Dating the Hogs
by KevinHog on Jul 29, 2010 2:11 PM CDT
1 comment
Well, not that kind of date, if that is what you were thinking, haha. But date as in numbers, a specific point in time since the big bang. This week's question involves a red letter date in Razorback history, the date the running Razorback first appeared on our helmet. Do you know which year it was? If you think you do or even if you just want to guess, please vote below and look for the answer in the comment section. Come on expat readers, don't disappoint us here. This is the easiest question of the summer thus far! Not to put any pressure on you or anything like that, haha.
Q&A: Phil Steele, Part 1
by Arkansas Expats on Jul 29, 2010 9:41 AM CDT
in Football
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We'd be willing to bet than no one in the country knows more about college football than Phil Steele. Each summer, fans eagerly await the publication of the stat-laden Phil Steele's College Football Preview. Mr. Steele was gracious enough to talk with us recently about the 2010 Razorbacks. In this first installment of a three-part Q&A, Steele discusses the Hogs' offense. He is - how should we say this? - slightly bullish on Arkansas' offensive attack. And after you've read part 1, be sure to head over to PhilSteele.com, an invaluable resource for football fans that is updated daily.
Expats: The Arkansas offense has received a lot of accolades in the preseason. In what offensive areas do you think the Hogs still need to improve in order to move up in the SEC?
Steele: I think all the areas are fine. Naturally, the best units on the offense, the ones that just jump out at you [are] quarterback and receiver.
If you go back to the offensive line, they still opened holes for 4.3 yards per carry last year. They trimmed the sack total from 46 to 23. This year, they've got four starters back on the offensive line. So, quite honestly, I'm not too concerned with the offensive line. In fact, I rate it the number 22 offensive line in the country.
So, I guess of the four units, my lowest rated unit is the running back spot, but that's still number 33 in the country. Broderick Green, Dennis Johnson, Ronnie Wingo - it's a very deep unit. If you took all these guys and combined their stats, you'd have one heck of a running back. But I like what Petrino's doing by giving them each multiple carries, keeping them all fresh during the game. I think that's what gives them that production level.
Really, I do not have an offensive question mark on Arkansas. In fact, I rate ‘em either number one or number two in the country offensively this year. I think they'll be among the most explosive offenses - them and Houston probably will come up the best statistically this year.
Expats: The running back-by-committee approach had some good moments last year, and it felt like it kind of faltered at times. We were wondering if you see any particular running back emerging as the top guy, or will there continue to be that three- or four-headed monster?
Steele: I think you're going to see the carries still be split. I projected Ronnie Wingo as the starter heading into the season. 227 pounds, good size, good speed. Wingo last year averaged 6.5 yards per carry, which was the best mark among the running backs. The five times he caught the ball out of the backfield, he averaged 19.8 yards per catch. He's got the explosion factor. He's got the size. I projected Wingo as the starter coming out of the spring.
Expats: As you mentioned, the Hogs are particularly strong at receiver. Individually, maybe they don't get as many accolades as some of the other receivers around the country because they're all taking each other's stats a little bit. Is there anyone in particular who's poised to really break out? Do you see anybody kind of emerging from that group?
Way Back Wednesdays: Seven Overtimes to Beat Ole Miss - Nov. 3, 2001
by Stephen Expat on Jul 28, 2010 5:00 PM CDT
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Each Wednesday, we take a look back at a memorable and/or important (to us, anyway) Razorback game. So, sit back, relax and let the memories (and, in some cases, the heartache and angst) flow.
In the weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, Americans were being told seemingly at every turn that "everything's changed." Thankfully one thing that didn't change that fall was Houston Nutt's overly caffeinated sideline demeanor. Nutt's habits of annihilating his finger nails and contorting his face into a variety of crazed expressions never failed to make this fan laugh, and mirth was desperately needed during the nationwide freakout that was unfolding in the final months of that year.
No game that season provided Nutt — or, for that matter, Razorback fans — with more reasons to go bonkers than Arkansas' record-setting, seven-overtime 58-56 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. For the first four quarters, the game was a fairly unremarkable affair, and regulation ended with the score knotted at 17. And then, all hell broke loose.
The overtimes took more than an hour to complete, and when all was said and done, the Hogs had compiled nearly 400 rushing yards. Three Razorbacks rushed for 100 yards or more: Fred Talley (113 yards), quarterback Matt Jones (110 yards) and Cedric Cobbs (100 yards). On the opposing side, Eli Manning threw for six touchdowns — five of which took place in the overtimes.
The contest set a record for most overtimes in an NCAA Division I-A football game. Amazingly, the Hogs would tie the record just two years later, when they pulled out a 71-63 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. And only one year after the marathon Ole Miss affair, the Razorbacks would lose a six-overtime battle against Tennessee.
Houston Nutt's Hogs weren't always easy on the nervous and circulatory systems, but given the craziness of the times, the craziness of Nov. 3, 2001, was just what the doctor ordered. Highlights from the game after the jump. And before you go up, share your memories of that Ole Miss contest in the comments thread.
The Cost of Winning
by John Expat on Jul 28, 2010 2:30 PM CDT
in Football
6 comments
Stepping away from on-field matters for a moment, Jeff Long and the folks who oversee the various U of A sports teams are facing an interesting dilemma these days:
* on one hand, you have a zealous fanbase that wants - and expects - to win regularly in what is easily the toughest football conference in America.
* on the other hand, your school represents one of the smallest, poorest states in the U.S. but must compete with teams from much bigger markets with much deeper pockets.
