Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Josh Jarboe knows nothing is guaranteed this week against Memphis.

Arkansas State (0-1) can’t count on another 49-3 victory in the 57^th meeting with its rival from across the Mississippi River. Jarboe can’t be assured a repeat of last year’s seven-catch, 162-yard performance against the Tigers (0-1) when the two teams meet on Saturday.

“You can’t look at that game because you never know how a football game is going to go,” Jarboe said. “… I don’t look at who they lost to or what I did last year. People get better over the summer and everybody is grinding like we’re grinding.”

Memphis’ grind this week has surely been geared toward stopping Jarboe when the teams meet at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Not only did the senior put up career-high numbers against the Tigers last season, he is coming off a school record-tying performance at Oregon.

Jarboe had 13 catches as the primary target for quarterback Ryan Aplin in last week’s 57-34 loss to the Ducks. He finished with 66 yards and a touchdown, an outing that helped the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Jarboe further impress his position coach.

Receivers coach Casey Woods took note of Jarboe’s effort in the Oregon loss. But Jarboe has impressed Woods beyond just that individual performance.

Jarboe, whose travels in college football — from Oklahoma to Troy to Northeast Mississippi Junior College to Arkansas State — are well chronicled, has been open to coaching and shown a willingness to work as hard as the staff wants.

“We’re in the fourth quarter and we’re down and [Jarboe] catches that ball and makes three guys miss,” Woods said. “… Jarboe, I think, is in his fifth college staff and they’re out there fighting and competing for this staff.

“That’s what touches me the most.”

Jarboe, who caught 54 passes for 730 yards and two touchdowns as a junior, is eager to please and improve. He entered the season as the Red Wolves’ top returning receiver and is off to a strong start in 2012.

Certainly, he’d like to build on what he did last week. Getting to showcase his talent in a nationally televised ESPN game was “the best experience I’ve ever had,” Jarboe said.

Coaches have been encouraged overall by what they’ve seen from Jarboe. Coach Gus Malzahn was pleased by Jarboe’s performance against the Ducks, but that doesn’t mean he was satisfied.