FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks are facing injury challenges at two critical positions as they prepare for their home game against No. 4 Tennessee on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Both the tight end unit and the secondary are dealing with injuries as the Razorbacks (3-2, 1-1 SEC) enter their sixth straight game, while the Volunteers (4-0, 1-0) have had a bye week and have moved up in the rankings following Georgia’s loss to Alabama. Starting tight end Luke Hasz sustained a back injury during the second half of last week’s 21-17 defeat to Texas A&M after making a short reception and being pushed out of bounds by Daymion Sanford. Transfer Andreas Paaske, known for his strength as a blocking tight end, has been sidelined for the last two games due to concussion protocol following the opener against Auburn.
Head Coach Sam Pittman expressed doubt about Paaske’s readiness for this game. “Man, I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll know more… very doubtful right now, but we’ll know more Wednesday, Thursday.” Tight end Ty Washington, who had an unspecified injury during the 24-14 victory at Auburn, was listed as questionable last week but still played against Texas A&M, despite being somewhat hampered. “The big, physical D-lines have really taken a toll on our tight end position,” Pittman noted. “That’s my main concern at the moment.” Safety Hudson Clark suited up against Texas A&M but did not see any game action. Cornerback Jaylon Braxton has been out for three games due to tendinitis and a bone bruise.
Neither player has registered a tackle this season, although they have contributed to three pass breakups. Additionally, cornerback Kee’yon Stewart left the game due to illness, which required Marquise Robinson and Jaheim Singletary to take over for the rest of the match. “I’m not too optimistic about Braxton, but I feel fairly confident about Clark,” Pittman stated. “He practiced last week and I believe he could have played if absolutely necessary. “Stewart went down because he was ill. I wasn’t totally sure about Clark’s ability to play; I thought he was pushing through more for the team than he physically could handle, so we decided to hold him out. I think we just need to boost his confidence that he can hit someone, and he seems to be much closer than he was last week.”
The University of Arkansas athletics department announced on Monday that they’re encouraging fans to help create a coordinated look inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Saturday’s game. The Razorbacks are promoting a “stripe out,” asking different sections of the stadium to wear red or white according to a seating chart shared on social media Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel spoke at his Monday news conference about the “great environment” expected at Arkansas on Saturday night. “This is a really good football team,” Heupel noted, pointing out that they are “just a couple plays away from being undefeated.” Arkansas lost in double overtime to Oklahoma State (39-31) and narrowly to Texas A&M (21-17) last week. Heupel highlighted the Razorbacks’ physical play on both sides of the ball, calling their defense one of the best in the country. He also praised their rushing attack, which ranks No. 21 nationally with an average of 212 yards per game, despite being held to just 100 yards by Texas A&M, including 25 on a fake punt. “It’s a huge test for us this week to prepare properly and play our best football,” he said. Coach Sam Pittman indicated that the Razorbacks would tone down the physicality of Monday’s practice to help ensure a healthier roster for the game against Tennessee.
The team is dealing with injuries at tight end and in the secondary, although Pittman didn’t provide many specifics. “We need to manage some of our key players mentally since they might be out for a few days,” he explained, adding that they hope to have them back by Wednesday. “We’ll try to take it a little easier today—not mentally or speed-wise, since we need to match Tennessee’s pace, but we have to be smart about it this week.” Tailback Rashod Dubinion, Arkansas’s longest-tenured offensive player as a true junior, has returned from his indefinite suspension after one game and is now healthy, Coach Pittman confirmed. “We know he’s a good player from last year, but he’s been hurt most of this season. Now that he’s healthy, all he needs is a solid week of practice to contribute.” Ja’Quinden Jackson ranks as the SEC’s No. 3 rusher with 101.8 yards per game and is the fifth-highest scorer with 10.8 points per game, leading the Razorback tailbacks with 509 rushing yards and an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Rodney Hill and Braylen Russell have also been key backups while Dubinion was recovering.
Texas A&M has won 12 of the last 13 matchups against Arkansas in the Southwest Classic rivalry, easily overcoming deficits. The Razorbacks have led in 10 of the 12 games won by the Aggies since 2012. The only games where A&M didn’t trail in this span were their first two SEC seasons, with a notable 58-10 victory in 2012 and a 45-33 win the following year. The Aggies have rallied from two-touchdown deficits on three occasions: in 2014 (28-14), 2017 (21-7), and 2022 (14-0). Meanwhile, the Razorbacks have never trailed in their most recent victory over Texas A&M, a 20-10 win on September 25, 2021, during Coach Pittman’s second season.
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