Raheim Sanders returned in the loss Texas A&M after missing three game with a knee injury, and Arkansas hopes its star tailback is his normal self against Ole Miss.
Sanders suffered the knee injury against Western Carolina in the season opener and missed the win over Kent State and losses BYU and LSU. The third-year running back had 11 carries for 34 yards versus the Aggies and also caught two passes for 36 yards.
He’s only played 33 snaps this season and touched the ball on 13 of the 16 snaps this past weekend. For the season, Sanders is averaging 2.9 yards per rush on 26 carries.
“I don’t think he was 100,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said on Monday, adding that Sanders continues to have fluid on his knee. “I do think he brought a spark to the team as far as being back and all those type things. But I think if you watched the game, I don’t think that you would think that he was at 100 percent.
“He’ll obviously be better this week than he was last week. He went out there and played hard and all those things, but I don’t think he was the old Rocket yet. But I think he will certainly get there.”
Arkansas is 2-3 going into back-to-back road games at Ole Miss and Alabama.
None of Sanders’ runs went for a first down against Texas A&M, and he forced three missed tackles on the 13 touches. His long runs this season are 14 yards and nine yards, leaving 24 carries for 53 yards the rest of the time. Forty-seven percent of Sanders’ yards in 2022 came on runs of more than 15 yards.
Sanders, in limited work, is averaging 1.77 yards after contact per rush, down 3.14 yards a season ago, when he averaged 6.5 yards per carry.
Sanders and Ole Miss tailback Quinshon Judkins garnered the most running back praise in the SEC during the preseason. Sanders ran for more than 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, while adding 271 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver.
Rashod Dubinion has 47 carries for 177 yards (3.8 yards per carry), and AJ Green has 32 rushes for 195 yards (6.1 yards per carry). Quarterback KJ Jefferson has picked up 243 yards on the ground through five games but lost 118 because of sacks and negative plays.