Chris Bahn took a look at the Razorback Foundation's 2009-10 annual report and is predicting that ticket price increases are on the way. For example, right now what's described as a "mid-field lower-level football seat" (in other words, a good one) can be had for a donation of $150...the cheapest in the SEC. The conference average is $672 per seat, with Florida, Tennessee and Alabama topping out at more than $1,000 each.
Continuing that thought, TJ Carpenter argues that if Hog fans want to compete with the big guys, they need to pay up like the big guys. "You can’t, as fans, say your team should be better when you’re responsible for the program ranking so low in the financial commitment game in the SEC," he notes.
But, on the flip side, the fact remains that Arkansas is a much poorer state than many of its competitors, and the economy still isn't exactly robust these days. So, asking people to pony up won't necessarily be well-received.
Having to make decisions like this is why Jeff Long earns the big bucks (almost as much as an SEC blogger, we might add). If you were him, what would you do...raise ticket prices and risk a backlash, or keep 'em low and struggle to keep up?
Hog Hodge Podge: 7/26/10
by Stephen Expat on Jul 26, 2010 5:00 PM CDT
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After a week of traveling and partying with the jet set, we're trying to get back to business here at Expats headquarters. While we shake off the mental cobwebs, here are some links carefully chosen and tested for your perusal:
• You Are What You Eat. Chris Bahn of AS360 has a look at the methods of Kurt Schmidt, the man in charge of the Razorback football team's nutrition education. Suffice to say, Schmidt favors a hands-on approach:
Schmidt actually accompanies players to the grocery store when they first arrive on campus. He’ll explain which foods are healthy options and how to eat nutritious meals on a budget. Instead of spending $7 for a turkey sandwich at a local restaurant, Schmidt and the training staff will explain the same sandwich can be made in a player’s apartment or dorm room for approximately $1.50.
• Easy on the Eyes. And by the way, if you haven't done so already, you should check out the newly redesigned AS360. Pretty snazzy.
• Deuces Are Wild. Our friends over at The Razorbloggers have unveiled their SEC divisional predictions, and all four of the fellas say the Hogs will finish second in the West. But as Walking on Sunshine points out, one 'Bama-based scribed says Arkansas will turn in a clunker of a season and finish next-to-last in the division.
• Mount Hogmore. Ever sit around wondering which Arkansas coaches should be carved into a Razorback equivalent of Mount Rushmore? Well, television station 40/29, Northwest Arkansas' ABC affiliate, has come up with its answer to the question that has caused many a sleepless night around these parts.
Inexplicably leaving off such towering figures as Lanny Van Eman, Jack Crowe and Dana Altman, the station says a "Mount Hogmore" should consist of Frank Broyles, Nolan Richardson, John McDonnell and Norm DeBriyn. Strangely, when contacted by one of our eager-beaver interns, Dick Vitale said that Coach K definitely belongs on there.
Don't Need a Weatherman
by aboynamedsooie on Jul 26, 2010 2:06 PM CDT
in Football
2 comments
I love reading Matt Hinton's "hyper-specific" predictions during the season. Dr. Saturday's often uncannily spot-on, even when he's straying further and further from the entirely plausible. Regardless, it's fun to match his intuitions and prejudices against your own. However, his SEC forecast, as far as the Razorbacks are concerned, strikes me as a bit much:
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will lead the league in both touchdowns and interceptions, and the Razorbacks will lose multiple games in which he passes for at least 350 yards and three touchdowns.
We're all fairly certain that Mallett will be one of the league-leaders in TDs, but nothing about his past performance indicates that he'll come anywhere near the lead in interceptions. He may throw a few more than the measly seven (in 403 attempts!) that he gave up in his first full season as a starter—he's an aggressive guy who trusts his arm—but there's a lot of young quarterbacks taking snaps in the SEC this year.
Also, the only time Mallett has thrown for three touchdowns and 350 yards in a loss was that wild Georgia sh*tshow, and no way the Hogs give that one up with more than a single nonconference game under their belts. Hinton's guessing their performance on the other side of the ball will stay roughly as bad as it's been. No Hog fan trusts our defense less than me, but
- They're one year better than they were,
- Three-and-outs, which will likely dwindle this year, played a big role in most of the losses,
- The Steve Caldwell hire will have an immediate visible impact, and
- More often than not it was a weakness for giving up the big play which burnt them. Age and experience is the best way to improve recognition and on-field intelligence.
Hinton gives much more space to other teams in the conference, and most of his prognostications look about right, but why limit himself to only three actual predictions for everyone's favorite "darkhorse"?
Because there's a lot of ways to be wrong about the Razorbacks in 2010.
Wally on Les: Sounds Like Someone We Know
by Stephen Expat on Jul 23, 2010 10:09 PM CDT
in Awesomeness
2 comments
Hi, Kettle. I'm The Pot. You're black (and I misspelled "confusing"):
Shocker: Alabama Picked to Win SEC
by Stephen Expat on Jul 23, 2010 3:34 PM CDT
in Football
2 comments
The bra-burning, liberal elitists that make up the SEC media have spoken - and they predict that the Alabama Crimson Tide will win its second SEC championship in a row this season. The journos also picked the Florida Gators to conquer the SEC East and the Hogs to finish second in the West.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this morning's vote is that someone actually cast a first-place vote for Vanderbilt. That's likely to be the highlight of the Commodores' year.
Meanwhile, Ryan Mallett and D.J. Williams were named to the media's first-team, All-SEC preseason squad and DeMarcus Love was on the second team.
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