–Fayetteville trounced the once-proud Little Rock Central Tigers 31-0 Monday night behind a solid effort from junior QB Brandon Allen, the son of Arkansas assistant coach Bobby Allen. Allen, who has been offered a scholarship by the Razorbacks, had over 200 yards passing and 2 Tds with 1 interception.
It’s easy to see why Allen, (6’3′ 205) is a highly sought after prospect. He possesses a very strong arm and also has suprising mobility for a kid his size. He is adept at play-action fakes (particularly for a HS player) and throws well on the run. Allen seems to have really matured since last year, when the biggest knock on him was his decision-making. He did make one very ill-advised throw in the first quarter, throwing deep down the middle of the field across his body on a play should have resulted in an interception. Instead, a Fayetteville receiver (who did not appear to be the intended target) made a 21-yard catch on 3rd and 3.
–On the other hand, I have to admit I was concerned with what I saw from Demetrius Dean, Fayetteville’s junior wide receiver, who has verbally committed to play for the Hogs. He sports the number 20, and it seems that he may have gained that many pounds since last season. In fact, as my neighbor, Dillon pointed out, it actually looked like he may have stopped at WhataBurger on the way to War Memorial Stadium and loaded up.
He is every bit of the 6’3 245 that he is listed in the program. Unfortunately, though, he seemed to lack much burst and appeared out of shape. He even seemed to struggle to get into position prior to snaps midway through second quarter. I am not trying to disparage the kid–just giving you an honest assessment of what I saw in a very small sample size from a future Razorback. Maybe (hopefully?) he is dealing with an injury and that explains things. He looks like he will be a Tight End/H-Back or Defensive End at the collegiate level.
–Little Rock central LB Blake James (6’1 225), the son of former Razorback great and central Arkansas television lightning rod Bruce James, is what you would expect–a big, strong kid who tackles with a purpose. Although he was drawing reported interest from some high Division I schools, James has committed to play for Georgia State.
James will become part of a very interesting Panther program in its infancy. It was founded a year ago and is leaping right into Division I (FCS) as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. GSU’s head coach is former Alabama and Kentucky head coach (and 1989 National Coach of the Year) Bill Curry. While the school is in Atlanta, and will play its home football games in the Georgia Dome, the football staff has a definite Arkansas flavor, as its coordinators are Natural State natives.
The GSU defensive coordinator is Forrest City, Arkansas native John Thompson, who was the East Carolina head coach in between several stops as a defensive coordinator at high major programs.
The offense is led by Rogers, Arkansas native John Bond, who played at Arkansas and was a grad and student assistant for Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield. Bond played at Rogers High School and was coached by his legendary father, Gary. He has been a coach for almost a quarter century and his last stop prior to GSU was at Georgia Tech where he held the same position and coached All-ACC RB Tashard Choice, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys. Also, former Razorback assistant coach George Pugh is the Panthers’ assistant head coach in charge of wide receivers and recruiting.
The Stereophonic Storm of the Mid-South had as many passing yards as the Tigers in Monday night's 31-0 loss to Fayetteville.
–There wasn’t much to cheer about for LR Central, which lost its 12th regular season game in a row. The defense looked solid at times, particularly in the front 7, but the offense again appears to be anemic as the Tigers completed just 3 passes for negative yards for the entire game and did not register a 1st down in the first quarter. About the only thing that went well for the Tigers was the performance of its spirit squads. The Central band, the Stereophonic Storm of the Mid-South, didn’t let the game rain on its parade and the Central Hi-Steppers dazzled at halftime and paid tribute to Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, though the game was anything but a Thriller.
After 10 days of injuries, position changes, and general reflection, here is our final Preseason Select 17. Not many changes, but there were a couple. As I mentioned earlier, we will announce the new poll every week on The Jon Williams Morning Show (93.3 The Eagle, KIGL-FM) in northwest Arkansas around 8:00am. It will post on this site about the same time.
This is a busy week for us here at BlogHawgs. With Game Week upon us, we will dive a little deeper on what the Hogs can expect from their opening opponent — Missouri State. We will also take a look around the rest of the country and the college football landscape in general.
