An article by College Sports Matchups in the Fort Smith City Wire is picking the Razorbacks to finish 10-2 this season and to beat Alabama. Here’s an excerpt:
Playing in the SEC makes winning football games difficult every year, but is this the season that Arkansas breaks out under head coach Bobby Petrino?
Read the entire article here or access via the direct link: http://www.thecitywire.com/?q=node/10559
I predict big changes for Arkansas Razorback basketball. This is from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
Hogs basketball attendance drops
May 16, 2010 6:38 AM
Bob Holt
For the first time since Walton Arena opened for the 1993-1994 basketball season, Arkansas failed to finish among the top 14 teams nationally in home attendance.
According to Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild, Arkansas 2010 recruiting class was strong and just what the doctor ordered. Here’s an excerpt:
The Arkansas Razorbacks set out in 2009 to show they can compete in the SEC and to recruit big talented players to the U of A campus. Over the the year and into the new year of 2010 you could say one thing…
Mission accomplished.
Read the entire article here.
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT GAME
By Noah Trister, Associated Press
Published Saturday, February 6, 2010
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Even during its four-game winning streak, nothing is coming easily for Arkansas.
Courtney Fortson scored 24 points, and the Razorbacks withstood a fluky basket at the end of regulation to beat Auburn, 82-79, in overtime Saturday. Arkansas won despite an injury to center Mike Washington — and moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC West just two weeks after losing by 31 points at Kentucky.
“For what was said and written about those young men — really all season long and after that game in Lexington — nobody gave them a chance to be where they are right now,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “They deserve the credit for that.”
The Razorbacks have trailed at halftime in all four games of their streak, and Saturday they lost Washington to a left leg injury with 8:09 to play. Still, Arkansas (12-11, 5-3 SEC) was in good shape after Fortson’s layup gave the Hogs a 67-65 lead with 14.1 seconds left.
Auburn’s Tay Waller tried a contested 3-pointer that missed, but Frankie Sullivan saved the ball as it went toward the Tigers’ bench and threw it back toward the basket. Sullivan’s heave didn’t come close to going in, but Andre Malone was all alone to catch the ball and lay it in just before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
Playing their fourth game in 10 days, the Razorbacks pressed on.
“We’ve been dealing with adversity,” Fortson said. “As long as we can stick together, anything can happen.”
Fortson’s 3-pointer broke a 71-71 tie, and he later hit from the perimeter and made two free throws with 40.6 seconds left to make it 78-73. After an Auburn miss, Fortson grabbed the rebound and went coast to coast for a layup and a seven-point lead.
Auburn (11-12, 2-6) rallied one more time. With the score 81-76, Arkansas turned the ball over, and Waller made a 3-pointer. Fortson made one of two free throws with 4.2 seconds left, and after a timeout, Sullivan momentarily lost control of the ball rushing it up the court.
Sullivan recovered in time to get off a shot from midcourt. It was on line but hit the back of the rim, and Sullivan collapsed to the floor in disappointment.
“I thought it was good when it left my hand,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan and Waller each scored 18 points for Auburn.
This is an interesting listen. Click on image for audio.
By Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.
The Arkansas Razorback football team has had a very good week.
In the past week they found out that starting quarterback Ryan Mallett and starting tight end D.J. Williams would forgo early entry into the NFL draft and return to play for the Hogs.
The Hogs also got some very good news on the recruiting front.
First the Hogs received a commitment from 2011 star quarterback Brandon Allen. Allen is the son of assistant coach Bobby Allen.
Just moments later the Hogs received a commitment from William Russ. Russ is a kicker/punter from Shreveport Evangel. Russ should be able to provide an immediate impact on kickoffs and punts for the Hogs. His punts averaged close to 45 yards for the season, and he routinely kicked through the end zone on kickoffs.
The Arkansas coaching staff looks to keep the positives flowing this weekend when they host their largest group of official visitors of the year.
It is being reported by Richard Davenport, The Recruiting Guy, that the below recruits are scheduled for official visits this weekend. These are subject to change, but currently each player has reported he will be here for his official visit this weekend.
CB Deonte Welch of Williston, Fla.
TE Brad Hefley of Joplin (Commit)
OL Jordan Rainey of Joplin (Commit)
OL Cam Feldt of Pilot Point, Tx. (Commit)
S Darrell Smith of Port Saint Joe, Fla. (Commit)
DL Sean Watson of Panama City, Fla. Rutherford
Ath. Jatashu “Big Tex” Beachum of Dallas Maceo Smith (Commit)
DL Jeremiah Jackson of Hoover, Ala. (Commit)
TE Garrett Uekman of Little Rock Catholic (Commit)
Ath. Julian Horton of Norcross, Ga.
RB/LB Braylon Mitchell of Heber Springs (Commit)
WR Maudrecus Humphrey of Hoover, Ala.
LB Courtney Gaston of Fort Gibson, Okla. (Commit)
The nine committed players should have a good impact on the visiting recruits, and the Razorbacks are looking to close the 2010 class on a strong note.
