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Arkansas v. Tennessee – BlogHawgs Prediction

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 11, 2011

GAME SKETCH

  • Line: Arkansas (-14)
  • Kickoff: 5:00pm CDT (ESPN2 national broadcast with Mark Jones doing play-by-play, Ed Cunningham providing color analysis, and Jeannine Edwards on the sideline)
  • Weather: Mostly clear all night; Kickoff Temperature of 60 degrees with readings holding steady throughout the game. Winds will be strong from the southwest, gusting over 25 MPH at times.
  • Streaks: Arkansas has won five games in a row this season after losing on the road at Alabama.

Despite a dominating win last week against South Carolina, the Arkansas Razorbacks dropped one spot – from 7th to 8th – in this week’s BCS standings. The Hogs actually made up ground on #1 LSU in the total points, but Oregon gained more ground allowing them to vault past Arkansas. Confused yet? Good.

The truth of the matter is this: If the Hogs keep winning, the BCS rankings will take care of themselves. Losing another game derails any SEC or BCS hopes the Hogs and their fans still have. Head coach Bobby Petrino says his team is focused on the task at hand, which is beating a wounded Tennessee Volunteer team at Reynolds Razorback Stadium this Saturday night.

The Volunteers head to Fayetteville struggling in SEC play. The other UT shutout Middle Tennessee State last weekend but has not yet scratched out a win in the conference. In the three conference games since starting quarterback Tyler Bray was injured (broken thumb) the Volunteers have scored a total of 16 points in three games. The flip side of that coin is this: the Vols played LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina in successive weeks.

National respect can only be gained with wins, and the Hogs are looking for both. Arkansas enters the game as a 14-point favorite. The Hogs need to win decisively – easily covering that number – for this win to register on the national scene. Any win is a good win, but Arkansas may need style points if it is going to leap past Alabama and position itself for a winner-take-all matchup in Baton Rouge on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Why Arkansas should win: The Razorbacks are 14-point favorites for a reason. Arkansas is a far more talented football team than the Bitches in Orange Breaches. Tennessee has struggled offensively even with their star quarterback Bray, and without him they have been downright awful. They managed 239 total yards against LSU, 155 yards against Alabama, and 186 yards against the Gamecocks. Tennessee ranks 118 out of 120 with just 86.8 yards rushing per game. They are not exactly lighting it up through the air, either, only mustering 252.1 yards passing each game – which ranks 42nd nationally. Senior Tauren Poole leads the team in rushing with just 513 yards and an even more miserable 3.5 yards per carry.

While Tennessee may have been looking forward to trying to get better against a Hogs defense that has struggled this season against the run, the Vols hit Fayetteville as the Arkansas defense comes off its best effort of the season. The Razorbacks surrendered only 79 yards on the ground last week, committed to stuff the run and forced an inexperienced quarterback to beat them. Look for a very similar gameplan this week against Tennessee. Freshman quarterback Justin Worley found some success last week against MTSU in his second career start, but do not expect similar success against a confident Razorback defense that gets starting end Tenarius “Tank” Wright back this week. For the first time since the second game of the year Arkansas gets to trot out its two all-SEC caliber ends with Wright and Jake Bequette.

The Tennessee defense has hung tough recently, but they can only do so much after being left on the field for long stretches. In their past three SEC games the Volunteers defense has logged an average of 36 minutes per game on the field. A season of fatigue and frustration can take its toll on a defense, especially a young group. One has to wonder just how much it will take before the Volunteers shut down defensively against a high octane offense.

The truth of the matter is that Arkansas could easily have hung 60 points on a much better defense last week. Coach Petrino and offensive coordinator Garrick McGhee took notice of dropped passes and bad decisions from quarterback Tyler Wilson that led to a 28-point differential last week. We expect execution to be much crisper this week. Dennis Johnson is in a groove at running back, and Ronnie Wingo has started running harder and more decisively. It’s also worth noting that the offensive line has started playing much, much better. Aside from the uncharacteristic dropped passes, this offense looked unstoppable last week. Don’t believe me? Go back to the box score and count the number of official snaps Dylan Breeding took.

Why Tennessee should win: There really is only one reason to think Tennessee might win this game. Could Arkansas be distracted? Most of the talk this week has been about BCS rankings and a season-ending showdown with LSU. Quite honestly, we have not heard much about Tennessee. While the Volunteers have not had much success this year, they have a load of young talent.

Derrick Dooley’s club went to Baton Rouge last season and woulda-coulda-shouda beaten LSU in the most bizarre ending to a football game we can recall in quite some time. No question about it: LSU had far more talent than Tennessee did last year. Yet Tennessee fought tooth and nail, the Tigers played flat, and the game came down to a booth review that caught Tennessee with 12 men on the field – allowing Les Miles to pull another rabbit out of the hat.

If Arkansas fails to show up and focus, and turns the ball over frequently, Tennessee can absolutely win this game. Despite all the time they’ve spent on the field, the Volunteer defense still allows only 21.2 points per game and ranks among the nation’s best in pass efficiency defense. This is the type of team that can turn you over and get your offense off the field after three plays. If that happens enough, their offense will eventually catch a team out of position and score. The Hogs need to be focused and ready or they could find themselves thinking they coulda-woulda-shoulda beaten Tennessee.

And the Winner Is…

Arkansas simply has too much firepower and too much on the line to drop this game. Everything the Razorbacks wanted back in August remains attainable. While they do not control their own destiny, the Hogs do know that none of it is possible without a win this Saturday night.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Hogs fans to feel confident is the fact that Saturday is the last Fayetteville game for a senior class that changed the face of Arkansas football. We will put together a full retrospective next week, but suffice it to say that guys like Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Joe Adams, Jerry Franklin, and Jake Bequette – to name but a few – will not allow this team to lose in their final appearance at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Take the Hogs and the points, and sit back to watch one of the most important senior classes in Razorback history soak up one more victory in the Ozarks.. Arkansas 51, Tennessee 13

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Hogs Hoops Fills Needs

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 11, 2011

Special to BlogHawgs.com from Kris Boyd


Mike Anderson signed his first class as the head coach of the University of Arkansas this past week. We all know what type of style Coach A is bringing back home. The freshman class on the Hill gives Coach A as good of a foundation as he could have wished for. The incoming guys for next year each fill a specific role for Coach A.

I’ve read and heard some comments about the rankings of the guys we signed. Basketball recruiting can be even more fickle than football recruiting. Basketball stars, rankings and even All-American games can depend more on where you’re from and what school you are committed to rather than your actual ability to play basketball. It explains how Joe Johnson was not a McDonald’s All-American even thoough he had offers Duke, Kentucky, UCONN, Michigan and Texas. I’m quite positive had Joe committed to Duke that year he would have been on Ronald’s squad since Duke had four of them on it including Casey Sanders (go figure). Forgive me… I digress.

I thought a little breakdown of our 2012 class was warranted and could be helpful.

JaCorey Williams. 6′ 8″, 190 lbs. Small Forward. Adamsville, AL

A 6’8″ lefty who handles the rock and has range? Yes please! JaCorey’s two star ranking has left many scratching their heads. He did have an offer from Alabama and it appears from reading about him that many other schools were worried about him qualifying. That doesn’t really explain his two star rating, but we just need to be glad this kid flew under the radar. I’ll tell you what I love about JaCorey. He loves to put the rock on the floor for one to two dribbles and then pull up from 10-15 feet. Who does that anymore? Grant Hill, Kevin Durant and Joe Johnson are about the only ones I can think of. He is a small framed kid who is not a banger, but has a super soft jumpshot. I think he is absolutely going to kill it in Coach A’s system. Have I mentioned I love watching him?