On Thursday morning Adam and I will give you our weekly picks. We will keep a running tally all season so I can prove just how much smarter I am than him.
You can also expect much more coverage of Arkansas high school football. Games start today and will continue tomorrow and Thursday before most teams open on Friday night. Please feel free to forward us stories and — more importantly — scores from your local area.
Next week we will kick off our NFL coverage. Season predictions, weekly picks, and a fantasy focus are all in store.
An updated Top 17 Pre-season Poll is coming your way soon.
Arkansas high school football kicks off today with five games, including a feature game between Little Rock Central and 2007 state champion Fayetteville.
Rich Rodriguez may be in big trouble at Michigan. His entire tenure has been a rough ride thus far.
The U.S. Open kicks off today in NYC. Roger Federer remains the favorite to win, but don’t be surprised if an Andy wins. The Scotsman Murray may be ready to make that leap.
The Angels added Scott Kazmir to help fend off the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
Adam Wainwright continued his march to the NL Cy Young Award yesterday with a gem.
there are plenty of reasons to love it. Don’t act like you haven’t been perilously close to being featured on that site….you remember the time you were sick and went to the 24-hour Wal-Mart at 2 a.m. in some comfy sleeping pants and a white undershirt to get some Cheetos and a bottle of Nyquil. Admit it. Oh wait, that was me. Nevermind.
To no one’s surprise, Ryan Mallett has officially been named the starting QB for the Razorbacks. It looks like Tyler Wilson has earned some playing time, too.
Crazy Tom Coburn, the Oklahoma Senator, was in northwest Arkansas for some reason yesterday.
This guy held his daughter hostage with a knife because his father sold the man’s car. Yep… You read that right.
I usually side with teachers in any dispute involving parents, but maybe in this case she should not have used an example of an “enraged…teacher” firing a gun at a student.
It’s not just that TRUE FRESHMAN Matt Barkley has been named the starter, or that Mitchell is the 3rd-stringer–(even though he is the most experienced) it’s that he didn’t even get mentioned in the L.A. Times article about the decision until the LAST paragraph. Boy, what a doozy it was:
Mitch Mustain, the former Arkansas starter who is third on the depth chart at quarterback, did not attend practice, saying in an e-mail that he had flu.
Last week I brought you Balentine’s Day. This week I am giving you a peek back into the experience that was Jim Robken, the Hog Wild Band, and Barnhill South. (check out the scoreboard)
This will be a weekly feature here at BlogHawgs.com until the Hoop Hogs are relevant again, or Billy Gillispie gets another DWI.
He has certainly become a voice for conservatives, but that doesn’t make Richard Posner all bad. After all, he did work for some pretty signifigant figures from the left (most notably Justice Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, before he also became a SC justice). Over his life Posner has come perhaps the most recognizable legal scholar of his time. Even if I disagree, I usually read his op-eds in the Wall Street Journal because I know they’re smartly written.
I say all that to say, when he’s right he’s right. I found this while doing some research on the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Even as a true believer in government, this seems out of bounds to me. Over-correction can sometimes be worse than what you were trying to avoid in the first place. This strikes me as one of those times.
Congress has just created a commission, modeled on the 9/11 Commission, to inquire into the causes of the financial crisis. It will report its findings by the end of next year. One might have thought that a proposal to overhaul consumer finance would await a determination of the role of consumer credit practices in the crisis.
“Inside Razroback Football with Bobby Petrino” has plenty of changes in store for the 2009 season. I think these all sound like welcome changes, too. Coach Petrino is one of the best in his profession, but he is no TV guy. This will add to the show a lot.
Other changes include a segment devoted to a look ahead for the upcoming week and an in-depth scouting report against the next opponent. The show will also open the archives and look back at a memorable moment or game against the upcoming opponent with comments from former student-athletes. Other elements of the show include features on current student-athletes and current events, and storylines affiliated with Razorback football.
The threat of NCAA sanctions against Jesus Tim Tebow sacked the greatest minor league baseball promotion of 2009 before it started. University of Florida compliance officials notified the Fort Myers Miracles that using Tebow’s likeness would violate NCAA rules.