The return of Mallett, many believe, should give the Hogs a boost on the recruiting trail and has optimism for 2010 at an all-time high.
With signing day fast approaching, this weekend is the first of many to come with high attendance of official visitors.
The weekend sets up perfectly for the official visits. With a home basketball game the recruits will get a chance to meet the fans and see what Arkansas fans are all about.
I’m not really good at making predictions, but I’m going to take a stab at a couple in this brief post.
Prediction No. 1 – The Arkansas Razorbacks will beat East Carolina in the upcoming Liberty Bowl, and perhaps convincingly. While the game will be close in the first half, the SEC battle-tested Hogs will prevail over the talented East Carolina team in the second half.
Prediction No. 2 – Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will decide to stay and play one more year before turning pro. While Mallett is a promising NFL prospect, his stock could potentially go through the roof leading the Razorbacks to a 10 or better winning season in 2010. Heck, if he plays well, he could easily be in the running for the Heisman! Playing another year under Petrino will only make him better.
Prediction No. 3 – Whether predictions No. 1 or No. 2 pan out or not, Arkansas will be much improved in 2010 and will start the year in the Associated Press Top 25.
There you go. Now all we have to do is sit back and see which of my prognostications come to pass.
Happy New Year!
Tony Barnhart of the AJC provides some good information about the SEC championship game which will be played this weekend.
Here’s an excerpt:
Only one running back this season—Dennis Johnson of Arkansas—has rushed for over 100 yards against the Florida defense. Florida is No. 8 nationally in rushing defense, giving up only 89.2 yards per game and 2.9 yards per rush. Florida has held four straight opponents to under 100 yards rushing. Alabama is No. 2 nationally in rushing defense, allowing only 77.08 yards per game and 2.62 yards per attempt. No running back has gone over 100 yards against Alabama’s defense this season.
Read all of Barnhart’s post here.
This is from The Sports Network (TSN). Writer Jeff Frank is picking Arkansas over LSU on Saturday:
The most underrated team in college football
By Jeff Frank, Contributing Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Go through the AP Top 25 and you will not be able to locate a certain SEC club that has a chance to finish in a second- place tie in its division. This particular team is also surprisingly absent from the top 38, if you count the “others receiving votes” portion of the poll.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are the only team in the country to not only stay within single digits of Florida but to have a fourth-quarter lead against the undisputed number one team in the country. The Hogs could have very easily won that contest in Gainesville, or at the very least sent it to overtime, if Alex Tejada hadn’t missed a pair of makeable field goals in the second half.
Bobby Petrino’s club, perhaps emotionally drained from its fantastic effort that Saturday, failed to capitalize the following week at Ole Miss, a game the Rebels owned from start to finish. However, since that contest, the Razorbacks are 4-0, outscoring their opponents 194-84, and quarterback Ryan Mallet has been on fire, completing 78-of-107 passes for 1,295 yards with 13 touchdowns over that span.
Arkansas is having an extremely similar season to the one that transpired in Oxford last year. The Ole Miss Rebels not only gave Florida a tussle in ’08, they beat the Gators, and just like this year’s Razorbacks, lost two straight games in October.
Ole Miss then reeled off five more wins to end the regular season at 8-4. If the Hogs can defeat LSU this Saturday, they’ll be 8-4 as well.
Speaking of LSU, the Tigers were abused at home last November by Ole Miss, 31-13, rushing for just 37 yards. It’s doubtful they’ll be held to that low a number against a weaker Arkansas defense, but they’re now down to their fourth- string tailback with the latest injury to Keiland Williams. The senior is out for the year after getting hurt in last week’s incredible game against the Rebels, a loss that could carry over into this week’s game.
Arkansas will certainly not be scared of LSU. The Hogs have fared very well against the Tigers lately, winning the previous two meetings.
Last year, the Razorbacks prevailed, 31-30, holding Jordan Jefferson to just nine completions in his first career start. They also shut down the Tigers’ running game, limiting Charles Scott and Keiland Williams to a combined 74 yards.
Two years ago in Baton Rouge, Arkansas won in triple overtime over the eventual national champions, and back in ’05, lost by only two as 16.5-point underdogs.
After finishing with only five victories a year ago, the Razorbacks have a chance to win eight games in Petrino’s second season and they’ll do just that with the upset win over LSU.
Take Arkansas plus the points.
(NOTE: Arkansas-LSU graphic from the Fayetteville Flyer. Check out their Arkansas-LSU game article here).
Tonight’s game pitting the Arkansas Razorbacks against the Louisville Cardinals will reveal a lot about where the Hogs program is … and is headed.
It is best at this point in the season to put all off season distractions aside and concentrate on the matter at hand – that is competing and winning basketball games…especially in the Southwestern Conference.
Pelphrey has to know that he might have two more years to turn the Hogs around return the program to elite status.
Actually, the dispatch of several key players of a week or so ago will be a good test of how mature – and how well coached – the young team is.
Tonight will tell.
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