1. Are there any notable injured from fall camp effecting the Arkansas depth chart?
Running back Kody Walker appears to be questionable. He is listed as a co-starter at running back on Arkansas' opening depth chart. D.J. Dean was a starter last year at boundary corner, but a toe injury held him out of the spring and a hamstring injury limited him in camp. He is also questionable for this game. He has been in more of a backup role due to his injuries keeping him from competing under new secondary coach Paul Rhoads.
2. Louisiana Tech is deep at receiver (and not only just for a G5). How is the Arkansas' pass defense?
Arkansas had the worst pass defense in the SEC last season, surrendering 275.2 yards per game in 2015. That number is partly skewed by poor linebacker play last season (low numbers and injuries) because there is talent in the back end. Rhoads was head coach at Iowa State for seven seasons, and the hope for Arkansas is that he can get things turned around for the Hogs. The secondary had problems primarily against quarterbacks who were talented runners and throwers, like Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech, Chad Kelly of Ole Miss and Dak Prescott of Mississippi State.
3. What is your biggest concern for the Hogs headed into the season?
There aren't a lot of concerns, but at the same time it is tough to name just one. Obviously with a new starting quarterback it is almost impossible to know how well they will perform in an actual game. The right side of the offensive line, particularly at right tackle, has been fairly unsettled throughout preseason camp. The kicking game really struggled last year with blocked field goals (including a blocked 29-yard field goal that cost them the game against MSU), and the Hogs struggled to put kickoffs into the end zone.
4. Arkansas likes to run the ball a ton, with a new quarterback is the same expected?
More than anything under Dan Enos, they are going to strive for balance with the run and the pass. And to them that means they want to be equally effective at doing one or the other if needed rather than striving for 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards or something like that. At the same time, a 200-yard rushing performance usually is a good indicator that a Bret Bielema coached team is going to win.
5. If the Hogs are to be upset at home it seems early in the season is the time to do it. What's the reason?
For one reason or another, Arkansas has been slow to get going under Bielema. It says a lot about him that his team can finish 7-2 after starting 1-3, but obviously they would like the slow starts to stop. Last year, some of it was likely due to first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos getting comfortable with his personnel. Arkansas came out uninspired against Toledo in Little Rock, and they didn't match up well with Texas Tech. Against Texas A&M, they just let the game slip through their fingers...again.
