The 5-5 Arkansas Razorbacks play the 8-2 Ole Miss Rebels in the only conference game featuring teams from the SEC West this weekend.
By Steve Wright
Follow @14powerscom
Here are the three keys to an Arkansas win.
1 – KJ Jefferson
It has become a weekly theme in Arkansas games, but KJ Jefferson must be healthy and play well for the Hogs to win. This isn’t exactly a lost season, but Arkansas has dropped many games it could have won for various reasons. Chief among those has been the health of the quarterback, with Jefferson missing the 13-10 defeat at the hands of LSU last weekend. He was also missing in the game where Mississippi State beat the Hogs; even in games he has played, he is clearly beaten up. The health of Jefferson’s shoulder will be key here.
2 – Can Quinshon Judkins Be Stopped?
Ole Miss has one of the best rushing attacks in the country, and the Rebels rush for an average of 260 yards per game. They have options in their backfield, but the bell cow is Quinshon Judkins. Judkins has done it all season long, and he has been over 130 yards in three of his last four games. He has nine touchdowns in his last five games, too, and just rushed for 5.4 yards per carry and two scores against Alabama. He is going to be a problem.
3 – Rocket Sanders
Judkins might be a beast, but Sanders is the second-best back in the league. He has 1,147 rushing yards on the season, with him just outside the Top 10 in the country. Working for Sanders and the Hogs this weekend is that the Ole Miss defense has a soft underbelly. The Rebels allow points on a shocking 91% of drives, a number good for 120th in the country. That means that Sanders will be able to find lanes – especially if Jefferson is on the field keeping the defense guessing – and Arkansas will be able to score points.
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