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Posts Tagged ‘Cobi Hamilton’

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BlogHawgs Stat Geek Weekly Newsletter – Cobi Hamilton is Good.

Posted by Brett Kincaid on November 8, 2012

@CobiHam11 is good. Barring injury, which is most certainly a possibility given we are in what is now a 7-month-long April Fool’s joke that is being played on the Razorback football program, Cobi Hamilton is going to leave Fayetteville holding the most prolific reception and receiving yards season in UA history.

As has been documented in this space previously following the 2011 season, Jarius Wright held the top spots in 7 of the 9 main receiving categories: Career receptions (168) and yards (2,934), Season receptions (66), yards (1,117), and touchdown catches (12), and Single game receptions (13) and yards (281).

With his 11 catches in last week’s game versus Tulsa, Cobi passed Jarius’ season reception mark putting Hamilton at 69. Cobi now is in the UA top spot for 3 of the 9 major categories, having also passed Jarius for single game yards (303) and tying Anthony Lucas and Alton Baldwin for Single game touchdown catches (3) thanks to his monster game against Rutgers.

Cobi currently sits 40 yards shy of the top UA season yards mark, 14 receptions behind career receptions, and 338 yards behind career yards. Given that he is currently averaging 7.67 catches and almost 120 yards per game, Hamilton is on pace to surpass Jarius in all three categories.

As for SEC records, Cobi is currently on pace to end in the top 3 in season reception and receiving yards spot, as well as top 20 career receptions and top 5 career yards. He has performed in big play fashion as well, having the 3rd best yard per catch average (16.86) of the players in the top 20 career yards.

Cobi has 4 of the 14 games with 10+ receptions (all this season). He is one shy of tying Anthony Lucas and Anthony Eubanks with 5  100-yard receiving games in a season, and is third with 8 career 100-yard games, behind Lucas’ 11 and Wright and Eubanks’ nine.

Where it does get interesting, is if the Hogs could somehow pull off at least 2 wins to become bowl eligible. If that happens, Cobi would have a shot at the following:

  • 100 catch season, which would make him the first player in SEC history to reach that mark
  • 1,500 yard season, which would be the third in SEC history along with Josh Reed and Alshon Jeffries
  • 180+ career catches, which would put him in the top 15 in SEC history
  • 3,000 career yards, which would be the third in SEC history along with Terrence Edwards and Josh Reed, with a chance of posting the top mark for career receiving yards

Regardless of whether the UA becomes bowl eligible, Cobi’s season has been one of the few bright spots of the 2012 season and has placed him in rarefied air, not only at the UA, but the SEC as well.

SG +1 – Left Coast style:

  • Two weeks ago against Colorado, Southern Cal WR Marqise Lee posted the 2nd best mark in NCAA history all-purpose yards with 469. Included in that was 345 receiving yards, which is good for 5th most all time in NCAA history. This marked the 4th time this year a receiver has posted a 300+ yard game (Terrence Williams BAY – 314, Cobi ARK – 303, Stedman Bailey WVU – 303). Prior to this year, there has been just  fifteen 300+ yards game in FBS history.
  • Oregon RB Kenyon Barner’s 321 yards rushing was impressive and is the same amount that Darren McFadden shares with Frank Mordica as top SEC single game rushing mark. However it only places Barner in the 4th spot for single best rushing game in the Pac-12.

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BlogHawgs Razorback Rewind–11/5/12

Posted by Adam Butler on November 5, 2012

If we have learned anything from the Arkansas Razorbacks’ 2012 Season of Discontent, it’s that there is no such thing as an ugly win.

They are all precious and head coach John L. Smith has the potential to give them away (sometimes with major help from the Coordinators Paul).

For that reason we can’t look down our nose at the Razorbacks’ pedestrian 19-15 Homecoming win over the Tulsa Hurricane at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

What We Saw

–Some of the decisions made by both head coaches (eschewing much-needed field goals, calling plays as if there was no game clock, going for a 2-pt conversion that wasn’t needed) made us feel like we were attending a Bad Coach-Off. The odd final score seemed fitting.

–Arkansas Wide Receiver Cobi Hamilton continued to be a Beacon of Hope in the Ways Dreary Lighted in 2012.

With 11 catches, Hamilton set the Arkansas  single season record for receptions (69) passing former teammate  and current Minnesota Viking Jarius Wright, who had 66 last season as a senior at Arkansas. The Blog Hawgs Stat Geek will be along in a day or two with a breakdown of where Hamilton could end up across the board in the Arkansas record books.

