Missouri @ Arkansas preview

Missouri at Arkansas

Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2014 ) Arkansas 14, Missouri 21

Missouri hopes to send retiring coach Gary Pinkel out on a high note and earn bowl eligibility when the Tigers travel to face border rival Arkansas on Friday. The Tigers look to retain the Battle Line Trophy after a 21-14 home win last year, but they’ll have to stop a Razorbacks offense that has topped 50 points in four of its past five games.

Missouri hopes to extend Pinkel’s tenure by one more game with a victory, sending the program’s all-time wins leader out with his 11th bowl trip in 15 years at the helm. “I’d want to play for coach Pinkel as long as possible,” senior safety Ian Simon told the Kansas City Star. “That’s definitely a motivational factor. … I want to go and the team wants to go, so we just need to get this win this weekend.” The Tigers boast one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking seventh nationally in scoring defense (15.1 points per game) and 10th in total defense (301.3 yards per game), and they have been especially tough against the pass. They’ll be tested by an explosive and balanced Arkansas offense, which has topped 440 total yards in five straight games and has gone over 400 passing yards in two of the past three contests.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Arkansas -14

ABOUT MISSOURI (5-6, 1-6 SEC): After a solid offensive performance in a 20-16 win over BYU two weeks ago, Missouri’s offensive woes resumed in last week’s 19-8 loss to Tennessee, as freshman quarterback Drew Lock went 13-for-30 for 135 yards with an interception. For the Tigers to have a chance, they will have to give Lock enough time to find open receivers and pick apart a susceptible Arkansas secondary. The Tigers’ staunch defense was gashed for 248 rushing yards last week but did an excellent job with its back against the wall, limiting the Volunteers to one touchdown and four field goals.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (6-5, 4-3): The Razorbacks have been tough against the run, ranking third in the SEC (122.5 yards per game), but they are last in the league against the pass (302.8 yards per game). They were shredded by Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott last week, surrendering season-highs for total yards (631) and passing (508) and giving up three fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 51-50 loss. The high-powered offense often has bailed out the defense, though, as quarterback Brandon Allen has completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 3,023 yards with 29 touchdowns and six interceptions and Alex Collins has rolled up 1,262 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Allen has thrown 14 touchdowns passes in the past three games, while Missouri QBs Lock and Maty Mauk have combined for only 10 all season.

2. Missouri K Andrew Baggett (352) needs 11 points to break Jeff Wolfert’s school record for scoring.

3. Tigers LB Kentrell Brothers leads the nation with 140 tackles and has recorded 10 or more in six consecutive games.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 23, Missouri 16