Anthlon Bell. 6′ 3″, 180 lbs. Shooting Guard. Bartlett, TN

Labeling Bell as a shooting guard is kind of an understatement. Pastner is going to regret letting this kid get out of Memphis. It seems like the Tiger fans agree with me from their postings on their board. Not only are they upset about not recruiting him hard enough (Pastner apparently thought he had him in his back pocket and had not offered), but they are upset about “reviving Arkansas’ pipeline from Memphis to Fayetteville”. Bell is a three point specialist who can get his shot off anytime he wants. I read an article about Bell leading his Memphis YOMCA AAU team to an overtime win over Julius Randle’s (#1 player in the country) AAU Team in the Finals of the Nike Peach Jam Tournament. Bell went 7 of 9 from the arc and scored all of his team’s points in OT.

Michael Qualls. 6′ 5″ 180 lbs. Small Forward. Shreveport, LA

Quite simply, Qualls is a freak of nature who loves to dunk on people. It also appears that his high school team loves to play up tempo and press. He is going to fit in beautifully. His jump shot kind of looks like Brett Kincaid’s (although to be fair, if Qualls had Brett’s swing he would have gone in the MLB draft) and that is what kept him from being a four or even five star player. I’m also very excited to see this kid in a Hog uniform. I predict him catching many oops from Madden and Young. Qualls wanted to be an LSU Tiger, but Trent Johnson inexplicably never offered. Qualls jumped (zinger) on the opportunity to play for Coach Anderson and his style.

This class is not going to lead the country in ratings, but it contains the perfect mix of talent to go along with what Coach A already has on the Hill. Let’s remember that we signed 9 four star players from 2005-2008. What do we have to show for it?

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

BlogHawgs Twitter Style College Football Weekend Preview–11/11/11 Edition

Posted by Adam Butler on November 11, 2011

It’s Week 11 and it’s 11/11/11. I’m no numerologist, but that MUST mean this is going to be a great weekend of college football, right?

It has already gotten off to a shaky start. I have been poised to join the rest of the World and actually sign up for a Twitter account, but alas, it appears my heaven-sent user(/band) name is already taken. (Why didn’t *I* think of that??)

But, like Eduardo Saverin, we soldier on. Our first BlogHawgs billion isn’t going to make itself.

The only rules for the BlogHawgs Twitter Style CFB Weekend preview are that the fake user names can’t be longer than 15 characters (but may or may not be registered, already), Tweets cannot exceed 140 characters, and I have to end each tweet with a smartazz (that’s for BK–he LOVES Zs in place of Ss) hash tag. Here we go:

Ohio State at Purdue: @freetatsroknow:  Can Urb dot the eye, tomorrow? #goodlucknthefutureluke

Michigan at Illinois: @slowurroll: ”That’s a Tight End right there, boys”. “Um, noooo, it’s a Wide Receiver.” #big10.3fortytime

Kentucky at Vandy: @winnintime: We hear you knockin’, Vandy. Open the Dore. #hogsstrengthofschedule

Wake Forest at Clemson: @clempsunfan: “Didn’t we almost have it all?” #notreally

Texas A&M at Kansas State: @gigmeintheeye: Sherman lost his effeminately named tank last week. Is his job, next? #itshouldbe

TCU at Boise State: @papasmurf: I’m so sick of Blue. #1gameseasons

Miami at Florida State: @iluvtha90s:  I would rather watch an alumni game. #nostalgia

Texas at Missouri: @byenotBye: I will be rooting for the program that wasn’t afraid to play with the big boys. #keepaustinweird

Nebraska at Penn State: @denial: Penn’s motto is “Virtue, Liberty, Independence.” May future PSU admins have 1. Sandusky none of 2., and the victims some form of 3.” #shame

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: @HELP!: Will that Doege hunt? #PokethePokesbubble

Michigan State at Iowa: @fructose: Brought to you by: Corn. Seriously. #adspaceferentz

Tennessee at Arkansas: @arresteddev.: Hogs are 8-1, “But, I am still thirsty.” #thanksseniors!

Florida at South Carolina: @brianwilson(7:30): A Prick vs. The Cocks. #hogsshouldascored60

Washington at USC: @home4theholidays: Still smarting from Stanford Lucking out in The Coliseum. #thanksfornothinglane

Auburn at Georgia: @upsetalert: An easy (by SEC standards) schedule makes me wonder if the Dawgs’ bark is worse than their bite. #beatBoise

Oregon at Stanford: @elimination: The Quack is about to attack. #highliters

Alabama at Mississippi State: @cryinggame: Les always seems to have a suprise….taped down. #hoping4ahangover

La Tech at Mississippi: @wemissualready: We called that mid-season firing, brutha. #timbrandoluvsNutts

Notre Dame at Maryland: @traditionalunis: Ugly vs. Ugly. #myearlycollegedatingoptions

Western Kentucky at LSU: @walkthru: The Tigers could tailgate all day and beat the Hilltoppers–even if they didn’t take the field until the 3rd quarter. #we’llseeyain2weeks

 

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

Free Money – Week 11

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 10, 2011

It was far from pretty, but I managed to scratch out a win last week.

For those paying close attention, that’s exactly how I opened last week’s column.

The Hogs covered with ease, and Vandy roared back to cover against Florida.  On the other hand, the state of Alabama punished me – UAB and Bama both failed to cover.  Thankfully the offense was putrid in the GAME BIGGER THAN WORDS CAN DESCRIBE so that under hit with great comfort.  Sunday was gross, so we don’t need to even talk about it.  In the end, I posted a very, very modest $18 gain.

It was not as good for Adam.

For those paying close attention, I wrote that in last week’s column, too.

Adam actually went 4-4 on the week, but a large loss on his teaser bet sent AB to another ink in the red.  He lost a total play (Texas A&M v. OU) for the first time in a while, but ultimately Alabama screwed Adam, too.  He’s decided to double-down this week in an effort to rebuild his bank.  No TARP bailouts at BlogHawgs.com.  For Adam the week netted a $85 loss.

I absolutely hate the NFL this week.  I’ve only got 2 recommendations, and one of them is tonight.  Adam has once again gone heavy on Saturday, but there are two Sunday picks for you NFL fans to evaluate.  From the looks of our picks, we both will be glued to the TV on Saturday.

Once again, here is a quick recap of the rules:

  • Maximum of 8 single plays during the week
  • One option teaser and one optional parlay also allowed
  • Minimum of $50 wager
  • Both started the season with a $1,000 bankroll but can buy back into the game if they go bust

 

Free Money!