I won’t steal SG’s Thunder, but let’s just say that if Arkansas somehow wins 2 of its last 3, Hamilton has a chance to leave quite a lasting legacy on The Hill.  As for Saturday, I think I was most impressed with Cobi’s workmanlike reaction after making one of the biggest plays of the game–a 41-yard reception to set up a go-ahead, 4th-quarter touchdown.

Hamilton made the grab despite unpenalized interference, got up without any histrionics and went back to the huddle and helped the Hogs finish off the drive.

–It may be a subpar season for the Hogs, but Arkansas PA Announcer John George (of Julie-O Jones fame) was in peak form, Saturday. George and his spotter tabbed Arkansas cornerback Darius Winston as a tackler early in Saturday’s game when it was actually linebacker A.J. Turner.

Winston has been buried on the bench since Texas A&M’s beatdown of the Hogs 5 weeks ago and has one tackle in the last two months, and it didn’t come Saturday. Winston was a Coach’s Decision “Did Not Play”.

–Turner–an undersized but athletic and intuitive linebacker–continued to make strides. He was Arkansas’ 2nd-leading tackler with 7, and delivered a highlight-reel hit in a hole that provided a glimpse at his immense potential.

–It wasn’t pretty, but the Hogs’ defense continued to improve, holding Tulsa to just 328 yards of offense and three second-half points.

Coming into the tilt with the Hogs, Tulsa ranked ninth in the country in rushing offense (248.8 ypg) and had gained at least 200 yards rushing in six of the previous eight games. Arkansas held Tulsa to 106 yards rushing on 36 attempts for a paltry 2.9 yard per carry average.

–Arkansas defensive end Chris Smith had a big game with a 8 tackles, a game-clinching sack, 2 big pass breakups and his 1st career forced fumble. The performance earned Smith Co-SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.

What We Didn’t See

A 10-0 lead was not friendly to the Hogs, but that’s nothing new.

Arkansas led Rutgers and Mississippi 10-0 at home before losing 35-26 to the Scarlet Knights and 30-27 to the Rebel Black Bears. Saturday, Arkansas jumped out to a 10-0 lead before falling behind Tulsa 15-13. Arkansas led Auburn 10-0 in the 2nd quarter on The Plains and stalled before scoring two 4th-quarter TDs to pull away from the War Damn Eagle Tigers.

What You May Not Have Seen

–UA senior quarterback Tyler Wilson had a different, but no-less impressive reaction on the 41-yard, 4th-quarter pass to Hamilton. Wilson hung in the pocket despite pressure, and was drilled on a head-hunting hit from a Tulsa defender. As Cobi made the grab and the players for both teams made their way down the field, Wilson let the the defender know who won that battle.

–The announced crowd was 64,451 but it was more of a Home Staying Weekend than a Homecoming Weekend. The pic to the left is an image of the Home Stands 15 minutes before kickoff. The crowd was sparse enough that I was able to get a signal from Reynolds Razorback Stadium lead sponsor AT&T for much of the day–a first.

What We Hope To See Next Week

Arkansas is a big underdog as it prepares for South Carolina next week. But, don’t sleep on the Hogs if they can contain Gamecock defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Arkansas runningback Dennis Johnson continues his recent surge.

DJ has an outside shot at a 1,000-yard season despite only having 105 carries thus far. If he and the Arkansas offensive line can set the tone and slow USCE’s salty pass rush, Arkansas could nab a road win over a Top 10 team.

The Gamecocks will be without injured, All-Everything running back Marcus Lattimore and at 7-2 and 3rd in the SEC East, have little chance of reaching their lofty preseason goals.

Also, it’s worth noting that Arkansas is 3-0 against USCE the last 3 seasons and has outscored the Gamecocks 33-16 (2009), 41-20 (2010) and 44-28 (2011) in that span. The 41-20 UA win in Columbia in 2010 wasn’t as close as that score. USCe picked up a cheap, late TD on a 1-yard fumble return with 3:52 left in the game.

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Blog Hawgs Razorback Rewind–Will It Ever Stop? Edition

Posted by Adam Butler on October 28, 2012

I am fresh out of adjectives–at least ones that I am willing to put into cyberspace under my name–to describe the pain of the 2012 Arkansas Football season.

Even when Arkansas senior runningback Dennis Johnson capped a clutch, manly drive to tie the game at 27-27 with Mississippi Saturday at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium with 2:09 left on the clock, a Mississippi win seemed to be inevitable. That is just the way Arkansas’ Season of Discontent has gone.

