NCAAF News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) runs the ball for a first down as Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Charles Esters III (11) pursues during the second quarter at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Alabama A&M's Shade able to find info on Hogs easier, but not really helping

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Kent Smith | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 9:00 PM ET

When Arkansas lines up against Alabama A&M Saturday in the season opener, odds are high Bulldogs head coach Sam Shade will know much more about the Razorbacks than about 95% of Hogs fans.

If he can at least identify starting running back Mike Washington by jersey number without looking it up in the program, he will already have a leg up. He and his counterpart, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, each spent the week gathering intel on each other's team.

However, that was a much easier task for the people Shade delegated to versus those Pittman put in charge. Hearing Shade speak, it's clear his staff has been combing Arkansas media sites that have been forced to dig deep on the tiniest of details over the past three weeks to feed a knowledge hungry fan base.

On the opposite side of the coin, there's just not a lot of outlets covering the Bulldogs and how deep that material goes is a bit of a crapshoot. It also doesn't help that Shade is in his first year in Huntsville, Alabama.

That means what little film is available from last season is basically useless as all schemes and most of the players are no longer associated with the Bulldogs. Fortunately, Miles made the Division II playoffs with a 10-3 record under Shade, providing at least a little quality footage from their two rounds of work and a SIAC championship game.

So, while Pittman's staff tries to piece together the puzzle that will reveal who Alabama A&M is, here's what Shade has already determined about the Razorbacks.

Shade expects a full house

"Well, first off, it's going to be a sellout. It's going to be a packed house. It's their first game. Opening day for them that that's always exciting for anybody, especially playing at home. So we're gonna we're gonna have a crowd that's going to be into the game. They're going to be loud, they're going to be excited. They've been waiting since last season for football, just like our fans have also. So it's going to be a lot of energy, and we've got to go out there and play the way we know how to play ball, and, you know, not get caught up in the in the atmosphere and all that, just go play the way we know how to play."

Washington's chance to sneak up on at least one team is gone

"It's going to be tough because this is a team that they've reloaded. I mean, they've added some really good pieces — starting running back Mike Washington as a transfer. I've heard that he's had an outstanding camp."

Defense is bigger, but offense is better

"You know, they watch and listen to us. We watch and listen to them what they got going on. And it sounds like they're going to be defensively as big as they've been, as big and strong and as fast as they've been. So they're excited about that on defense, and I've been hearing things about their offense really doing some good things in the scrimmages, and basically, kind of, maybe getting, you know, having their way a little bit at times with the defense. So that's, you know, it's just a lot of interesting stuff that you hear, but I can tell they're really excited about their football team."

Taylen Green is scary

"Man, I tell you, he's he's big and he's very athletic. Runs really well. He can make all the throws. They're excited about him. Obviously, for us, he's going to be tough. It's going to be tough for us, because, you know, even when you've got them covered, he's going to buy time for those guys until they are uncovered, so we're going to have our work cut out trying to defend him."

Gap between SEC, FCS schools has grown

I'll just say this, you know, I've coached as an assistant on the FCS level. Actually did it for a long time, and the gap has really gotten a lot bigger between the FCS and FBS. And I think, obviously, that's because of the portal, that's because of the money that's involved. Your bigger teams are now able to go out and cherry pick from a lot of rosters, including FCS rosters. We had some guys that that were here, that are at, you know, other places now, so that kind of, I feel like you've got to throw that in there. It's not just the [offensive] line and [defensive] line. It's really across the board [now], unfortunately."

Bulldogs will have to deal with fact many Razorbacks players are just better

"I want our guys to play every play like it's the last play. I want that type of effort. I don't want to I don't want us to go out there and [Arkansas] make a big play, and then you go to the next play and you're thinking about the last play. I want us to lock in and focus on each and every play, because they're gonna make some plays. We're gonna make some plays. I'm really hoping we make make a lot of plays, maybe as many plays as them, but they're gonna make plays. They've got really good players, starting with the quarterback, they've got two running backs that are really good. They've got some receivers that they've added. So they're gonna be explosive on offense, and then on defensive side, they've got some guys that can really disrupt some things for us.
So when that happens, when we face a negative, when we face an adversity, I really want us to respond by going to the next play and taking the information and, you know, we sent a call in. I want to see our guys execute the calls. Now for guys just better than you, or you get in a situation where you do everything you're coached to do, and the guy still finds a way to win, then that's tough, but that's life.

Arkansas and Alabama A&M will kick off around 3:25 p.m. on SEC Network.