Arkansas facing another dangerous underdog in Louisiana-Monroe

The Associated Press

It’s hard to say when Arkansas’ game against Louisiana-Monroe began to look a little more daunting.

Maybe it was after Western Illinois drove for a go-ahead touchdown shortly before halftime the other night. Or perhaps when the Leathernecks went up 17-7 in the third quarter.

Regardless, Arkansas’ 28-24 win over Western Illinois on Saturday night was a bit of a wake-up call in what was supposed to be the Razorbacks’ easiest win of the year. Now the focus turns to Louisiana-Monroe, a team that shocked Alabama a season ago.

The biggest question: What’s the Warhawks’ running game like? Western Illinois’ Herb Donaldson rushed for 157 yards last weekend and helped the Leathernecks control the tempo.

The good news for Arkansas is that Calvin Dawson is gone. Dawson rushed for 1,414 yards for Louisiana-Monroe as a senior last season.

The Warhawks do still have quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster. The Razorbacks faced him two years ago when they beat Louisiana-Monroe 44-10.

Lancaster and his teammates didn’t have much success last weekend in a 34-0 loss to Auburn.

With Michael Smith back in the lineup at running back after a one-game suspension, Arkansas should be able to unveil a balanced offense.