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 in Little Rock, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas football recruit Catrell Wallace has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree sexual assault and tampering, according to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today.
Benton police in Arkansas allege the 18-year-old committed a sexual act with a 12-year-old early on Jan. 1.
The Benton Police Department said in a statement: "Although it appears to have been a consensual encounter, BNPD detectives were able to determine that Wallace had reason to believe the victim was underage at the time of the crime. It was also noted that Wallace instructed witnesses to lie about the crime in an effort to conceal it."
Wallace turned himself in to police Monday and the investigation is still open.
The Bryant, Arkansas native signed his letter of intent with the Razorbacks in December.
"We are gathering information and [are] in contact with the proper authorities regarding the situation," Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. "Once we have additional information, we will make a determination on his status with our program."