“Under NCAA rules it is not permissible to use the name or picture of a student-athlete in the promotion of a commercial product or service,” the e-mail from Jamie McCloskey, UF senior associate athletic director said. “This would include the promotion and marketing of What Would Tim Tebow Do? Night.”
This entire episode clearly sparked the ire of Tebow.
A funnel cloud could be seen with the naked eye, prompting some fans to question whether or not the big man upstairs was sending a warning to the Miracle for mocking Tebow, who is often referred to by Florida football fans as “The Chosen One.”
2009 Arkansas HS Kickoff Classic Notes–FHS vs. Central
Posted by Adam Butler on August 31, 2009
–Fayetteville trounced the once-proud Little Rock Central Tigers 31-0 Monday night behind a solid effort from junior QB Brandon Allen, the son of Arkansas assistant coach Bobby Allen. Allen, who has been offered a scholarship by the Razorbacks, had over 200 yards passing and 2 Tds with 1 interception.
It’s easy to see why Allen, (6’3′ 205) is a highly sought after prospect. He possesses a very strong arm and also has suprising mobility for a kid his size. He is adept at play-action fakes (particularly for a HS player) and throws well on the run. Allen seems to have really matured since last year, when the biggest knock on him was his decision-making. He did make one very ill-advised throw in the first quarter, throwing deep down the middle of the field across his body on a play should have resulted in an interception. Instead, a Fayetteville receiver (who did not appear to be the intended target) made a 21-yard catch on 3rd and 3.
–On the other hand, I have to admit I was concerned with what I saw from Demetrius Dean, Fayetteville’s junior wide receiver, who has verbally committed to play for the Hogs. He sports the number 20, and it seems that he may have gained that many pounds since last season. In fact, as my neighbor, Dillon pointed out, it actually looked like he may have stopped at WhataBurger on the way to War Memorial Stadium and loaded up.
He is every bit of the 6’3 245 that he is listed in the program. Unfortunately, though, he seemed to lack much burst and appeared out of shape. He even seemed to struggle to get into position prior to snaps midway through second quarter. I am not trying to disparage the kid–just giving you an honest assessment of what I saw in a very small sample size from a future Razorback. Maybe (hopefully?) he is dealing with an injury and that explains things. He looks like he will be a Tight End/H-Back or Defensive End at the collegiate level.
–Little Rock central LB Blake James (6’1 225), the son of former Razorback great and central Arkansas television lightning rod Bruce James, is what you would expect–a big, strong kid who tackles with a purpose. Although he was drawing reported interest from some high Division I schools, James has committed to play for Georgia State.
James will become part of a very interesting Panther program in its infancy. It was founded a year ago and is leaping right into Division I (FCS) as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. GSU’s head coach is former Alabama and Kentucky head coach (and 1989 National Coach of the Year) Bill Curry. While the school is in Atlanta, and will play its home football games in the Georgia Dome, the football staff has a definite Arkansas flavor, as its coordinators are Natural State natives.
The GSU defensive coordinator is Forrest City, Arkansas native John Thompson, who was the East Carolina head coach in between several stops as a defensive coordinator at high major programs.
The offense is led by Rogers, Arkansas native John Bond, who played at Arkansas and was a grad and student assistant for Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield. Bond played at Rogers High School and was coached by his legendary father, Gary. He has been a coach for almost a quarter century and his last stop prior to GSU was at Georgia Tech where he held the same position and coached All-ACC RB Tashard Choice, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys. Also, former Razorback assistant coach George Pugh is the Panthers’ assistant head coach in charge of wide receivers and recruiting.
The Stereophonic Storm of the Mid-South had as many passing yards as the Tigers in Monday night's 31-0 loss to Fayetteville.
–There wasn’t much to cheer about for LR Central, which lost its 12th regular season game in a row. The defense looked solid at times, particularly in the front 7, but the offense again appears to be anemic as the Tigers completed just 3 passes for negative yards for the entire game and did not register a 1st down in the first quarter. About the only thing that went well for the Tigers was the performance of its spirit squads. The Central band, the Stereophonic Storm of the Mid-South, didn’t let the game rain on its parade and the Central Hi-Steppers dazzled at halftime and paid tribute to Michael Jackson. Unfortunately, though the game was anything but a Thriller.
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