Brett ($1,855)

  • Syracuse (+3.5) v. South Florida, $55 to win $50
  • Houston (-34.5) at Tulane, $110 to win $100
  • OVER 65.5 – Texas A&M at Kansas State, $55 to win $50
  • Mississippi State (+17.5) v. Alabama, $55 to win $50
  • Southern Miss (-9) v. Central Florida, $110 to win $100
  • Arkansas (-14) v. Tennessee, $55 to win $50
  • Chargers (-7) v. Raiders, $110 to win $100
  • Dolphins (-4) v. Redskins, $55 to win $50

 

  • Total Wagers:  $605
  • Max Win: $550

 

Adam ($630)

  • Texas Tech (+17) v. Oklahoma St, $110 to win $100
  • Auburn (+12.5) at Georgia, $110 to win $100
  • Oregon (+3.5) v. Stanford, $110 to win $100
  • Maryland (+20.5) v. Notre Dame, $55 to win $50
  • Steelers (-3) at Cincinnati, $110 to win $100
  • Bills (+5.5) at Cowboys, $110 to win $100

 

  • Total Wagers: $605
  • Max Win: $550

 

Wager accordingly. As usual, BlogHawgs.com is not responsible for you getting arrested after rioting at the gambling window, shouting that you deserve one more chance to win money despite the fact you failed to stop yourself from placing the bet in the first place.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Joe Paterno Gets Retired

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 9, 2011

This entire story is grotesque.  Adam has read the indictment of Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator accused of sexually abusing at least 8 young boys.  I refuse to read it – at least not now.  My anger quotient is high enough.

The only logical thing to do is rid PSU of the cancer that grew throughout its once proud program, allowing for this type of cover-up to exist in the first place.  I have tried and tried to figure out a way not to assign blame to Joe Paterno.  For my entire life he has embodied all that is right with college football.  Penn State’s 1986 Fiesta Bowl victory over Miami has for years been viewed as “Good” conquering “Evil”, at least in terms of football.  We now know there are allegations that true evil – the insidious type of darkness that defies explanation and understanding – designed the defensive game plan that caused Vinny Testaverde to throw 5 interceptions that night in the desert.

As a friend said earlier this week, paying for players does not seem so bad right now.

College football’s winningest football coach will retire at the end of this season.  The Associated Press announced this earlier today.  He will do so in shame.  The cynic in me believes if Penn State was 4-5 rather than 8-1 we’d see JoePa leave right now.  The fact is, that’s exactly what should happen.  According to the AP, that is still an option:

But Paterno might not be able to execute his exit strategy as the school’s board of trustees is still considering its options, which could include forcing Paterno to leave immediately.

Paterno has not been accused of legal wrongdoing. But he has been assailed, in what the state police commissioner called a lapse of “moral responsibility,” for not doing more to stop Sandusky, whose attorney maintains his client’s innocence.

Adam mentioned this to me earlier today, and it is probably never going to leave my head:  ”Not one adult stepped up for those kids.  Not one.  And several had a chance and didn’t (so they could) protect their program and friend.”

Ultimately that’s what I believe happened.  Coach Joe Paterno, a devout Catholic, learned nothing from the abuse scandal that rocked the Vatican to its core.  He and those around him swept Sandusky’s behavior under the rug.  They reported it to their bosses, but they did not stop the behavior.  And they continued to enable him for more than 10 years after the first report surfaced.

There is no way to talk your way out of that.  As someone who wrapped himself and his program with the phrase “Winning with Honor” this is the most dishonorable act a human being can commit.  He had the chance to protect children from a predator, and he chose not to do it.

I encourage you to read this from Grantland.com’s Michael Weinreb.  He grew up in State College, in the era of Penn State’s dominance.  Weinreb was childhood friends with kids named Sandusky, McQueery, and Paterno.

The kids from the neighborhood would gather to play basketball in my driveway, not because I was particularly popular, but because we had a good hoop. In high school, we engaged in epic pick-up football games in Sunset Park, a little patch of grass right next to a house owned by Joe and Sue Paterno. In the second grade, my Little League coach was an enormous neighbor of ours named Mr. McQueary, and his son Mike was the best player on our team.1 We went to school at Park Forest Junior High, and then we went to State College High School, where we learned how to drive and how to date and how to do quadratic equations. We were the sons of farmers and college professors and football coaches. One of my brother’s classmates was named Sandusky; one of my classmates was named Sandusky, too.2 I goofed off in the back of Latin class with a kid named Scott Paterno.3 We knew who their fathers were; their fathers were royalty to us, even if we acted like it was no big deal.

All college football fans feel a sense of betrayal this week.  After reading Weinreb’s piece, I cannot help but wonder how State College, Pennsylvania, will ever recover from its loss of innocence.

It bears no resemblance, though, to the stealing of innocence by Jerry Sandusky.  What he is alleged to have done to those boys is inhuman.  It cannot be explained.  If it is true he is subhuman on some level.  As we get caught up in the drama unfolding at Penn State and with Joe Paterno, please never forget the original sin here.  And understand the school and administration officials – including Paterno – were in position to stop it but chose otherwise.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 15 Comments »

BlogHawgs Heisman 5+1–11/8/11

Posted by Adam Butler on November 8, 2011

Special to BlogHawgs by Kris Boyd

It comes down to three.  Trent Richardson was hurt because Alabama did not win THE GAME OF ALL-MANKIND even though he played as well as he could. 

It’s unfortunate, but true.  Andrew Luck and Brandon Weeden both play big games over the next several weeks.  The +1 feels that most Heisman voters have already filled out their ballot and mailed it in, but let me pose this question to you. 

If Luck and Weeden both lead their teams to undefeated seasons… If Luck’s stats pale in comparison to Weeden’s… If Oklahoma State played a way tougher schedule than Stanford… Why does Luck deserve the Trophy over Weeden?

Two games will now decide the Heisman:  Stanford/Oregon and Oklahoma/Oklahoma State.

1.  Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford  Another ho-hum game over another inferior opponent.  Luck didn’t set the world the world on fire, but Stanford did not need him to against Oregon State.  The +1 has no doubt Luck will destroy an awful Oregon defense this Saturday.

2.  Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State Weeden was dynamic Saturday night.  He continuously matched each Kansas State score with drives of his own.  Kansas State has a porous defense, but dropping 502 and 4 in an ultra-competitive game is worthy. 

3.  Trent Richardson, RB Alabama Richardson played about as well as a running back could play against a great LSU defense.  Trent was Alabama’s offense with 170 rushing and receiving yards. 

4.  Case Keenum, QB Houston Keenum again did what he supposed to do.  Beat a team you are supposed to beat and put up great stats while doing it.  On the year: 3,626 yards, 36 total TD’s, 3 Int.’s and a 74% completion rate.

5.  Landry Jones, QB, OU Jones was awful against probably the worst pass defense in the country. 

+1.  Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State Blackmon retains his title as “The Best WR in America (and Oklahoma)” with Broyles out for the year.  Big players step up in big games.  Justin brushed off a bad fumble and lit Kansas State up for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns when Okie State needed big drives and scores.

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

Wanna Know Why I Hate Twitter? Fools Like Tim Brando

Posted by Adam Butler on November 8, 2011

The CBS College Football Studio Host and longtime Houston Nutt apologist and Hog hater must have been in his cups last nite.

That is the only thing I can think of to explain Tim Brando’s odd behavior on the internets. In the wake of the news that The Mississippi Coach will soon be no more, Brando spent most of yesterday on Twitter defending Nutt and painting Arkansas fans with a broad brush.

One might think that Brando would want to talk about anything but Nutt and Arkansas fans at this point. After Arkansas parted ways with Nutt following the 2007 season, Brando routinely railed on Arkansas fans for what he deemed to be their collective shabby treatment of Nutt, and essentially said they would rue the day they ran off The Mississippi Coach.

