Aug. 23, 2010
Vanderbilt at Arkansas
Date: October 30, 2010 (Kickoff TBA)
Location: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (72,000) Fayetteville, Ark.
About Arkansas
Coach: Bobby Petrino (3rd year, 13-12)
Conference: Southeastern (West)
Colors: Cardinal and White
2009 record: 8-5, 3-5 SEC
Postseason: Liberty Bowl (Defeated East Carolina in overtime, 20-17)
Highest ranking/Final ranking: Unranked/unranked
Returning starters: 18 (9 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams)
Most impressive win of 2009: The Razorbacks put an emphatic end to Auburn’s 5-0 start under first-year coach Gene Chizik, routing the Tigers 44-23 in front of over 72,000 fans at Razorback Stadium on Oct. 10. Running back Michael Smith rushed for 145 yards and a score before leaving with an injury in the third quarter.
Worst loss: The Razorbacks didn’t put up much of a fight in a 35-7 loss to eventual national champion Alabama on Sept. 26. However, it couldn’t have stung as much as a 23-20 defeat at No. 1 Florida on Oct. 17, when questionable calls and missed field goals prevented Arkansas from getting a huge upset in the Swamp.
Last time Arkansas played Vanderbilt: The Razorbacks escaped Nashville with a 21-19 victory on Sept. 16, 2006, when Bryant Hahnfeldt’s 48-yard field goal try fell just short with under a minute left. Arkansas would wind up finishing first in the West division and earn a berth in the SEC Championship game.
Vanderbilt-Arkansas Series: Arkansas leads 5-2. The Commodores knocked off the Razorbacks the last time they met in Fayetteville in 2005, 28-24, on a touchdown throw by Jay Cutler to Marlon White with 26 seconds remaining. It was the second of four straight wins to open Vanderbilt’s season.
Notes: The Commodores will face 6-foot-7-inch Ryan Mallett, whose 16.1 yards per completion led all quarterbacks in Division-I … The Razorbacks had the most potent scoring offense in the SEC last season at 36 points per game … They also led the league in fumble recoveries at 17, and they tied with LSU and Vanderbilt for least amount of fumbles lost at 6 … Bobby Petrino last coached against the Commodores as Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2002 … Since losing to the Commodores at home in 2005, Arkansas is 17-9 at Razorback Stadium.
PREVIOUS GAME PREVIEWS
Game 1: Northwestern
Game 2: LSU
Game 3: Ole Miss
Game 4: Connecticut
Game 5: Eastern Michigan
Game 6: Georgia
Game 7: South Carolina