The Hogs’ much-maligned defense had played well for most of the game, but the 2012 Razorbacks have played (and been coached) just poorly enough to lose several times this season and the Rebel Black Bear game was no different.

With Mississippi facing a 3rd down and 9 from its own 38, Razorback Nation allowed itself to envision a stop and a much-deserved last second field goal drive for an Arkansas win.

But, for the 412th time this season, Arkansas Defensive Coordinator Paul Haynes and the UA defense showed a blitz too soon, and Mississippi quarterback Bo Wallace realized that, just as it was on the previous play, the middle of the field was wide open.

Wallace capitalized and found his best weapon–speedster Jeff Scott–for a far-too-easy 14-yard slant that kept Mississippi’s drive going. It was the last 3rd down Mississippi would face as the play sparked an 8-play, 61-yard drive that zapped the remaining time off of the clock, ending with Bryson Rose’s 31-yard, chip shot game winner as time expired.

The 30-27 win was Mississippi’s 2nd in as many league games after enduring a Houston Nutt fueled, SEC-record 16-game conference losing streak.

What We Saw

–Arkansas did just enough in every facet of the game….to lose. The offense sputtered for the bulk of the game. The defense played well for most of the day, but buckled at key times. The Special Teams were anything but–allowing a key blocked punt and losing the battle of field position all day, whether it was due to poor punts or worse punt returns.

–I am as big of a Tyler Wilson fan as you will find, but the Hogs’ star quarterback had one of the worst games of his career Saturday.  He has been a great Razorback on and off the field and has led Arkansas to many great wins.

But, Saturday, he was off in a major way. It started on Arkansas’ first possession when, on 2nd and 7 from the Mississippi 10-yard line, Wilson missed runningback Jonathan Williams on a sure touchdown throw that Wilson could  make in his sleep. Arkansas then settled for a field goal after a failed 3rd-down conversion.

Later, a beautiful 42-yard Wilson touchdown strike to senior tight end Chris Gragg gave Arkansas a 10-0 lead and appeared to signal a return to form for Wilson, but it was a fleeting feeling.

For much of the remainder of the game Wilson was late and/or inaccurate with his throws, and he compounded his physical errors with mental ones as he forced several pass attempts, with 2 of them resulting in easy interceptions.

In fairness to Wilson, for much of the day he was again without two of his biggest weapons–Gragg and former All-SEC runningback Knile Davis–who each sustained in-game injuries minutes apart in the 2nd quarter and didn’t return.

–UA JUCO transfer Austin Flynn is making a move. He continued his recent solid play and made several athletic plays on the edge against a fast paced, read-option oriented offense that offers plenty of opportunities for defensive ends and linebackers to make plays.

–Two crucial officiating decisions went against Arkansas Saturday. On 3rd and Goal from the Arkansas 1-yard line late in the first half, Mississippi made a late substitution that the Razorbacks coaching staff thought was illegal.

The officials took notice and discussed the substitution, but did not penalize the Rebel Black Bears. Scott ran for a touchdown on the next play.

Later, Wilson hit a wide open Austin Tate for an apparent 15-yard touchdown on a subtly tricky play that Arkansas had clearly been saving for the situation. Despite being told in pregame that Arkansas planned to run the play, the officials ruled that Arkansas did not have enough players on the line of scrimmage.

The TV announcers for the game–Dave Neal and Andre Ware–sided with the officials and said Arkansas clearly lacked a necessary player on the line of scrimmage. The Arkansas staff vehemently disagreed. Either, way, under the circumstances, it was a close call and a ticky-tack one to make at that point.

The wide receiver in question could have (and probably should have) “checked” with the line judge to make sure he was “legal”. On the other hand, Arkansas was trying to hit Mississippi with a quick strike that it correctly thought would be wide open and wanted to get the play off quickly before Mississippi recognized it was about to have a busted coverage.

–Arkansas senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton continued his stellar campaign. Despite often drawing double coverage, The Mayor of Markham made his final trip to Little Rock a memorable one with a career-high 12 catches for 146 yards. On the season, Hamilton has 58 catches for 900 yards and 4 TDs with 4 games left to play.

What We Didn’t See

Arkansas Offensive coordinator Paul Petrino didn’t do Wilson any favors by stubbornly waiting until the 4th quarter to ride Dennis Johnson, who finished with 162 yards and 1 TD on 27 carries.