In so doing, he also made it a point to repeatedly, dismissively lecture Arkansas fans about how they had unrealistic expectations and Arkansas could do no better than Nutt (Will he say the same to Mississippi fans during their search? No way. Brando is chummy with Mississippi legend and Coach Maker Archie Manning).

Now, less than four years later with Arkansas (led by Bobby Petrino) pulling itself out of the ditch Nutt left it in and establishing a perennial Top Ten caliber program, Nutt has Mississippi back in the same ditch. (To Nutt’s next employer: Watch Out For Black Ice!)

And, Brando, unlike Nutt, is on the offensive and defending the man who has put Mississippi back in its comfort zone–last place (and waaaaay worse nationally than Mississippi’s traditional 50th spot……MISSISSIPPI FANS–DO IT NOW–OCCUPY FBS EXPANSION! Does the FBS really need 2 schools from New Mexico? It may take Mississippi math, but we can get you back down/up to 50th!!).

Yesterday, after the announcement of Nutt’s firing/resignation at Mississippi, Brando sent several shots over the bow, but this was the most ill-advised:

TimBrandoTim Brando

 
The sad side of our culture shows up when people take joy out of someone else’s bad news. No tweets or interviews for me in Arkansas again.
 Soon after seeing it, I predicted a forthcoming (forced) apology, but even though I suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that it would happen in a matter of minutes, I was surprised when it actually did:
 
TimBrandoTim Brando

 
Upon further review I shouldn’t have proclaimed no more tweets or interviews in Arkansas. A bit much, as my wife would remind me. Apologies.
So, the professional journalist who has, for years, derided an entire state for the reactionary moves of a segment of fans, is now apologizing for being…….reactionary? That’s rich.
 
Not unexpectedly, Brando will have TMC on his radio show, today, within the hour (10:30 a.m.). If it wasn’t so early, it might be a good time for an “Excuses Drinking Game”. They will be flowing. You can count on it.

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , | 13 Comments »

BlogHawgs Stat Geek’s Weekly Razorbacks Newsletter–The Wright Stuff

Posted by Adam Butler on November 8, 2011

In years past, when talking about Arkansas’ vaunted receiving trio, people would begin by raving about Greg Childs and his prototypical NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE size and speed. Next up they would talk about Joe Adams’ Percy Harvin-esque, elusiveness and toughness. (I mean Adams missed 5 games during his sophomore season WITH A STROKE!!) It seems they would then briefly mention Jarius Wright as a bit of an afterthought– the throw-in deep threat.

As we continue to move toward the conclusion of their careers, though, one cannot help but notice that the ever-steady Wright has made the most of becoming Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson’s security blanket. Today, we will put a center stage spotlight on Jarius and his ascent to the top of the three major receiving categories in the Arkansas record book: Receptions, Yards, and TDs

As highlighted after Arkansas’ game against Texas A&M game, JWright has already etched his name at the top of the UA’s single-game receptions (tied for first with 13) and yards (281) lists. Three times he has come close to placing his name at the top of single game touchdown list.

Thrice JWright  has come close (with 2 receiving TDs) to marking his name at the top of the single-game receiving TDs ledger. Three times in UA history receivers have had 3TDs in a game. (Anthony Lucas in ’99 and the everyone’s favorite–Alton Baldwin–in ’44 & ’45)

As far as season bests, Wright’s 2011 campaign continues to emerge as potentially the top statistical receiving season in school history. Jarius is on pace to end 2011 with 69 rec., 1,173 yards, and 13 TDs. All three would place him in the #1 spot in those respective categories.

RECEPTIONS:

YARDS:

TDs:

Season

Season

Season

Rank

Player

Rec.

Diff.

Year

Rank

Player

Yards

Diff.

Year

Rank

Player

TD

Diff./Yr.

Year

1.

J.J. Meadors

62

14

1995

1.

Anthony Lucas

1,004

192

1998

1.

Marcus Monk

11

2/2006

2006

2.

D.J. Williams

61

13

2008

2.

Mike Reppond

986

174

1971

2.

Anthony Lucas

10

1/1998

1998

3.

Mike Reppond

56

8

1971

3.

Marcus Monk

962

150

2006

3.

Jarius Wright

9

2011

4.

D.J. Williams

54

6

2010

4.

James Shibest

907

95

1984

t4.

Derek Russell

8

1990

5.

Boo Williams

52

4

2000

5.

George Wilson

900

88

2003

t4.

Chuck Dicus

8

1968

t6.

Anthony Eubanks

51

3

1997

6.

Derek Russell

897

85

1990

t6.

Joe Adams

7

2009

t6.

Anthony Eubanks

51

3

1996

7.

Greg Childs

894

82

2009

t6.

Greg Childs

7

2009

t6.

James Shibest

51

3

1984

8.

Anthony Eubanks

870

58

1997

t6.

Marcus Monk

7

2005

t9.

Joe Adams

50

2

2010

9.

Anthony Lucas

822

10

1999

t6.

Richard Smith

7

2003

t9.

Marcus Monk

50

2

2006

10.

Jim Benton

814

2

1937

t6.

George Wilson

7

2002

t9.

George Wilson

50

2

2003

11.

Joe Adams

813

1

2010

t6.

Boo Williams

7

2000

t12.

Peyton Hillis

49

1

2007

12.

Jarius Wright

812

2011

t6.

James Shibest

7

1984

t12.

George Wilson

49

1

2002

13.

Anthony Eubanks

809

1996

t6.

Jim Benton

7

1937

t14.

Jarius Wright

48

2011

14.

Jarius Wright

788

2010

t6.

Wear Schoonover

7

1929

t14.

Greg Childs

48

2009

15.

Boo Williams

739

2000

t14.

Jim Benton

48

1937

16.

D.J. Williams

723

2008

16.

Greg Childs

46

2010

17.

Chuck Dicus

688

1969

18.

Greg Childs

659

2010

19.

Cobi Hamilton

630

2010

20.

D.J. Williams

627

2010

Moving on to career numbers, JWright is making moves on all three top spots as well, with some healthy competition from one of his squad mates, Adams.

Both Jarius and Joe will most likely pass Anthony Eubanks’ career receptions mark this week against the Volunteers. Last week, Joe managed to maintain his slim 1 catch lead over Joe.

However, Jarius is on pace to surpass Joe. Jarius continues to march toward Anthony Lucas’ career receiving  yards record of 2,879 and with his 2 TDs Saturday, has an outside chance of catching Marcus Monk for career TDs. Just where Jarius ends up will depend upon how effective he is in Baton Rouge against the vaunted LSU secondary in a few weeks. Remarkably, Wright, Adams, and Childs will all finish their careers in the top 10 of all three UA career receiving categories.

RECEPTIONS:

YARDS:

TD:

Career

Career

Career

Rank

Player

Rec

Diff.

Rank

Player

Yards

Diff.

Rank

Player

TD

Diff.

1.

Anthony Eubanks

153

1.

Anthony Lucas

2,879

1.

Marcus Monk

27

2.

D.J. Williams

152

2.

Jarius Wright

2,629

250

2.

Anthony Lucas

23

4

3.

Joe Adams

151

2

3.

Anthony Eubanks

2,440

439

3.

Jarius Wright

21

6

4.

