Arkansas at BYU - 10/15/22 College Football Picks and Prediction

K.J Jefferson’s pending return will be big for the Razorbacks. The junior quarterback has thrown for 1,096 passing yards, with nine touchdowns to one interception through 5 starts, Jefferson has also rushed for 312 yards and four scores, and the combination of him and Raheim Sanders has given the team a lot of trouble this season. The junior running back leads the SEC in rushing with 695 yards, and he’s scored five touchdowns. Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood leads the team in receiving with 27 catches for 364 yards.

BYU is 4-2 after a loss to Notre Dame in Week 6. A rough second quarter led to a long nite in South Bend for the Cougars, as they were outgained 496-276 by the Fighting Irish, and could not contain the combo of Drew Pyne and Michael Mayer.

BYU is averaging 32.1 points per game, while passing for 264.3 yards per game (70th), and rushing for 153.2 yards per game (125th). Defensively, the Cougars allow 26.6 points per game, and give up 364.5 yards per game.

Jaren Hall will look to bounce back after a rough showing in South Bend. The junior signal caller posted season lows of nine completions and 120 yards, and will need to bounce back at home here. Hall has thrown for 1,558 passing yards with just two interceptions on the season. Cal transfer Christopher Brooks gained 86 yards in the loss, and leads BYU with 380 rushing yards and five scores. Kody Epps posted his first 100-yard game of his career and scored four the fourth weekend in a row versus Notre Dame.

Arkansas is 3-3 against the spread this season, with a 0-2 record on the road. The Razorbacks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. BYU is 4-2 ATS, with a 3-0 record at home. The Cougars are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games.

This midday battle in Provo now puts BYU in a potentially misleading spot at home. From what we’ve seen from the Cougs with Jaren Hall under center, they’ve struggled in big games versus the Power 5. Aside from the win over Utah last season, BYU has looked over matched in some of these matchups. 

The Razorbacks will welcome KJ Jefferson back to the lineup, fresh off of two weeks of rest, in what looks like a must-win game. Four straight losses into their bye week would be sheer disappointment for an Arkansas team that was ranked number-10 just three weeks ago. Their backs will be against the wall here, and I like the return of Jefferson powering the Hogs to victory here.

In one of the toughest calls of the weekend, trust the pedigree of the SEC school, and spot Arkansas’ the points for safety this Saturday.