Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 27, 2025 35 GAME PREVIEW: ARKANSAS for Arkansas than anyone but quarter- back Ryan Mallett (3,795) in 2010. Green was the driving force in Ar- kansas' offense last season with 3,154 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air and 602 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. He's continued that pro- duction in a more efficient manner this season. Green finished with a passing efficiency rating of 138.2 in 2024, which ranked No. 55 in the country. His pass- ing efficiency through three games this season rose to 182.7 — 12th best in the country. Green couldn't quite provide enough firepower to outscore Ole Miss on the road in Arkansas' first loss of the season Sept. 13. The Razorbacks had posses- sion with a chance to take the lead in the final two minutes of the 41-35 loss, but wide receiver Jalen Brown lost a fumble as Arkansas approached the red zone. "I was really proud of our offense," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said. "They kept us in it, our defense couldn't do anything in the first half, especially most of the game. And we got problems there. We've got to get them fixed, but the offense kept us in the game there, and then the defense got a three-and- out, and we had a chance to win at the end." The way Green is playing Arkansas may always have a chance to win. "You know I don't look smart very much, but I did say we got Taylen Green, and we got a chance," Pittman said. "Nobody else has him, and that's true." LIFTING EXPECTATIONS The SEC Preseason Media Poll fore- casted Arkansas to finish the 2025 season in 14th place in the 16-team conference. The Razorbacks didn't have any Preseason All-SEC first- team selections. Arkansas still has seven SEC games remaining on its schedule, but it already looks like the Razorbacks were underes- timated heading into the season. A lot of that has to do with Green at the center of the offense, but he has pieces around him that have allowed him to elevate his game. Pro Football Focus tabbed Arkansas as the No. 8 rushing attack in the FBS through Week 3 with a grade of 88.8. Green accounted for a lot of that by av- eraging 9.6 yards on 32 carries, but run- ning back Mike Washington has been a threat as well. He rushed 31 times for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns in three games. Only 11 teams received better pass- blocking grades from Pro Football Focus than Arkansas (81.4) through Week 3. Opponents sacked Green just twice in the first three games. That allowed him to throw touchdown passes to six team- mates. "He's just a great leader for our of- fense," said Arkansas senior tight end Rohan Jones, who caught a touchdown from Green against Arkansas State. "On the field, off the field, he's just a person that brings joy and happiness, and he's very positive, so he brings that same mindset to the field. "He keeps the guys up, and he really leads us in the right direction. He's the heartbeat of our offense, and he keeps us going." Green will need to stay positive while Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME AT ARKANSAS Date: Sept. 27, 2025 Site (Capacity): Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000) Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET Television: ABC Radio: This game can be heard on Notre Dame IMG affiliates. Series Facts: First meeting. Head coaches: Arkansas — Sam Pittman (32-33, 6th season); Notre Dame — Marcus Freeman (34-12, 4th season). Noting Arkansas: Taylen Green became the first Arkansas quarterback to rush for 100 yards in con- secutive games since Matt Jones in 2004 … Arkansas surpassed 500 yards of offense in each of its first three games … O'Mega Blake, who previously played at South Carolina and Charlotte, became the first Arkansas wide receiver with touchdown receptions in three consecutive games since Matt Landers in 2022. … Through Week 3, Arkansas had converted 199 consecutive extra-point kicks dating back to the 2020 season … Pittman became the fifth Arkansas head coach to lead his teams to bowl eligibility in four of his first five seasons, joining Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield and Houston Nutt. 2025 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET)/Result Aug. 31 at Miami L, 27-24 Sept. 13 Texas A&M L, 41-40 Sept. 20 Purdue W, 56-30 Sept. 27 at Arkansas (ABC) 12 p.m. Oct. 4 Boise State (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Oct. 11 NC State (Peacock) 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18 Southern Cal (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Boston College TBA Nov. 8 Navy (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh TBA Nov. 22 Syracuse (NBC) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Stanford TBA 2025 ARKANSAS SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Aug. 30 Alabama A&M W, 52-7 Sept. 6 Arkansas State W, 56-14 Sept. 13 at Ole Miss L, 41-35 Sept. 20 at Memphis L, 32-31 Sept. 27 Notre Dame (ABC) 12 p.m. Oct. 11 at Tennessee TBA Oct. 18 Texas A&M TBA Oct. 25 Auburn TBA Nov. 1 Mississippi State TBA Nov. 15 at LSU TBA Nov. 22 at Texas TBA Nov. 29 Missouri TBA With Arkansas' 41-35 loss to Ole Miss in Week, Sam Pittman dropped to 7-18 in one-score games during his head coaching tenure. PHOTO COURTESY ARKANSAS ATHLETICS