The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

No. 21/19 Football preview: Arkansas
09.06.2021 | Football
The Longhorns head to Fayetteville on Saturday for a clash with former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas.
No. 21/19 Texas (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0)
September 11, 2021
Where: Fayetteville, Ark.
Stadium: Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN (Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, Katie George)
Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network (Craig Way, Roger Wallace, Will Matthews)
Spanish Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network: Dr. Rubén Pizarro-Silva, Jesus Mendoza
THE OPENING KICKOFF
- The University of Texas continues its 129th season of football on Saturday when the Longhorns meet Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
- Texas enters the 2021 campaign with 924 wins, the fourth-most in college football history. UT holds an all-time record of 924-378-33 (.704).
- Texas leads the all-time series with Arkansas at 57-22 and is 26-9 all-time against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
- The Texas Football program will meet former Southwest Conference foe Arkansas for the 79th time in team history, but the first time since 2014 and just the sixth time in the last 30 years.
- UT fell to Arkansas, 31-7, in the Advocare Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in the teams' last meeting.
- Texas holds a 56-22 advantage in the all-time series and has won 21 of the last 30 meetings against Arkansas, dating back to 1967.
- UT is 26-9 all-time against the Razorbacks in Arkansas and has won five of the last six games, including a 22-20 triumph in the Longhorns' last trip to Fayetteville in 2004.
- Texas and Arkansas played 60 straight times as Southwest Conference foes before the Razorbacks left for the SEC following the 1991 season.
- Texas and Arkansas played one of the most storied games in the history of college football. Dubbed "The Game of the Century," and with President Richard Nixon at the game, No. 1 Texas under head coach Darrell Royal pulled out a 15-14 win over No. 2 Arkansas in Fayetteville to determine the 1969 National Championship.
- Arkansas has won four of the last six meetings, but Texas has won two of the last three – 22-20 in Fayetteville (2004) and 52-10 in Austin (2008). The last meeting was in the 2014 Texas Bowl, which Arkansas won 31-7.
- Six of the last 12 games have been decided by four points or fewer.
- Texas and Arkansas have played 33 games that were decided by 10 points or fewer with the Longhorns holding a 21-12 advantage.
A Texas Win Would ...
- Be Texas' 925th victory all-time, keeping UT as the fourth-winningest program in college football history.
- Give Steve Sarkisian his 48th victory as a head coach and second at The University of Texas.
- Mark the fifth time in eight seasons as a head coach that Steve Sarkisian has begun a season 2-0.
- Be Texas' 27th victory all-time in Fayetteville and improve the Longhorns' mark to 27-9.
- Give Texas its 57th win all-time over Arkansas and improve the series record to 57-22.
- Be UT's sixth-straight win over a non-conference opponent, dating back to a 48-13 victory over Rice on Sept. 14, 2019.
The Captains
This season, Texas will be naming game captains on a weekly basis.
- LOUISIANA (Game 1): OL Derek Kerstetter, RB Roschon Johnson and LB DeMarvion Overshown.
Bijan Breaking Through
- Sophomore RB Bijan Robinson opened the 2021 campaign in style, earning Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) National Offensive Player of the Week honors after racking up 176 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including 103 on the ground and a touchdown on 20 carries, along with four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown in leading the Longhorns to an opening week win over No. 23 Louisiana.
- Over his last five games, Robinson has totaled 625 rushing yards on 67 carries (9.3 ypc) with five touchdowns, while also hauling in 12 receptions for 202 yards (16.8 ypc) and scoring three touchdowns. All told, he has 827 yards on 79 plays for 10.5 yards per play with eight touchdowns.
- In the last five games, Robinson has eclipsed 100 yards rushing four times with the Longhorns coming away victorious in all four games.
- Last season, Robinson appeared in nine games and made six-straight starts to close out his first season of college football. He led the Longhorns with 703 rushing yards on 86 carries (8.2 ypc) and scored four touchdowns. Robinson was also the team's fifth-leading receiver with 15 catches for 196 and two more touchdowns as a receiver.
Whittington Won't Be Denied
- Jordan Whittington opened the season strong in the Longhorns' victory against Louisiana, hauling in seven receptions for a career-high 113 yards and one touchdown. Of those 113 yards, 54 of them came after the catch.
- The sophomore came through in the clutch to keep drives alive with four of his seven catches occurring on third down, including a pair of third-down receptions on UT's second touchdown drive, a 41-yard play on third-and-11 that set up the Horns' third touchdown and a 16-yard reception in the fourth quarter that opened the door for his first touchdown catch of the season three plays later. All told, with the four receptions on third down he had 83 yards (20.8 ypc).
- Whittington entered the 2021 season with 23 receptions for 223 receiving yards, including a career-best 10 catches and 65 yards against Oklahoma in 2020.
Card Coming Through
- Redshirt freshman Hudson Card made his first career start in the season-opening victory over Louisiana, completing 14-of-21 passes (66.7 percent) for 224 yards and two touchdowns and also adding a rushing touchdown.
- Card connected with Bijan Robinson for his first career touchdown on an 18-yard pass to give Texas its first lead of the game late in the first quarter.
- During the Longhorns' first scoring drive of the season, he scrambled six yards on fourth-and-6 to keep the drive alive.
- Also threw a score to Cade Brewer with two minutes remaining in the opening half.
- Ran in a touchdown on third-and-goal from the 3-yard line for the first rushing score of his career.
- Ended his first career start with more passing yards than Colt McCoy (178) and Sam Ehlinger (222) in their first starts as Longhorns.
Going Big with Oghoufo
- Junior Ovie Oghoufu made his first career start and appearance for the Longhorns in the season-opening win over Louisiana.
- He collected seven tackles (one solo) with 1.5 TFLs and one sack in the victory.
- Oghoufu registered his first career sack as a Longhorn, ending a Louisiana drive late in the third quarter.