Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas debut will go down as a win, but it certainly left a lot to be desired.
The Razorbacks were never really under threat against North Alabama in a 31-14 victory, but Arkansas also never shifted out of first gear.
The offense was especially stagnant, which doesn’t bode well for the Pigs ahead of a trip to Salt Lake City to take on Utah.
Not only are the Utes at home with two extra days of rest, but they were rock solid in a 66-14 victory over Idaho in Week 1.
This is set up to be a tough day at the office for the Razorbacks, who are 12.5-point underdogs at one of college football’s toughest environments in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Arkansas vs. Utah odds, prediction
When Silverfield left Memphis to take over Arkansas, it was understood that it would take some time for the Razorbacks to get on the right path.
It’s been 10 years since Arkansas won more than four SEC games in a single season, and the Hogs haven’t won 10 overall games in a campaign since 2011.
There’s plenty of money (thanks, Wal-Mart) backing the Arkansas football program, but until they start to have success on the field, it will be tough sledding to get the better of the SEC juggernauts when it comes to recruiting.
Silverfield did his best to overcome those odds by shopping all over the transfer portal, but it will take a lot of time before we know how well he did to fill the many holes that needed addressing in Fayetteville.
Utah also has plenty of questions to answer under new head coach Morgan Scalley, but the roster that he inherited after Kyle Whittingham’s 21-year tenure ended is in much better shape than what Silverfield is working with.
The biggest difference is that the Utes have a game-breaker at quarterback in Devon Dampier.
The former New Mexico Lobo threw for 2,495 yards and 24 touchdowns against just five interceptions last season, and he added 10 more scores on the ground despite battling some injuries.
As long as he’s healthy, Dampier projects to be one of the most dynamic signal-callers in FBS.
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KJ Jackson, meanwhile, is an unknown quantity for Arkansas.
Just about everybody projected it was going to be a long season for Woo Pig Sooie, and a drab showing against an FCS opponent in Week 1 didn’t help matters.
Things will get worse before they get better for Silverfield, and that starts Saturday in Utah.
The Play: Utah -12.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
