Bobby Petrino's Return to Arkansas Begins With a Bang

© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Taylen Green and the Arkansas Razorbacks were on fire on Aug. 29, totally manhandling Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-0 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. Green, who transferred to the Southeastern Conference school from Boise State, was an offensive machine in the first half.

Arkansas Offense on Fire

In his one half of work, Green went 16-for-27 passing with 2 touchdowns for 219 yards. He wasn't shy running the ball, either. Green totaled 88 yards on 6 carries. Arkansas fans probably were ecstatic to see the Razorbacks take a 49-0 halftime lead over this FCS school.

First-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who is a former Arkansas head coach, had players and fans jumping for joy. The 70-0 final score marked the largest final-score difference for the Razorbacks in nearly a century. That's right. Nearly 100 years. Current Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman was effusive in his praise for Green after the game.

“We’ve seen him at practice and we thought he’d play like he did,” Pittman said, The Associated Press reported. “We didn’t know how well he would run. We knew he was fast, but we just hadn’t seen it. But that broken-field play, running from one side of the field to the other, that was a hard run because he had to come all the way across, and he had the speed.”

Petrino was hitting all the right buttons on Aug. 29. Arkansas' run game posted 215 first-half yards en route to 279 total. Utah transfer Ja'Quinden Jackson picked up some all-purpose yards. Jackson scored 2 touchdowns and gained 101 yards on 8 carries. He added 2 catches for 20 yards.

“To score all 10 times, it’s never been done before (at Arkansas),” Pittman said. “I thought our running backs ran really hard. I think Ja’Quinden Jackson proved he can run over you, he can make you miss, he also caught a nice ball out of the backfield.”

While Arkansas was all over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Razorbacks fans were not disappointed seeing a high-powered offense take the field. Both teams agreed to play 10-minute quarters in the second half.

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Green's Great Dash

Green saved his best play, though, as the first half was ending. Golden Lions defenders were chasing Green down, but he eluded the rush and moved out of the pocket. He found a second gear and scored the Razorbacks' seventh straight touchdown.

After Green left the game, freshmen quarterbacks KJ Jackson and Malachi Singleton took over. They were a combined 12-for-14 passing for 179 yards.

Watch how this play materialized. Even as things broke down or didn't follow the game plan, the Razorbacks found a way to move the ball or score. Green definitely will make his mark on the field leading up to SEC play.

Meanwhile, tight ends Luke Hasz and Ty Washington combined for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.

Arkansas' No. 1 receiver Andrew Armstrong was not available. Green and Petrino, though, were in sync on the passing game. They were mixing up a lot of diverse routes along with different pass plays.

Razorbacks on the Road

Taking a season-opening win over a weak Southwestern Athletic Conference team doesn't guarantee any future results for Arkansas. But Thursday's game is an encouraging sign for a fan base desperate to see consistency on offense.

Well, now that Arkansas has a win in the books, competition gets stiffer. The Razorbacks travel to play head coach Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. It will air on ABC.