It was a gritty performance, one that we’ve become accustomed to seeing from Arkansas under head coach Sam Pittman. More often than not they end in victories. But more often than not the Tums bottle takes a bit hit as well.

It’s exciting football, for sure. Big plays by big-play performers on both sides of the football are practically a given anymore. White-knuckle finishes have become the norm as well.

So, what to make of 19th-ranked Arkansas’ 31-24 season-opening win over 23rd-ranked Cincinnati? It’s only natural to overreact to one game, especially the first game of the season. But we all do it. It’s part of the sport.

With that in mind, here’s how the Razorbacks graded out:

Offense

Quarterback: A

What more can be said about the effort from KJ Jefferson? The guy is a gamer’s gamer. That old cliché of putting the team on his back is tired and overused, but in Jefferson’s case it is most certainly appropriate. With the game on the line, Pittman put the football in the hands of Jefferson and was not disappointed.

He threw for 223 yards, going 18 for 26, with 3 TDs and 0 interceptions. It was his 6th career game of 3-plus TD passes. He also rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Perhaps the only surprise was that he didn’t lead the team in rushing. That honor belonged to Raheim Sanders (122 yards on 20 carries).

Arkansas has now scored 30-plus points in 10 of Jefferson’s 16 career starts.

The only question, of course, is whether or not he can make it through the punishment that is an SEC West schedule. He limped home last season and will take equal –- if not more –- punishment this season. He’s got size and stature to withstand a good amount of the battering, but you have to wonder how long he can hold out.

Running backs: B

As mentioned, Sanders had a big game, the 2nd 100-yard game of his career. It was Sanders’ best rushing game since churning out a career-high 139 yards at Ole Miss last season.

The line blocking was excellent overall and Sanders took full advantage, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. As a team, the Hogs ran for 256 yards, averaging exactly 5 yards per attempt. That’s not surprising when you consider that Arkansas led the SEC in rushing last season.

Receivers: B

The receiving corps was very good. Four receivers caught passes. Trey Knox had his best game since he put together a string of 3 games back in the 2019 season before moving to tight end. That’s when he caught 6, 6 and 8 passes for 88, 90 and 83 yards, respectively. On Saturday, he hauled in a team-high 6 passes for 75 yards. He caught 2 TD passes, the first multi-touchdown receiving game of his career.

Matt Landers, a senior transfer from Toledo, caught 3 passes for 43 yards, and Oklahoma transfer Jason Haselwood grabbed 3 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown, his first since scoring against Kansas last October for the Sooners.

Arkansas veteran Warren Thompson also got into the act, making 2 catches for 22 yards. Not bad for a team known mostly for its running game.

Defense

Defensive line: B-

The Hogs did a good enough job of stuffing Cincinnati’s run game, for the most part. LSU transfer Cory Kiner had the most success on the ground for Cincinnati, rushing for 60 yards. But overall, the Razorbacks limited the Bearcats to 146 rushing yards, an average of 3.6 yards per carry.

Linebackers: B

Anytime your linebacker corps includes Bumper Pool, you’re bound to have a good night. Pool compiled a team-high 13 tackles and was once again the heart of the Arkansas defense. It was his 18th career double-digit tackles game.

Secondary: D

Too many big plays. To be fair, they happened after injuries to veteran leaders Myles Slusher and Jalen Catalon. The Hogs shut out Cincinnati in the first half.

Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant threw for 314 yards and 2 TDs, though LSU transfer Dwight McGlothern did come up with a key interception early. It was Arkansas’ 27th pick since the 2020 season, tying Alabama for most in the SEC over that span.

Still, Bryant was able to connect with 8 receivers and keep the Bearcats in a game that perhaps they had no business being in.