Arkansas Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Missouri in Week 13
Arkansas football will play Missouri in Week 13. Can they close out the 2017 season with a victory in the Battle Line Rivalry? Here’s everything you need to know.
The Missouri Tigers (6-5) were left for dead after a 1-5 start that featured four double-digit SEC losses and a lone win over FCS Missouri State. Since then the Tigers have rattled off five consecutive victories, earning bowl eligibility last weekend by beating Vanderbilt. Once on the hot seat, head coach Barry Odom has completely flipped the script on the 2017 season.
Bret Bielema and Arkansas has not been as fortunate. Arkansas (4-7) will be the only team in the SEC West (other than ineligible Ole Miss) not going to a bowl game this season. The Razorbacks’ lone Power 5 victory came over the Rebels at the end of October. That also marked their only SEC win of the season.
Missouri will be looking to continue their resurgence and build momentum entering 2018. With junior Drew Lock expected to return this team could be dangerous if they can solve some problems on the defensive side. Arkansas has run out of things to play for and will look for one more win in what could be Bielema’s final game in Fayetteville.
Here’s how you can watch Friday’s game between Arkansas and Missouri:
Date: Friday, Nov. 24
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Venue: Razorback Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Live
Keys to Victory
The Razorbacks need to get back to the basics of what Razorback football is supposed to be. Run the ball, control the clock and grind out a low-scoring victory. The rushing attack hasn’t progressed as expected this season, but the Hogs have a pair of capable backs that will be active against the Tigers.
Devwah Whaley and David Williams have split the carries in the backfield since freshman Chase Hayden went down. Each has carried the ball 100+ times for a little over 500 yards and six rushing touchdowns apiece. They’ll need to each get close to 100 yards rushing for the Razorbacks’ formula to be effective.
Missouri needs to score 40 points. The Tigers are 6-0 when crossing the 40 point threshold and 0-5 when failing to reach that mark. The defense has been better in recent weeks, but for the bulk of the season they haven’t been able to stop anyone. The burden lies on Drew Lock and the offense. If they can keep putting up the points it’ll be hard for Arkansas to keep up.
Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 12
Prediction
Arkansas narrowly escaped with a 1-point win at home against Coastal Carolina. They haven’t beaten a team with a winning record yet this season. Missouri might be the hottest team in the SEC and the Hogs won’t be able to keep up with the high-powered offense of the Tigers.
Final Score: Arkansas 13, Missouri 51