Jarius Wright

150

3

4.

Joe Adams

2,274

605

4.

Richard Smith

17

10

5.

George Wilson

144

t5.

Marcus Monk

2,151

728

t5.

George Wilson

16

11

6.

Marcus Monk

138

t5.

George Wilson

2,151

728

t5.

Anthony Eubanks

16

11

7.

Anthony Lucas

137

7.

Greg Childs

1,946

933

t5.

Chuck Dicus

16

11

8.

Richard Smith

135

8.

James Shibest

1,920

t5.

Derek Russell

16

11

9.

J.J. Meadors

134

9.

Derek Russell

1,874

t9.

Greg Childs

15

12

10.

Greg Childs

112

41

10.

Richard Smith

1,858

t9.

Joe Adams

15

12

One Bonus Note: In the process of becoming the most prolific UA wideout in school history, Wright has also placed himself in position among the best to play in the SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

Wright’s 2,629 yardage total, currently places him 15th in career yards in the SEC. Jarius’ current 90 yards per game pace would place him 3rd all time in career receiving yardage and if he can increase that average to 116 yards per game for the rest of the season, Wright would move to the top spot, surpassing UGA’s Terrence Edwards.

Those are pretty heady numbers for a guy who has somehow managed to fly under the national radar.

YARDS:

Career – including years played

Rank

Player

Yards

Diff.

YRS

1.

Terrence Edwards

3,093

464

4

2.

Josh Reed

3,001

372

3

3.

Boo Mitchell

2,964

335

4

4.

DJ Hall

2,923

294

4

5.

Craig Yeast

2,899

270

4

6.

Fred Gibson

2,884

255

4

7.

Dan Stricker

2,880

251

4

8.

Anthony Lucas

2,879

250

4

9.

Earl Bennett

2,852

223

3

10.

Joey Kent

2,814

185

4

11.

Kenny McKinley

2,781

152

4

12.

Wendell Davis

2,708

79

4

13.

Julio Jones

2,653

24

3

14.

Shay Hodge

2,646

17

4

15.

Jarius Wright

2,629

4

16.

Eric Martin

2,625

4

17.

Chris Collins

2,621

4

18.

A.J. Green

2,619

3

19.

Michael Clayton

2,582

3

20.

Carlos Alvarez

2,563

3

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Select 17 – Week 11

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 7, 2011

There’s a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on in the Select 17, much like there was in Oklahoma and Arkansas last Saturday.  This season’s Game of the Century turned out to be a “defensive struggle”, or if it was a Big 10 game – a complete turd of a game unworthy of its pregame distinction.  But I digress…

LSU went to Tuscaloosa and pulled out a huge road victory and completely earned its #1 ranking this week.  Alabama dropped out of the top spot, falling only to #4 in the poll – a bit surprisingly to me.  In fact, I’d say that I’m floored both the national voters and BlogHawgs.com voters did not penalize Bama more than they did.  I dropped Bama to #6 because they lost at home.  I believe teams must pay the price for losing a game, and that price is far more severe if the loss is at home.  That’s also why I ranked Oklahoma at #10 this week.  Losses matter, and home losses are worth at least 2x as much as a road loss. 

I say all this because I think it is absolutely ludicrous that IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GAME we already had discussion of LSU v. Bama II for the national title.  I thought it was a joke to talk about it in 2006 when Michigan wanted a rematch with Ohio State, and I still think it’s a joke.  Why does LSU have to beat this team two times in one season?  Bama lost.  Sorry, Bama fan.  YOU LOST!  Don’t believe me?  Ask that crying “dude” refusing consolation from his stunningly-more-attractive-than-he-is girlfriend.

Oh…yeah….the poll….

Rank Team Votes LW
1 LSU (9) 153 2
2 Oklahoma St. 143 3
3 Stanford 134 4
4 Alabama 126 1
5 Boise St. 108 5
6 Oregon 106 6
7 Arkansas 102 8
8 Oklahoma   98 7
9 Clemson 77 10
10 Houston 65 13
11 Virginia Tech 63 11
12 Penn St. 53 NR
13 Georgia 37 17
14 Michigan St. 31 16
15 South Carolina 21 12
16 Wisconsin 16 NR
17 Kansas St. 10 15

Others Receiving Votes:  Cincinnati 8, Georgia Tech 8, USC 7, Southern Miss 4, Texas 1, Nebraska 1, Jake Bequette 1

 

 

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Houston Nutt is Toast

Posted by Adam Butler on November 7, 2011

per ESPN SEC bloggers Chris Low and Edward Aschoff, who, citing multiple sources, say Mississippi will not retain The Mississippi Coach and will announce the decision at a 2 P.M. press conference.

The Over/Under on number of days it would take for The Mississippi Coach to crash and burn in Oxford was 1,440 (20 days shy of 4 years from the day he was hired).

Keep your betting tickets, because, amazingly, it was a push.

Man, that was fast–and expensive (TMC reportedly has a $6 million buyout).

Is this the part where we say “We told you so, Mississippi Rebel Black Bear fans.”?

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | 17 Comments »

BlogHawgs Razorback Rewind–South Carolina Game

Posted by Adam Butler on November 7, 2011

WPS!

Saturday was a historic night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. As the night wound down, the Earth shook noticeably in the Ozarks.

Then, a little over an hour after Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette baptized South Carolina quarterback Conner Shaw, there was an actual earthquake that put an odd cap on a seismic Hog victory that was 46 years in the making.

The Hogs’ 44-28 victory over #9 ranked South Carolina was the first win for the Razorbacks in a Top 10 matchup in Fayetteville since 1965. And, though it should could have, it didn’t come easy.

What We Saw:

Arkansas (8-1, 4-1)  controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Bequette wrecked havoc–logging 3 of Arkansas’ 5 sacks, and pressuring Shaw on several other occasions.

For the first time this season, Bequette, who has been dinged by a hamstring injury for most of his senior campaign, looked like a force for the Hogs. This was a big development for Arkansas’ defense because having a healthy and productive Bequette is like having a shutdown closer in baseball. When he is on, he makes everyone else around him better.

Meanwhile, Arkansas’ offensive line kept Arkansas Quarterback Tyler Wilson clean most of the night, despite facing one of the best defensive fronts in the country. The Hogs threw the ball 38 times and allowed one sack, as compared to South Carolina’s 5 sacks and 25 pass attempts. The Arkansas OL also opened enough holes for runningback Dennis Johnson to have another stellar outing.

South Carolina (7-2, 5-2) was stymied for the most part by an aggressive Arkansas defensive that bracketed the Gamecocks’ star wide receiver, Alshon Jeffrey, brought repeated “run blitzes” and dared USCE to beat them with someone other than Jeffrey and runningback Brandon Wilds.

But for the running of Shaw (59 yards gained rushing) the Cocks were largely unable to do so.

If there is a complaint (and we know there is because Arkansas fans love to bitch) it is that the Hogs should have put South Carolina away early.

Ronnie Wingo, Cobi Hamilton and Jarius Wright all had dropped touchdown passes, Wilson had an egregious “Pick Six”, Zach Hocker missed a pair of field goals he usually drills and the Hogs were stuffed near the goalline on 4th down. The score could have easily been 65-21.

–Arkansas’ defensive backs played the ball and played it well. Kudos to Isaac Madison, Greg Gatson, et. al.

