Arkansas football vs. Western Carolina: Scouting report, prediction for Razorbacks' opener

Year four of the Sam Pittman era opens Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, with the Arkansas football team hoping to avoid an unwelcome repeat of history at their home away from home.

The Razorbacks face Western Carolina (Noon CT, SECN+ and ESPN+) to kick off the 2023 season. While Arkansas does have a winning record playing at War Memorial Stadium (152-62-4), the Razorbacks do have two bad losses in recent memory against Louisiana-Monroe and Toledo.

But this season, filled with hope and confidence, can't possibly start with a home loss against FCS competition. Right?

Here’s a look at some things to watch from WCU and a score prediction ahead of the Razorbacks' first game of the college football season.

Catamounts are experienced, and explosive

WCU returns 15 starters from last year's team that went 6-5, which marked the school's best record since 2017. The Catamounts closed the 2022 season with three consecutive wins to build momentum heading into this season.

At the heart of WCU's success last season was an electric offense. The 5,339 total yards were a school record, and the Catamounts passed for more than 3,000 yards for the first time in program history thanks to a two-quarterback offense.

More: Will Arkansas football make a run at the SEC West title? Our game-by-game predictions

More: Arkansas football's Rocket Sanders is bigger, somehow faster and ready for liftoff in 2023

One of those quarterbacks, Cole Gonzales, is back and the unquestioned starter this season. He also brings back two of his favorite weapons from 2022 in running back Desmond Reid (826 rushing yards, 212 receiving yards) and wide receiver Censere Lee (634 receiving yards, 6 TDs).

"Everywhere I’ve been, we’re going to have skill players," Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell said. "We’re going to have guys who can put the ball in the end zone and create explosive plays."

Not your average FCS offensive line

Arkansas defensive lineman Zach Williams admitted earlier this week he couldn't believe how big the WCU offensive line was when he took his first look at the opposing roster. Sam Pittman said they have multiple linemen who might play in the NFL one day.

The Catamounts start five upperclassmen up front, with four weighing more than 300 pounds. Senior left tackle Tyler Smith is 6-foot-8 and 310 pounds. The Razorbacks have raved all fall about their added depth and talent on the defensive line, and this will be a surprisingly good test early in the season.

Expect a lot of screens and short passes

The first thing Pittman saw on film from WCU was a team that ran a lot of bubble screens and executed those plays at a high level.

Coach Bell doesn't hide from that strategy, either.

"We’re not going to throw 50-50 balls. We’re going to create guys in space and get them in space. Then we want to have these explosive players who can create explosive plays with that," he said.

Fortunately for Arkansas, defending the screen has been a huge focus of fall camp. This will be an opportunity for the revamped secondary to get off blocks and display their physicality. It'll also be a test for the Arkansas linebackers, who need to beat the WCU offensive lineman to the spot and make tackles in space.

Turnovers and penalties can be a problem

The Catamounts ranked last in the SoCon in penalties and turnover ratio last year. That is a recipe for disaster this weekend as they take a step up in competition against the SEC.

If Arkansas can win the turnover battle, it will be nearly impossible for Western Carolina to spring the upset. The Catamounts need all the extra possessions they can find with a 0-61 record against FBS schools and a 0-20 mark against the SEC.

Florida men, everywhere you look

Coach Bell played quarterback at the University of Florida and concluded his collegiate career by being named SEC Player of the Year in 1984. The former walk-on played high school football in North Central Florida and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Before coming to WCU, he was the offensive coordinator at the University of South Florida.

With all of his ties to the Sunshine State, it's no surprise 43 players on the WCU roster are from Florida, a place that continuously produces some of the best college and professional football players. Since Bell arrived in Cullowhee two years ago, 22 of his 34 recruits have hailed from Florida.

Prediction: Arkansas 48, Western Carolina 14

The Hogs learned the hard way last season that games against historically lesser competition can be tricky, but that experience combined with first-game anticipation should provide enough focus to make this an easy win. Western Carolina will score against the Arkansas defense, but it's hard to imagine the Catamounts' defense holding up against KJ Jefferson and Raheim Sanders.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football vs. WCU: Score prediction, scouting report