Mississippi often played 2 high safeties, giving Arkansas the chance to gash the Rebel Black Bears with the run. But, Petrino dialed up 46 pass plays even though Wilson was struggling. Johnson and Williams averaged  5.75 yards per carry on 32 attempts on the day.

When Petrino gave the ball to Johnson 3 consecutive times in the 4th quarter (the only time it happened all day) Johnson darted and then bulldozed for gains of 21, 20 and 5 yards to cap a game-tying rally in an impressive show of will.

What You May Not Have Seen

It’s easy to remember the last thing we saw and blame the Arkansas defense entirely for the loss. It’s also unfair.

Yes, the UA defense caved when it had a chance to put its stamp on the game. And, in a bottom-line business, the defense should take some of the blame.

But a close look at the numbers reveals that the Hog defense was solid for most of the game. Arkansas nabbed 2 turnovers and held Mississippi to 109 less yards than the UA offense but was undone by 3 Mississippi scoring drives (one at the end of each half and another following a blocked punt) that took a total of 4:31 and made up 158 of Mississippi’s 355 total yards.

On the Rebel Black Bears’ 11 other possessions, they gained a total of 197 yards and had 6 punts, 1 fumble, 1 interception, 1 touchdown and 2 field goals (one from 53 yards out).

The blocked punt by Mississippi safety Charles Sawyer in the 2nd quarter gave the Rebel Black Bears momentum and a short field (leading to a touchdown), and was probably the key play in the game.

Wilson’s second interception also gave Mississippi the ball at the Arkansas’ 18-yard line, but the UA defense stiffened and forced a (successful) field goal.

–Wilson’s first interception came on a 3rd down and 2 force to Cobi Hamilton on a deep route over the middle that Sawyer was all over just minutes after his blocked punt.

Neal and Ware noted that Arkansas freshman wide receiver  Mekale McKay was wide open deep on the play. Wilson also had a wide open receiver on a shallow drag route directly in front of him that would have given Arkansas another first down deep in Mississippi territory.

What We Hope to See Next Week

At a miserable 3-5, 2-3 on the season,  it would be easy for Arkansas fans to stay away in droves next Saturday when the Hogs host 7-1 Tulsa at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Hopefully that won’t happen.

This Arkansas team has underperformed, and everything that could go wrong has. But the Hogs have shown some resolve, recently. Razorback fans could certainly help by doing the same this week.

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BlogHawgs Stat Geek Weekly Newsletter–10/11/12

Posted by Adam Butler on October 11, 2012

By BlogHawgs.com Stat Frontman Brian Rogers

Job well done, Arkansas Defense.

Your troubles have been well documented here on Bloghawgs.com and numerous other sites, blogs, and hours of sports talk radio shows.

But Saturday, you took care of business and held the Auburn offense, led by an over-hyped system-made 5* QB from the “best Arkansas high school team to ever get demolished by a score of 80-26”, to 141 yards, 2 turnovers, and 4 sacks in the first half while Arkansas’ offense and special teams were sputtering.

When the final horn sounded, the tally for the Arkansas defense was 321 total yards allowed, 5 turnovers, and 8 sacks.

Just how surprising is that? Very.

In the first 5 games of the year, the Arkansas D had given up an average of 510 yards per game and tallied 2 total turnovers and 7 sacks.

We are looking for another positive showing this week as Kentucky comes to Fayetteville ranked 13th in the SEC in scoring offense at 20.5 points per game and 13th in total offense at 329.2 yards per game.

Who is 14th? Yep, you guessed it. Auburn.

Switching gears, Cobi Hamilton continues to benefit from being Tyler Wilson’s go-to-guy due to the departure of the Big Three (Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs) last year.

“The Mayor of Markham” is showing he is not a one stadium trick pony.

Cobi is within range of passing Wright as the top statistical WR in school history, but will probably need Arkansas to make a bowl for an extra game worth of stats to surpass him.

Hamilton is 45 receptions behind JWright, needing a pace of 7.5 per game (based on 6 since a bowl is not a given) to pass Wright for mosr career receptions. He is 738 yards shy of JWright’s career receiving yards mark, needing to average 123 per game to catch him.

Historically, Hamilton is having a great single season as he is 28 catches and 440 yards behind JWright for the top season marks in school history, both set last yet. Hamilton also needs 5 more 100-yard games to tie Anthony Lucas for most in UA history.