–Arkansas used QB Brandon Mitchell near the goalline again, with mixed results. We like the changeup. Once Mitchell settles into that role, he can be a real weapon in short yardage. The passing game can be smothered, somewhat, in the red zone, and Mitchell adds a dimension for which opposing defenses must prepare.

–The game atmosphere was great in the 1st half. The second half? Not as much. There were long periods in which there was no music over the PA and/or no organized cheers. It’s too bad. It was a great showcase night for recruiting. But hey, they hocked some Kettle Chips!

What We Didn’t See:

–We keep waiting to see a healthy Greg Childs for Arkansas, and it just does not seem like it is in the cards. Childs, who had a season-ending knee injury a year ago and has not been the same, since. He is giving it a go (and he had an 11-yard reception) but he is receiving fewer snaps, is favoring the leg, and is not being targeted much by Wilson.

 What You May Not Have Seen:

–Jeffrey became frustrated, and pouted a lot. On one such occasion, he was late getting set after an audible, and USCE received a delay of game penalty as a result.

What We Hope to See Next Week:

Arkansas needs to throttle a down Tennessee Volunteers squad. The Vols should still be without Quarterback Tyler Bray (broken thumb) and they have been punchless offensively in his absence.

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

That’s My DJ

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 7, 2011

Dennis Johnson’s special teams work on Saturday night has been rewarded by the SEC home office.  D.J. was named the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Week.  He is the second Hog to win this award in the 2011 season.  Joe Adams took home the honor back in Week 1 after he took 2 punt returns to the house against Missouri State.  Says the SEC website:

 

 

 

SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Watch Arkansas Highlights)
DENNIS JOHNSON
Return Specialist / Running Back
ARKANSAS
5-9 • 213 • Jr. • Texarkana, Ark.

• Johnson returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and tallied 252 all-purpose yards in #7 Arkansas’ 44-28 win against #9-ranked South Carolina.
• Johnson also returned a kickoff 32 yards, had 86 yards rushing on 15 carries and caught four passes for 36 yards for the Razorbacks.
• His touchdown was the third kickoff return of Johnson’s career and tied for the 10th longest kickoff return in school history.
• Johnson is second in the SEC in all-purpose rushing, averaging 150.43 yards per game.

All in all, it was a helluva night for the Texarkana redshirt junior.

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Let’s Have Some Fun With the Extra Hour: Write This Caption (Bama Fan Crying)

Posted by Adam Butler on November 7, 2011

Ok, I am needing to make fun of someone. I met a nice BlogHawgs reader this morning and promptly dropped my coffee mug when I was shaking hands with her.

It exploded, and I feel like an idiot.

So, I need a pick-me-up–sorta like this now infamous Crying Alabama fan. Check the video here, and then help me write the caption (Jim Gooch, I am expecting bad big things from you.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 36 Comments »

The Return of BlogHawgs Twitter Style College Football Weekend Preview

Posted by Adam Butler on November 4, 2011

With the Game of the Century, Millenium, History of Existence coming up, it feels like a good time to bring back BlogHawgs Twitter Style College Football Weekend Preview.

The only rules for the BlogHawgs Twitter Style CFB Weekend preview are that the fake user names can’t be longer than 15 characters (but may or may not be registered, already), Tweets cannot exceed 140 characters, and I have to end each tweet with a smartazz (that’s for BK–he LOVES Zs in place of Ss) hash tag. Here we go:

Mississippi at Kentucky: @pinkslips: The Mississippi Coach may squeek out close wins against 2 awful teams (UK and Miss. St.) and live to ruin more QBs. #double0fortheSECends

Vanderbilt at Florida: @vandymania: Gators should win, but are starting to realize ”Weis” is German for “overrated”. #not2big2fail

Michigan at Iowa: @lackospeedkills: Hawkeyes lost last week 2 a team from Minnesota that wasn’t coached by Craig T. Nelson. #thingsthatshouldneverhappenmuchless2seasonsinarow

Texas Tech at Texas: @redraiderriver?: Ears vs. Steers. #orangeugonnabeatanygoodteams?

Texas A&M at OU: @prissyyellboy: Leads are silly! They’re like cheerleaders! Who needs ‘em? Whoooop! #noIsaidsendhimtoarealmilitaryschool

South Carolina at Arkansas: @thefirsthalf: Well, hello, Razorbacks, have we met? #4quarters=money

LSU at Alabama: @fuzzymath: Bama claims 13 National Championships (or so). Les Miles claims to be able to count to 13 (or so). #fingersandtoes

Oregon at Washington: @duckducksloose: I probably should care, but I don’t. #itsthePacWhatever

Kansas State at Oklahoma State: @Geritol: Brandon Weeden’s grandkids are pumped for this game. #mandatoryretirementageisntjustforairtrafficcontrollers

Missouri at Baylor: @fire&brimstone: I am praying these teams Show Me something other than mediocre defense. #RG3C3PO

Houston at UAB: @12thyrsenior: Brandon Weeden was 33 when Case Keenum arrived in Houston. #graduate,already

Boise at UNLV: @playsomeone: From The Mountain West to the mighty Big East. What a step up! #NoBCSfortheBigLeast

 

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Arkansas v. South Carolina – BlogHawgs Prediction

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 4, 2011

GAME SKETCH

  • Line: Arkansas (-5)
  • Kickoff:  6:15pm CDT (ESPN national broadcast with Brad Nessler doing play-by-play, Todd Blackledge providing color analysis, and Holly Rowe on the sideline)
  • Weather:  Partly Cloudy all night; Kickoff Temperature of 59 degrees with readings only dropping to 55 degrees by the end of the game
  • Streaks: Arkansas has won four of the previous five meeting between these two teams.

 

Have you heard there is a game this weekend featuring two BCS Top Ten teams from the country’s premier football conference?  Did you know it was Arkansas v. South Carolina?

Yes, yes…I understand.  It really is an unusual event when the top two teams in the country play one another in a November game.  The matchup between Alabama and LSU deserves a ton of hype.  It should be a whale of a game.

But ESPN – who is televising the Hogs v. Cocks – has had wall-to-wall coverage of a game on another network.  The one week ESPN decides to actually act like journalists is the week that Arkansas gets the shaft on buildup to its biggest home game of the season.  When it comes to The Mouse, I just give up.

National respect and exposure aside, this is an enormous game for two teams that have legitimate dreams of playing in Atlanta and in a BCS bowl this season.  Carolina’s path to the SEC Championship Game is much easier than the Hogs (The Cocks control their own destiny). Arkansas has an outside chance of representing the SEC West.  That slim chance evaporates, though, if the Razorbacks fail to take care of business Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

And history is not on their side.

For the second time in two years, the Hogs play host to a game featuring two Top Ten teams.  Oddly enough, though, it’s only the fourth time since 1965 – which is the last time the Hogs were victorious in such a game.  Arkansas hosted and beat #9 Texas Tech (1965) before losing to #1 Texas (1969), #6 Houston (1979), and #1 Alabama (2010).  Arkansas enters Saturday’s game ranked #7 in this week’s BCS standings while Carolina comes in at #9 with a 7-1 record.

