Razorbacks report

Another ex-SWC foe for UA

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas has struck up yet another Southwest Conference rivalry, this time setting up a home-and-home football series against Texas Tech in 2030-31.

Arkansas officials announced the two-game set on Wednesday, four days after the Razorbacks polished off a 3-0 run against ex-Southwest Conference opponents Rice, Texas and Texas A&M with a 20-10 win over the Aggies.

The wins over the Longhorns and Aggies were especially satisfying for Arkansas fans as those teams were ranked No. 15 and No. 7 respectively. Beating them on national broadcasts helped the Razorbacks shoot up the national polls to reach No. 8 in The Associated Press Top 25 heading into Saturday's 11 a.m. game at No. 2 Georgia.

The Razorbacks will open the series with the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas, on Sept. 14, 2030, then they will host the game the following season on Sept. 13, 2031.

The schools split a two-game series in 2014 and 2015, with each winning on the other's home field. Arkansas captured a 49-28 win on the road in the first game, while Patrick Mahomes and the Red Raiders scored a 35-24 victory at Reynolds Razorback Stadium the following season. Arkansas leads the series 29-8 dating to a 47-26 win in 1957.

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Morgan honored

Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan was named Wednesday as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman" trophy of college football.

The super senior from Greenwood is a semifinalist for the second year in a row for the award that recognizes a scholar-athlete as a combination of academic success, football performance and leadership.

Morgan earned second-team All-America honors by Walter Camp and the American Football Coaches Association after tying for the FBS lead with 12.3 tackles per game. Voted a team captain for the second year in a row, Morgan enters Saturday's game with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles per loss and 2 pass breakups.

The former walk-on earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2019 and received his master's degree in operations management in 2020.

The National Football Foundation will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The winner will be announced on Dec. 7.

No reply

A reporter who covers Georgia asked Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman for a status update on quarterback KJ Jefferson's knee as the lead on a two-part question on Wednesday's SEC teleconference. Pittman answered the second part, about his knowledge of Georgia's personnel, at length.

After he finished, the reporter followed up: "And KJ?"

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Replied Pittman, "Ah, I didn't answer the question."

End of discussion.

Jefferson has practiced with a brace on his left leg after hitting the top of his knee following a sideline shove by Texas A&M's Aaron Hansford last week. He left the game for three series to allow a numbing gel to take effect and finished the final two series.

Cochran on hold

Georgia special teams coordinator Scott Cochran, the long-time boisterous strength and conditioning coach at Alabama whose fame grew after he appeared in a Regions Bank commercial with Coach Nick Saban, is still on medical leave with the Bulldogs but getting closer to a return.

"He's actually in town right now as we speak," Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said on Wednesday. "He's at home for a little bit and visiting with his family. He's with us temporarily and seeing some friends and seeing some folks. He'll hopefully join us in the next couple of weeks."

Game changer

Montaric Brown's second interception of the season was a diving grab just off the turf that was tipped by a Texas A&M player's helmet and linebacker Bumper Pool's hand. The interception early in the fourth quarter led to an Arkansas field goal drive that extended its lead to 20-10.

"That was crazy," said cornerback LaDarrius Bishop, Brown's cousin and Ashdown High teammate. "That was a game changer right there. I kept telling him, 'You really changed the game, like you changed the game.' "

Flying Green

Sam Pittman revealed after the Razorbacks won at Texas A&M that it was the first time for freshman tailback AJ Green to fly.

Junior tailback Trelon Smith said the rookie handled it well.

"AJ ... this was his first time flying, but you know once the plane was in the air the jitters went away," Smith said. "He was perfectly fine."

Green did another kind of flying when he took a short pass from KJ Jefferson, broke three tackles and raced 48 yards for a touchdown and a 17-0 Arkansas lead early in the second quarter.

Brock attack

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after a huge performance in the Bulldogs' 62-0 win at Vanderbilt.

Bowers led the Bulldogs in receiving for the fourth consecutive game with four catches for 69 yards with two touchdowns.

Bowers also had a 12-yard end around score for his first rushing touchdown. He is the first Georgia player since Sony Michel against Kentucky in 2017 to score three touchdowns in a game. The freshman leads Georgia with 18 receptions for 272 yards and 4 touchdowns.

"Any time that you use a young freshman as much as Georgia uses Bowers, you know they have unbelievable confidence in him," Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said. "He's certainly earned that respect from their coaching staff with how much they use him because they use him in a lot of different ways."

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Catch phrases

A Wall Street Journal reporter interviewing Razorbacks who played for Pittman when he was the Arkansas offensive line coach from 2013-15 said Pittman coined a phrase -- Swag-jo -- that had to do with confidence.

"You know the old saying, 'mojo?' I just said 'swag-jo,'" Pittman said on Wednesday's SEC teleconference. "I don't know why I said it, but kids seem to like it and bought into it.

"I don't know. I don't think I have any phrases, but it seems like the state of Arkansas grabs onto basically anything I say right now. But we're just trying to motivate them in practice and certainly trying to build their confidence up."

Pittman's "Yessssir!" came with him as he first took the Arkansas job in December 2019, and his "Turn that damn jukebox on!" now comes after every Razorback win.

Wydermyer stuff

The Razorbacks limited Texas A&M tight end Jalen Wydermyer to one catch for 18 yards as the Aggies failed to establish a downfield passing attack.

Wydermyer burned Arkansas with 6 catches for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Aggies' 42-31 win in College Station, Texas, last year.

Extra point

Arkansas is tied with Baylor for the second-most appearances among college teams in AT&T Stadium history. The Razorbacks are 5-6 in the stadium, with a 29-16 win over Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl added on to its series versus the Aggies. Texas A&M is 7-5 at the stadium and has the most appearances there.

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