As of now, Cobi is comfortably atop the 2012 SEC receiving yards chart with 112.8 per game (the only player above 100 yards) and is the top player in total catches with 38.

Hamilton is 4th in SEC receptions per game at 6.3, with Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews leading the way with 7.0 per game in 5 games.

The season pace Cobi is on also would place him in the top 5 in SEC single-season receiving yards , top 10 in the SEC in career receiving yards and Top 20 in receptions in SEC season history.

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BlogHawgs Stat Geek Weekly Newsletter–9/25/12

Posted by Adam Butler on September 25, 2012

By BlogHawgs.com Stat Front Man Brian Rogers

On Saturday Cobi Hamilton dropped a few records, while Arkansas’ record dropped to 1-3.

It is a shame that Hamilton’s dominating performance was all for naught and will be swept up in the (well-deserved, I might add) ever-growing swell of anger and disappointment over the Hogs’ 2012 campaign.

After a few extremely brutal weeks of reviewing the games, the Stat Geek is finally glad to have some feel-good stats to recap (Hey, we are at a point in the season of taking whatever moral victories we can get.).

Just 357 days after Jarius Wright set Arkansas records with the top individual game performance by a Wide Receiver, Cobi put a performance that stands up to Jarius’ 13 catch, 281 yard game.

Given his history, the most surprising fact about the performance has to be that the game was not played at the corner of Markham and Fair Park, but on Razorback Road. Here are a few highlights from his 303-yard night:

· Most receiving yards in Arkansas history in a single game (303);

· Most receiving yards in SEC history in a single game, surpassing Josh Reed’s 293 yards;

· Most yards per catch (minimum 10) in SEC history in a single game at 30.3 – previous best was 23.3;

· It would top any record book of the other 5 BCS conferences in single-game, individual receiving yards (Big10 – 301, Big12 – 300, Pac12 – 293, ACC – 283, Big East – 279);

· Cobi’s 303 yards is 14th all-time in NCAA single-game history.

Hamilton now has 1,948 receiving yards for his career, placing him 8th for career yards in UA history. He is the 3rd different Razorback receiver (Anthony Lucas 1999 and Alton Baldwin 1944 & 1945) to catch 3 touchdowns in a game and is now in 4th place in UA history with 17 career TDs.

One of the few other Hogs that seems to have not checked out–Tyler Wilson–had 419 yards passing Saturday. That total is 2nd all-time in UA history, behind his 510 passing yards in last year’s Texas A&M game. Considering he has played in 10 quarters of game action, Tyler’s 982 yards passing this season averages out to 393 yards per game.

Finally, while Arkansas still may be considered a red-headed step child by the blue-blood football programs of the SEC , it now has players atop the conference single-game rushing and receiving record books with Cobi’s 303 receiving yards and Darren McFadden’s 321 yards rushing against Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks in 2007.

Wilson holds the 5th best SEC single-game passing mark in history while Wright has the third most receiving yards in a game.

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Razorbacks Rewind–Happy “Razorbacks Fan Freak Out” Day

Posted by Adam Butler on September 3, 2012

It wasn’t pretty, but Arkansas took care of business by besting FCS opponent Jacksonville State 49-24 in front of 71,062 in Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.

Now, many of you can sit back and celebrate the rest of the 3-day Holiday Weekend.

I know you won’t celebrate Labor Day (Who does that?).

I am referencing the annual, “Razorback Fan Freak Out” Day.

Widespread Hog Panic has been a September staple the last few years. A glorious round manufactured anxiety ensued when Arkansas allowed 467 yards (373 passing) of offense to Troy last year in a 38-28 win over the Trojans.

Two years ago, Arkansas’ wins over Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe were—according to the Razorbacks most knee-jerk reactionary fans– sure signs of doom.

Arkansas had the audacity to trail Tennessee Tech 3-0 after the 1st quarter of the 2010 opener and only scored 31 points against ULM in Game 2 while crawling out to a 7-0 halftime lead against the War Hawks in Little Rock.

Last night I heard Average Hog Fan bemoaning the performance against—*gasp*–Jacksonville State.

Here is a word to the wise: Don’t sleep on JSU.

The Gamecocks aren’t SEC-caliber, but they probably are Sun Belt Conference caliber. If you think for a second that former Arkansas (and current Jacksonville State) head coach Jack Crowe hasn’t had this game circled on his calendar since it was announced, you are kidding yourself.

JSU prepared all offseason for its chance to take down Goliath and the program represented itself well behind fifth-year senior quarterback Marquez Ivory.

