Jackson’s rematch against Missouri gives Hogs QB a second shot at Battle Line

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — KJ Jackson already knows what Missouri feels like. He drew the Tigers for his first start at Arkansas last season and walked off on the wrong end of a 31-17 score.

He gets another crack at them Saturday night.

Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. on Halloween. Some fans have pushed for a black-out at Razorback Stadium. It isn’t happening. Neither are the black jerseys folks keep whispering about.

Jackson took questions Wednesday. He talked like a quarterback who’s found his footing.

He gave plenty of credit to Tim Cramsey, the man calling the offense.

“I think the time spent between me and Crams has really helped it out,” Jackson said. “Obviously we’ve had a lot of experience together in these seven weeks, and going and sitting in his office and bouncing ideas off of him and him bouncing ideas off of me,

“I’m really grateful for the relationship we have because like there’s full honesty, full transparency in every single conversation with him.”

You could see it against Vanderbilt. Jackson was 21 for 31 through the air for 251 yards, a 67.7% clip. He tacked on 58 yards and a score with his legs. No game he’s played for the Hogs has been better.

Last year’s audition against Mizzou

That first look at Missouri came in Fayetteville in last season’s final game.

Bobby Petrino was running the team on an interim basis then. A week earlier, he’d yanked Taylen Green against Texas. Against Missouri, Petrino gave the offense back to Green after the break and mostly left it with him.

Jackson had been the better option. He completed 11 of his 17 throws for 126 yards and found the end zone once. Green connected on 6 of 13 for 59.

That decision aged about how you’d expect.

“Awesome day for me to get my first start here,” Jackson said. “So it was amazing, and we came a long way from that game, and got some more experience under my belt, and I’m just ready to go out there and compete against them again this Saturday.”

History isn’t on the Razorbacks’ side. The Tigers have taken the Battle Line Trophy in nine of the teams’ past 10 matchups. One of those, from 2016, was later vacated.

Jackson said Ryan Silverfield has kept the locker room’s focus on itself this week.

“I think Coach [Ryan Silverfield] did a great job of just relaying that it’s about us,” Jackson said. “It’s about how we prepare day in and day out, and ultimately how we come out and play Saturday.”

Running on the Tigers won’t be easy

Good luck finding room on the ground. Teams are managing 103.9 rushing yards a game against Missouri.

Silverfield is well aware.

“Especially this year, one of the best run defenses in college football,” Silverfield said. “They’ve done a fantastic job not only this year but in the history of stopping the run, and I think we’ve got to be sound, right. I mean, we’ve got to do a great job of getting the run game going.

“Our offensive line has to do a nice job opening up a variety of holes for our running backs and finding ways to get downhill on them.

“They do a great job of shedding blocks, and then you know I think it’s going to involve everybody from our tight ends to our receivers to the quarterback. This is going to take all hands on deck.

“We know it’s going to be tough sledding, but in order for us to have success as an offense, we know the run game has to show proof of life.”

Arkansas does have something working up front. The Hogs churned out 189 yards on the ground against Vandy. Kash Courtney picked up the league’s weekly offensive line award for his part in it.

Courtney’s in his second year with the program. He’s been snapping the ball since the second half of the Tennessee game, almost three weeks back. Caden Kitler, the team captain who held that job, has been slowed by an injury the school hasn’t detailed.

“He’s definitely done a good job of leading that group up front and being over communicative, if that’s a word,” Jackson said. “He just plays with a high motor, and I think that trickles down to the guys beside him as well. His motor and his energy and his passion for the game, I think they feed off that a little bit as well.”

Jackson said the ground game runs through the guy in the middle.

“I think it starts with Kash and the boys up front and, talking about him being with his communication, just getting their front side D and communicating, make sure everybody has the right idea, the right guy to go to in the run game.”

A dozen targets by accident

Jackson completed passes to a dozen different Hogs against Vanderbilt.

That wasn’t really the plan. Chris Marshall, his favorite target, came up hobbled early with what looked like a tweaked hamstring.

“I think that’s just how it ended up that way. It’s not like I was out there trying to find 12 different guys,” Jackson said. “I think that’s just where my reads took me versus Vandy, and that’s just kind of how it is.

“Like, we ride the hot hand, but when he went down, I think I just read it out like I would if he was in the game. So yeah, that’s all I got for that one.”

Marshall should be back at 100% Saturday. He’s hauled in 43 balls for 633 yards and two touchdowns. Nobody else on the roster is close. Tight end Ty Lockwood sits second with 15 receptions and one score.

With Marshall sidelined, Antonio Jordan made the most of his snaps. The sophomore set personal bests with five receptions and 74 yards.

That leaves the staff with a nice problem. Marshall and Jordan play the same receiver spot. So the coaches are trying to work out how to use them at the same time.

“He’s always been a guy that’s going to go up and get the ball,” Jackson said. “I’m sure he’s just gonna keep on rising and getting better. And whenever the ball comes his way, I have full confidence in him as well that he’s going to go up and make a play.”

Jackson said Jordan hasn’t eased off since his big day.

“I think he just proved it to himself. Not that he needed to or anything, but I’ve seen him. He’s working even harder after having a little bit of success, just chasing it again. So, I’m really excited to see what the rest of the year holds.”

Saturday means a little more

Jackson didn’t pretend this was a normal week.

“It’s a trophy game, so there’s definitely more juice that goes into it,” he said. “If we handle what we can handle, what we control Tuesday through Friday, and then go out there and put it all on display Saturday, I think we’ll be happy with the outcome.”

I’m not asking for much here. It’s a home game with a trophy up for grabs.

Keeping it close into the fourth quarter should be the bare minimum, and anything less would be a real letdown.

A year ago, Jackson watched Green take most of the second-half snaps in his first start.

He won’t be splitting the job this time.