LITTLE ROCK – The Salt Bowl between Saline County foes Benton and Bryant will be a little bit different this time around.
The annual matchup has normally been played on Saturday nights as a Week 0 finale, but this season it will be on Friday with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium. This season marks the 50th anniversary of the well-documented rivalry and the 25th edition of the ‘Salt Bowl’.
“It is really just like any other game,” Quad Sanders, who enters his second season as Bryant’s head coach, said of the game being moved up a day. “It is probably more so of a routine now.”
Benton Coach Brad Harris elaborated on Sanders’ statements.
“I like it better because it gets us in a routine,” Harris said. “We have had all summer to prep for Bryant and I just have the philosophy that I like to get in a routine of having three or four prep days to get ready for a team. That extra day kind of added a little bit of anxious energy and I hope they keep [the game] on Friday, but at this point our guys are just ready to have somebody else up against them.”
Panthers Hoping to Break Through
Since this matchup was dubbed the ‘Salt Bowl’ in 2000, Bryant has compiled a dominant 20-2-2 record while the Hornets also lead the all-time series by a narrow 25-24-2 margin since the two squads began competing against each other in 1974. The most recent tie was a 14-14 draw in 2014 as the Hornets have taken the past nine contests, but the Panthers have not earned bragging rights since 2005.
While there have been some exceptions in that decade-long span, a large portion of those games were heavily in Bryant’s favor. The final score may not show it, but the Panthers had their chances last August as they were down 14-6 early in the fourth quarter before the Hornets made a crucial special teams play and ran away with a 35-6 victory.
“The momentum swung when they blocked the punt and the flood gates opened on us, but we feel like we closed the gap on them a little bit last year,” Harris said. “In 2020-2022 they really got after it and separated from us, but our guys played with a lot of confidence and you saw that on the field.
“Our senior class believes that they have a chance to beat Bryant. The team believes they have a chance to be good this year, but also believe they have a chance to beat Bryant for the first time since 2005. That is them saying stuff like that, not me making them say it, but they have always kind of had that swag to them. I really feel like they believe that, so hopefully we can go out Friday night and play with the big boys.”
Benton’s plan was to slow the game down by running the ball and it was highly successful until star running back Braylen Russell was no longer available. Russell, now a true freshman with the Razorbacks, was forced to sit out during the second half due to an injured ankle after putting the team on his back, finishing with 80 hard-earned yards and caught the touchdown that put Benton’s six points on the board. The Panthers also lost second-string running back Chris Barnard, who now plays for Division II defending national champion Harding University.
Current senior Quenton Godley (5-7, 185) filled in during the absence of Russell and Barnard, finishing his junior season with 223 yards and 4 touchdowns on 36 carries. Godley will share carries with classmate Luther Tucker (5-8, 185), who transferred from Little Rock Southwest during the offseason, plus rising sophomore T.J. Williams (5-9, 175) in 2024.
“Honestly, I don’t know who is going to start right now,” Harris said. “Depending on what the play is will probably determine who takes the first snap.
“We like all three of them and feel like we will get a lot of production and it will be running back by committee. The last couple of years we have had 1,500 or 1,600 yards of production from one guy, it is not going to happen this year. It will be between three guys.”
Proven Production at Quarterback
This will be the first time since 2020 that both teams knew who would be running their respective offenses coming into the season.
Senior Ouachita Baptist commit Jordan Walker is a three-year starter for Bryant and compiled 3,000 yards of offense, 2,500 through the air, with 37 touchdowns as a junior.
“I think he still feels like he has a point to prove,” Coach Quad Sanders said. “He just has to continue to not worry about what other people think and continue to improve as player. I think he has done a great job of continuing to work on his weaknesses and keep growing strong.”
Sanders believes that Walker should be mentioned with the best passers in Arkansas.
“A lot of people talk about all the quarterbacks in the state, but I do not know how he is not in the conversation,” Sanders said. “Obviously we have to go out and compete, so I just want him to continue to work on his game, not turn the ball over and make plays at the end of the day.”
Junior Drew Davis (6-2, 195) joined Benton’s varsity squad with high expectations last fall and took over as the Panthers starting quarterback in Week 3 against Catholic. Davis had a sensational sophomore campaign, completing 71.6% of his passes for 3,135 yards and 42 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions, while adding another 201 yards and 3 scores on the ground. The three-star prospect owns offers from Marshall and North Alabama.
“We knew we had a sophomore in Drew who was going to be capable,” Harris said. “He had to really compete and get after it, which I think is a good thing because competition makes you better. It has been good for us knowing who our guy is going into the season.”
While Davis has earned the title of ‘QB1’, the work continues daily.
“This year it is Drew’s job, but we have a sophomore, Chase Cobb, who is wanting to steal some reps from him so he pushes Drew,” Harris added. “I think what separates Drew as a young quarterback from a lot of guys is he sees the field so well and understands defenses. He knows from watching film what the defense is going to do, if it is open he is going to take it and if it is not then he is going to take what they give him.
“There are many quarterbacks in the state who are getting a lot of attention and I think Drew is right there with them.”
How To Listen, Forecast, and Ticket Information
• The game will be carried on 103.7 The Buzz with R.J. Hawk (play-by-play), Kyle Sutherland (color), and Josh Neighbors (sidelines) on the call. The Benton Football Network will also have an audio broadcast with video provided later.
• Forecast: Partly cloudy skies with a low of 72 degrees and a 40% chance of rain. Winds light and variable.
Go to this link for Benton tickets: https://bryant-athletics.ticketleap.com/sbbenton2024/
Go to this link for Bryant tickets: https://bryant-athletics.ticketleap.com/sbbryant24/
You can also find the ticket links and game information at www.bentonschools.org and
www.bryantathletics.com.
(Cover photo by Jimmy Jones)
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.