Western Carolina (0-0) at Arkansas (0-0) at Little Rock, Arkansas, Saturday, noon ET (SEC/ESPN+)
Line: No line listed by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Sam Pittman opens his fourth season as Arkansas coach with new offensive and defensive coordinators, seeking to improve on last year’s disappointing 7-6 mark after beginning 2022 ranked No. 19. The Hogs open 2023 with three nonconference matchups and seek a fast start before four straight SEC games, all away from home. Western Carolina finished 2022 with three straight wins and an upset of Chattanooga in the finale.
KEY MATCHUP
Western Carolina O-line vs. Arkansas defensive front. Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell said the his team has an elite FCS offensive line, with three players who should have a chance to play on the professional level (right tackle Derek Simmons, left tackle Tyler Smith and left guard Christian Coulter).
The Hogs’ run defense last season gave up large chunks of yardage at times, including a high of 463 to Ole Miss. A new defensive staff plans to be more aggressive using a 4-2-5 alignment with up to six new arrivals in starting roles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arkansas: Fifth-year senior QB KJ Jefferson returns to lead the offense after combining for 3,288 passing and rushing yards and 33 touchdowns last year. Raheim Sanders, a junior, was second in the SEC with 1,443 yards rushing last season. He added 10 rushing touchdowns and had 28 receptions for 271 yards and two scores.
Western Carolina: Sophomore QB Cole Gonzales started the Catamounts’ last four games in 2022 and tallied three wins, including an upset of FCS 15th-ranked Chattanooga. Southern Conference coaches named him to the All-Freshman team. He completed 102 of 161 passes for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 147 yards rushing in eight games.
FACTS & FIGURES
Arkansas has lost just once to an FCS team, an infamous 10-3 opening-game defeat to The Citadel in 1992 that cost coach Jack Crowe his job. … Western Carolina has never beaten an FBS-level team in 61 matchups dating to 1977, and the Catamounts are 0-20 vs. current SEC teams. … Jefferson is the first Arkansas QB to start three straight openers since Brandon Allen (2013-15). …Kerwin Bell is 10-12 as Catamounts head coach, leading them to a 6-5 record last year and the program’s first winning season since 2017. … Bell coached Valdosta (Georgia) State to a 14-0 record and the NCAA Division II national championship in 2018, his third year at the school. … Pittman is 19-17 entering his fourth season as Arkansas coach.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