Why Arkansas should win:  The Razorbacks are playing just their 2nd home game since September 17 v. Troy.  Let that sink in for a moment.  (Waiting…) Arkansas has not lost a home game since last year’s heartbreaker to #1 Alabama, and not many of those games have even been close –especially at Razorback Stadium.  The Hogs average margin of victory in Fayetteville is 27 points over the course of their current six-game winning streak at Razorback Stadium.  Simply put, this is a completely different team at home.

Carolina is on the road for the second-consecutive week, which takes its toll on a football team.  The more I consider how Arkansas has scraped and clawed to get to 7-1, the more impressed I become.  With only one home game over the past six weeks, it’s truly amazing these Hogs have managed to escape disaster.  Now they get to gear up for a home crowd that cannot wait to see them.

On the field, Tyler Wilson has command of this offense.  He is the toughest quarterback in the SEC, and his team respects the hell out of him.  South Carolina will present some interesting looks and will certainly pressure the quarterback, but Wilson has proven that he will stand tall and deliver the throw if at all possible.  He enters the game without having thrown an interception in 176 attempts (surely to be snapped in the 1st Quarter since it’s been so often repeated this week), and Jarius Wright &  Joe Adams appear to be playing the best football of their lives.

Last season Hog fans talked about the emergence of Knile Davis as the key to the second-half surge that ended with a berth in the Sugar Bowl.  This season we may all point to the suddenly stellar play of tight end Chris Gragg.  The Warren native has been playing great football lately, reminding me of just how vital D.J. Williams was to the success of the Razorbacks for so many years.  An effective tight end makes every quarterback better, and one the level of Gragg makes a QB the level of Wilson look great.

We keep saying it week after week, but this may actually be the Saturday where the defense gets it right.  The Gamecocks offense has spat and sputtered since losing Marcus Lattimore.  Connor Shaw has filled in for Stephen Garcia at quarterback, and not much has changed.  The Gamecocks still turn the ball over too much, and head coach Steve Spurrier still does not have a reliable signal caller.  We expect Willy Robinson to load the box to stop the run and make Shaw beat the defense.  Alshon Jeffery is a beast, but he still needs someone to throw him the ball.  Robinson will likely keep a safety on top of Jeffery all night with a cornerback underneath, effectively taking away his big play ability.  If that plan is successful, the Razorbacks defense will have a good night.

Why South Carolina should win:  The Arkansas defense has had a tendency lately to make average offenses look pretty damn good.  Slow starts by the offense have put the defense in difficult spots, and the D simply has not responded.  From poor tackling to missed alignments to blown coverages, the defense has shown more flaws than high definition cameras have of Amy Poehler.  Like Poehler, though, the Hogs defense makes adjustments and comes through at winning time.  At least they have so far.  While Carolina may not have a ton of experience at the skill positions, they have the firepower athletically to ruin Arkansas’s homecoming if the defense doesn’t get things together in the first half.

Brandon Wilds will not be confused with Marcus Lattimore any time soon, but the freshman running back has definitely got the talent to hurt you if you make mistakes.  At 6’ 1” and 223 pounds, this South Carolina native is averaging more than 5 yards per carry so far this year.  The Hogs have shown a weakness in stopping the run, especially between the tackles which is where Spurrier likes to pound the football.  If Wilds can hold up, this could cause big problems for Arkansas.  Carolina wants to control the ball and keep the Arkansas offense on the sidelines, and that very well may happen if Wilds turns in a solid game.

It’s easy to laugh off Connor Shaw, but the young man has played well at times.  What concerns us most is his mobility.  We saw last week that a mobile quarterback can really cause Arkansas trouble.  Shaw carried the ball 16 times last week at Knoxville, scoring a touchdown and picking up 64 yards on the ground.  It was not his best week passing against Tennessee, but the sophomore has shown that he’s a gamer that will try to beat you even without his A-game.

The Carolina defense may be good enough to win on its own.  The Gamecocks are second in the nation in interceptions and only allow 17.1 points/game which is good enough for 14th nationally.  South Carolina ranks 4th nationally in total defense, allowing only 266 yards/game.  Overlooked because of the supernatural play by LSU and Alabama, the South Carolina defense should be revered as one of the best in the nation.  They haven’t allowed more than one TD in a game since September 17th against Navy.

And the Winner Is…

The numbers tell us it should be a close game, and history tells us Arkansas is in big trouble.

Screw that.

Arkansas has not played a complete game all season.  That all changes tomorrow night in Fayetteville.  It’s November, and that means it’s winning time for Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks.  Arkansas is 9-3 in November since 2008, and they were perfect last season.  It’s a home game, and it’s homecoming.  As I mentioned before, too, it’s the first time the Hogs have been home since the first weekend of October and only the second time since September 17.  The crowd will be insane, and the team may give them additional reason to get fired up.  Rumors are swirling around Fayetteville that the Hogs will sport some special uniforms Saturday night.  All the intangibles point to an Arkansas victory.

Probably the most difficult reason to pick South Carolina is the inexperience at quarterback and the fact that they’re playing the second of back-to-back road SEC games.  That’s a tough task, and it’s made even more difficult by the fact Spurrier starts a soph at quarterback and frosh at running back.  Ultimately, the Razorbacks will simply be too much for Carolina.  Remember this statistic as you shift uncomfortably at halftime in a close game:  Arkansas has only given up 66 points in the second half this season – and only 17 points in the fourth quarter.  For all its flaws, this defense closes the deal.  They’ll do it again tomorrow night.  Arkansas 33, South Carolina 20

 

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BlogHawgs Obligatory Bama/LSU Preview

Posted by Adam Butler on November 4, 2011

This Bama fan never gets old.

I’ll be honest. I’m just not feeling tomorrow’s Alabama/LSU matchup–at least not the way I should. Maybe it’s the contrarian in me. I just don’t like things being jammed down my throat.

ESP*I*N and seemingly every other major sports media outlet has had wall-to-wall coverage of this game for the last two weeks (both teams had OPEN weeks last week). College Football News has had NINETEEN preview articles on this game this week. NINETEEN.

As a nation, we went down a path that helped decimate the world economy with less media attention. (Occupy Overstatement!)

But, as a college football obsessor, I understand the hype. These appear to be the 2 best teams in America. They are College Football bluebloods. There will be plenty of star power, both on the field and on the sidelines. The winner will likely play for the BCS Championship.

For those reasons, I will set the DVR and record the Bama/LSU game. (How does this matchup not have a not-so-catchy nickname, yet?) I am sure I won’t need it. Every marginally important play will be breathlessly dissected by talking heads from sea to shining sea in its aftermath.

I expect it to be an ugly game. With 2 weeks to prepare, 2 stifling defenses and a lot on the line, I would be shocked if this game is anything other than a grind.

One of the things I will be looking for is to see how long LSU Head Coach Les Miles sticks with Jarrett Lee at quarterback. Lee is going to struggle against the Alabama defense–almost every quarterback does. When he hits a few bumps in the road, will The Hat have the confidence to stick with his recent rotation at QB or will he rely more heavily on the shifty Jordan Jefferson?

If Bama’s defense has shown a weakness in the recent past, it has been in dealing with a mobile quarterback who can throw (some would argue the latter does not apply to Jefferson, at least not consistently). That will make the idea of giving Jefferson more snaps appealing.

Lee has done a good job of protecting the football so far this season, but I expect the ridiculously good Alabama secondary to play aggressively and look for opportunities to slap Lee’s old nickname–Pick Six–back on him.

