Five questions with Haley Markle, sports editor, Arkansas Traveler
1. How much has the running back duo of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams helped the Razorback team this year? I’m sure new coach Bret Bielema loves having a solid run game.
Collins and Williams have been huge for Arkansas. When the Razorbacks can get the running game going, they play well. When the Hogs struggle to run the ball, they have trouble keeping the offense on the field.
2. How are the Arkansas coaches handling the situation regarding Clowney? There’s a lot of uncertainty regarding if he’s going to play or not, so how difficult is it to prepare for that?
The Razorbacks are preparing for this game as if Clowney will play, but they expect to be ready for the next guy up if Clowney doesn’t play.
3. What is the mood surrounding Arkansas football? The program is still trying to recover from the Petrino fiasco, but how confident is the fan base in Coach Bielema?
Most Arkansas fans are very excited about where the program seems to be going. I think most of the fan base understands that it is going to take some time for Bielema to get the players he needs on campus, and they have embraced what he is trying to do.
4. The Razorbacks are in the middle of a rough four-game stretch and have lost three games in a row. Has that taken a toll on the team’s confidence?
I think the team has definitely been rattled a little bit, and Bielema even said on national TV during halftime of the game against Florida that the team had lost its confidence. Most of the key players for the Razorbacks are young, and they began their careers as starters 3-0, so going 0-3 since then seems to have shaken them up.
5. Finally, Arkansas has had the upper hand against South Carolina in the series, especially in Fayetteville. Is that something that can give the Hogs extra confidence going into the game this weekend?
I think for the older guys on the team, it could help their confidence, but a lot of the players that are contributing now weren’t playing or weren’t even on the team the last time the Gamecocks played in Fayetteville, so for them it doesn’t really mean much.
Prediction:
38-24 South Carolina. The Razorback defense, now without cornerback Will Hines, is going to give up a lot of points. The Hogs might be able to keep it close for a while, but their lack of depth will lead to an easy two-touchdown victory for the Gamecocks.