Arkansas faces a tough task on Saturday, but a win should vault the Razorbacks into the national polls. The problem is that Ole Miss has talent on both sides of the ball and is also desperate to win. For the rebels to achieve their greatest objective, it is essential to win.

The Rebs can still earn a spot in the 12-team playoffs at the end of the season, but they can’t afford another loss. Arkansas plays for pride, respect among its SEC brethren, another dose of national recognition and better bowling.

Kickoff at Razorback Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m. and a large crowd is expected. The thing about early kickoffs, however, is that fans usually aren’t as much of a factor and you can lose a little bit of the home field advantage. ESPN is televising the fight.

Ole MIss (6-2, 4-2) shut out Oklahoma in the second half last week and poses a threat to the Arkansas (5-3, 3-2) offense. The Rebels are ranked 19th in this week’s AP poll, while the Razorbacks received votes, putting them at 31st.

Running against Ole Miss’ talented defensive line could be difficult. Stopping the Rebels’ pass rush is also easier said than done. When it comes to coach Lane Kiffin’s big-play offense, the Razorbacks better watch out for the dynamic duo that lines up at running back and wide receiver.

Here’s the short list of people Arkansas players and coaches have kept up their sleep this week:

• Sophomore linebacker Suntarine Perkins, 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss

• Junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen, 6-3 and 205, unanimous top-3 transfer from Texas A&M, former 5-star prospect

• Senior defensive end Jared Ivey, 6-6, 285, Georgia Tech transfer, Peach Bowl defensive MVP, six sacks in seven games

• Redshirt junior Chris Paul, transfer from Arkansas leads Ole Miss in tackles with 59; three seasons with Hogs

• Senior running back Henry Parrish Jr. went from Ole Miss to Miami for two years and returned to Rebels; leads the team with 10 touchdowns, averages 82 rushing yards with 656 on 120 carries

• Senior receiver Tre Harris, 6-3 and 210, averages 141 yards per game with 987 yards on 59 catches, 16.7 per catch and six touchdowns in seven games; Louisiana Tech transfer was second-team All SEC last year

There is a group of talented rebels to worry about. But there’s one guy the Hogs should stop if they hope to have a chance at victory. Yes, slow down, because they’re not going to stop the author of Kiffin’s usually powerful offense.

Who are we talking about, you ask? The dart thrower, the SEC’s leading passer. It’s Jaxson Dart, who might be the most feared passer in the SEC.

So should the Razorbacks be shaking in their expensive cleats? Shake, not exactly, because athletes don’t shake. They prepare and hope to prevail.

The bettors say the opposite, having Ole Miss favored by 7.5 points according to a Tuesday Sports Illustrated article. The UnderHogs have been there before, as they were a rare favorite last week against Mississippi State when they cruised to a 58-25 victory.

Arkansas’ defensive line, led by 6-8, 280-pound end Landon Jackson, could be the key to the Razorbacks winning their fourth conference game in six tries. Going against a battered Ole Miss offensive line, that could be the key positional matchup, especially if the Rebs up front can’t stop Jackson and company from harassing Dart.

Still, it will be a tough task Saturday against the SEC’s top-rated quarterback. Dart is a senior and has only been at Ole Miss for three seasons, although it seems like longer to Sam Pittman.

“He has to graduate at some point,” said Pittman, Arkansas’ fifth-year coach. “He has to get out of there.”

Dart began his career at Southern Cal and started three games as a true freshman. The former four-star recruit out of Utah transferred when coach Lincoln Riley took over the USC program and Caleb Williams followed him from Oklahoma.

Yes, that’s the same Caleb Williams who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and was the No. 1 pick in the most recent NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, who immediately made him their starter. Meanwhile, Dart has lit up Ole Miss.

He leads the SEC in passing, with 337 yards per game; Add in the backup numbers and Ole Miss is averaging 354 per outing. Okay, you might ask, but do the rebels benefit? Yes, combined with the SEC’s highest scoring offense at 39.5 per game.

Here’s the good news for Arkansas fans and players: In SEC play, Ole Miss only outscored its opponents 24-16.5. Dart only throws for 285.5 yards per game. From the Rebels’ perspective, he’s still good stuff, but his numbers improved in a pair of early-season blowouts against “Thanks for the Check” schools.

For Pittman and his defensive coaches, it means getting less sleep than usual this week. According to Chief Hog, Dart is a nightmare waiting to happen.

“Outstanding,” was Pittman’s one-word description of the Ole Miss quarterback. “What you don’t really realize about him, maybe you do, is his ability to run. I mean, he can throw. He has Mahomes-like things. I’m comparing the magical throws he makes because he can make them. I mean, You’re going to say, how did he shovel this?

“But what’s also super dangerous is that he can run and he’s very, very competitive and very, very confident. He’s the kind of guy you want leading your program.”

Dart has 207 yards on 67 carries, for a 3.1-yard average. He’s also been sacked 17 times and the rushing yards (don’t ask me why, it’s stupid) come from the QB’s and team’s rushing yards stats. Dart has lost 99 yards primarily on catches, so if we give him the total of 307, he has just under 40 yards per game rushing.

Dart has three rushing touchdowns and a long run of 17 yards, although he has a double-digit carry in six of Ole Miss’ eight games. Still, he is more dangerous in the pocket looking for receivers.

Hogs quarterback Taylen Green, on the other hand, has rushed for 570 yards, but with 175 in losses (mostly sacks, of course) for 395 net rushing yards. He is dangerous in the pocket and even more so when he escapes.

So one quarterback is reminiscent of Lamar Jackson or Cam Newton (i.e. a game-changing running back who scores touchdowns from anywhere) and the other is reminiscent of Justin Herbert, a capable running back.

We’ll see on Saturday which poses the most problems for the opposing defense and which produces the most yards.

I almost forgot: Arkansas is ninth among 16 SEC teams in sacks, with a total of 18. Ole Miss is first with 34, a fact not lost on Pittman.

“They’re going to be a big challenge,” Pittman said. “They’re good. Every spot up there (on the defensive line), they’re good. I mean, really good.”

That means the Hogs must stay ahead of the chains and avoid third- and long-term situations. They will have to avoid negative plays for loss and play well at the passing tackle spots to protect Green.

“We’re playing better (at tackle),” Pittman said. “But that’s a big challenge for us, and we might have to run a draw or a screen here and there to try to stop that pass rush. Have different snap counts. Because obviously they’re very, very talented.”

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