On the other side of the ball, LSU will likewise look to stuff the run and make Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron win the game through the air. Bama runningbacks Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy will likely have their moments, but the Tigers should have some success in slowing them. To counter, I look for Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze and tight end Michael Williams to have a few big plays in the passing game.

LSU’s “Honey Badger”, Tyrann Mathieu, will make Bama Head Coach Nick Saban a Grumpier Old Man, though, if he is able to get his paws on the football. Mathieu has received enough publicity this season and is enough of a game-changer that if he has a big game tomorrow night, he could make a Charles Woodsonesque case for some Heisman run.

However, as crazy as it sounds, given his well-chronicled clock management issues, Les Miles is the wild card that gives LSU a shot in what will be an exremely hostile environment Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.

It seems that at least once a year, Miles engineers one “What The You-Know-What” win (See Tennessee last year) and one “What the You-Know-What” loss (See Arkansas in 2007).

A Tiger win wouldn’t be a shocker (Alabama is a modest 4.5 point favorite) but this is a game the Crimson Tide should win, at home, at night after having had weeks to prepare for LSU.

LSU will probably have to be creative than usual to move the ball well enough to have a shot to win. Look for Miles to be agressive on 4th down and in the kicking game. Just hope (if you are rooting for LSU like I will be) that the game doesn’t come down to late-game clock management.

In the end, though, I think Alabama is just too tough. I expect the Crimson Tide to befuddle Lee and Jefferson and tack on a late score to win semi-convincingly. THE PREDICTION: Alabama 24 LSU 13

(Note: BK should be along this afternoon with a preview of tomorrow’s real big game.)

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Hogs to Break Out Alternate Uniforms, Soon?

Posted by Adam Butler on November 4, 2011

These unis (SEE BELOW) are making the rounds on the internets. I doubt they break them out (at least this week, when the TV audience will be suppressed in favor of some other game that will be going on) but I am interested to see what everyone thinks about them as an occasional changeup (if they even exist beyond Photo Shop). What say you? Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , | 20 Comments »

Free Money, Week 10

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 3, 2011

It was far from pretty, but I managed to scratch out a win last week.  The Hogs had a chance to cover late – despite long, long odds – and ended up hanging on to victory by the narrowest of margins.  Tennessee never really threatened South Carolina, and the Broncos got mocked in their own house by Detroit.  Thankfully the Texans kicked a cover FG very late, San Fran held on to narrowly cover, and the Chiefs rewarded my favor with a cover & win against San Diego.  I’m still kicking myself for not making a moneyline bet on Monday.  For the week, I picked up $55 after giving money back to the house in Week Eight.

It was not as good for Adam.  His season of bad beats continues, highlighted by a triple overtime Stanford cover – thanks only to the rule that requires 2-point conversion attempts in the third overtime.  Clemson flirted with a comeback but it never materialized, and we’re still waiting on the Cowboys to take the field in Philadelphia.  Overall AB dropped another $130 last week.  Here’s hoping he can find the right path soon.

It looks like another tough week for gamblers.  Nothing jumps off the page at me this week like Kansas City did last week, but I see some winners on the board.  Adam has been picking up wins pretty routinely with Over bets, and he recommends two this week.  I’ll take my hand with my first Under bet this week, predicting a big defensive struggle in the Game of the Century.

Once again, here is a quick recap of the rules:

  • Maximum of 8 single plays during the week
  • One option teaser and one optional parlay also allowed
  • Minimum of $50 wager
  • Both started the season with a $1,000 bankroll but can buy back into the game if they go bust

 

Free Money!

Brett ($1,837)

  • Vanderbilt (+14) at Florida, $55 to win $50
  • Arkansas (-5) v. South Carolina, $66 to win $60
  • UAB (+28) v. Houston, $55 to win $50
  • UNDER 41.5, LSU at Alabama, $55 to win $50
  • Alabama (-4.5) v. LSU, $77 to win $70
  • Buccaneers (+9) at Saints, $55 to win $50
  • Chiefs (-4) v. Miami, $55 to win $50
  • Bears (+9) at Eagles, $55 to win $50
  • Teaser:  Arkansas (+1) & San Diego (+11.5) v. Green Bay, $60 to win $50

 

  • Total Wagers:  $533
  • Max Win: $480

 

Adam ($715)

  • USC (-21) at Colorado, $55 to win $50
  • Arkansas (-5) v. South Carolina, $55 to win $50
  • Mississippi (-2) at Kentucky, $55 to win $50
  • Alabama (-4.5) v. LSU, $55 to win $50
  • OVER 69 – Texas A&M/Oklahoma, $55 to win $50
  • Wake Forest (+14) v. Notre Dame, $55 to win $50
  • OVER 69.5 – Oklahoma St/Kansas St, $55 to win $50
  • Teaser: Bama (+1.5) & Falcons (-1) at Colts, $120 to win $100

 

  • Total Wagers: $505
  • Max Win: $450

 

Wager accordingly. As usual, BlogHawgs.com is not responsible for you engineering a fake wedding then divorcing 10 weeks later in an attempt to satisfy the Russian mob.

 

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Unexpected Support

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 3, 2011

 

Thanks to BlogHawgs contributor Kris Boyd for posting this link in a previous post on the Marquel Wade hit. I believe the link deserves to stand alone on its own merit.

I do not like Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith. I find both to be borderline unwatchable in any context. They represent so much of what is wrong with cable television, sports, and America in general.

But they nailed this take down of Kirk Herbstreit. I am very impressed at Smith’s ability to stay levelheaded when essentially calling out Herbie for using coded racial language. Maybe Stephen A has matured some himself as an analyst.

 

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Blog Hawgs Heisman 5 + 1–11/3/11

Posted by Adam Butler on November 3, 2011

Special to BlogHawgs by Kris Boyd

Andrew Luck takes over the #1 spot with a great win over USC.  He is spectacular to watch.  Everything else was par for the course except for Case Keenum looking like QB Eagles. 

Three games will decide the Heisman:  1. Stanford/Oregon, 2. Alabama/LSU and 3. Oklahoma/Oklahoma State.

1.  Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford:  Luck led his team to a great road win over a really good USC team.  The polls do not reflect it, but USC is good mainly due to their defense which is big and fast.  Luck made one bad throw, owned it and then won the game.

2.  Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: Richardson dropped only because Luck was so good, but TR could regain the #1 spot if he leads BAMA over LSU this weekend.  They play each other, by the way, in case you have not heard.

3.  Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: Weeden again led his team to a win over what many considered, again, to be a trap game for Okie State.  Okie State is good.  Let’s face it.  Bedlam is such a huge game for Weeden’s Heisman hopes.

4.  Landry Jones, QB, OU: Jones was outstanding in a blowout win over highly (and maybe slightly over) ranked Kansas State.  Last time I checked, 912 yards and 10 touchdowns in two games against major conference foes is good.

5.  Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: Boise State was off last week.  Kellen is a great quarterback.  The +1 doesn’t think he will do anything in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, but it is a shame we can’t see Moore face better talent on a weekly basis.

+1.  Case Keenum, QB, Houston: The +1 just broke its own “No Case Keenum” rule, but did you see what he did this week?  Those were Tecmo Bowl stats.  And not Tecmo Super Bowl, but old school “let-your-receiver-keep-running-if-nobody-picks-him-up-off-the-line” Tecmo Bowl.

 

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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