That should not have been completely unexpected. There are plenty of FBS teams (probably high double digits) that Jax St. “could” beat and several others they probably would beat–like Memphis, New Mexico and UNLV.

JSU is every bit as good as the North Texas team that LSU beat by a similar score (41-14) in Baton Rouge Saturday.

Crowe and company beat Mississippi and TFMC 49-48 in 2010 and led Florida State 9-7 with 36 seconds left in the game at Tallahassee in 2009.

And, (while I am not comparing Arkansas’ defense with Bama’s) as for the prevailing thought that no top echelon SEC team would give up 300 yards to a FCS team, it’s worth noting that Almighty Alabama gave up 342 yards (302 on the ground) and 21 points to FCS Georgia Southern in November of last year on the way to the national championship.

So, while many Arkansas fans are already making sweeping proclamations about the 2012 Razorbacks’ vast number of deficiencies, I think I will reserve judgment.

I did so the last two years and those Razorback teams—with a BCS Bowl appearance and Top 5 national finish, respectively–turned out to be much better than many fickle Arkansas fans predicted based on a few luster-lacking outings.

What We Saw

–Arkansas again looked like a potential offensive powerhouse. UA Senior Quarterback Tyler Wilson was on the money all night long. He set a school record for yards passing in a season opener, finishing 19 of 27 passing for 327 yards and three touchdowns  and he looks to have a nice, new athletic weapon in fellow QB turned wide receiver Brandon Mitchell (6-4 230, 4.5 40-yard dash).

Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino repeatedly used the duo to exploit what JSU gave him—the middle of the field.

Petrino showcased Mitchell in the slot receiver position and created a number of physical mismatches with Mitchell being covered by much smaller linebackers and safeties.. But for one drop of a beautifully thrown strike by Wilson, Mitchell would have had a near-perfect night.

Even with the drop, it was a show-stealing performance as Mitchell pulled in 4 catches for 122 yards. Many of the yards came after the catch and contact as Mitchell showed off better-than-expected speed and elusiveness.

–Arkansas’ Chris Gragg also showed why any list of the Top 5 NFL prospects at tight end without his name on it is a complete joke. Gragg grabbed 7 catches for 110 yards and 2 TDs. With his size—6’3, 236—it’s almost unfair that Gragg runs a legitimate 4.5 40-yard dash and has a cartoonish wing span.

If he stays healthy, Gragg could become Arkansas’ 2nd Mackey Award winner (given to the nation’s best tight end) in 3 years. Green Bay Packer D.J. Williams won the Mackey Award as a Hog in 2010.

–The one blemish on Gragg’s night was also the biggest one on the Razorbacks’ performance as a whole. Gragg lost a fumble, one of 3 Arkansas lost as a team (Wilson and Ronnie Wingo, Jr. lost the others).

The turnovers, not Arkansas’ defense, are the main reason the opener failed to satisfy Hog fans’ blood lust. Take away 1 or 2 of the fumbles and Arkansas margin of victory would have been what most expected.

–Arkansas defense certainly could have played much better—particularly in the back 7. The UA cornerbacks’ coverage was soft early allowing Jacksonville State to extend drives on a number of 3rd down.

And, linebackers Tenarius “Tank” Wright and Alonzo Highsmith were solid at times, but for the most part looked like players who missed almost all of Fall Camp with injuries (Highsmith missed all of Spring Practice as well).

The positives on the defensive side of the ball came mostly from Arkansas’ experienced defensive line. It tallied 3 sacks and had a whopping 9.5 (of Arkansas’ 11 overall) tackles for loss.

On the back end, safety/linebacker Ross Rasner is expected to be a Jack of All Trades for this unit and he showed why with 11 tackles (1.5 for a loss) and several pass break ups.

–It was good to have All-SEC runningback Knile Davis back on the field after he missed all of last season with an ankle injury he suffered early in 2011 Fall Camp. Davis looked as quick and strong as ever but was admittedly a bit rusty—he said in postgame interviews that he missed big hole on the goal line.

Considering the seriousness of his past injuries, Davis’ 18 carries for 70 yards and a TD was encouraging.

What We Didn’t See:

–As one would expect, Arkansas didn’t give future opponents much to scout—particularly on defense.  Defensive Coordinator Paul Haynes 2nd-guessed himself in following the game, suggesting he could have dialed up a few more blitzes to try to rattle Jacksonville State and take some pressure off of the secondary.

–Arkansas appeared to avoid serious injuries. Wide Receiver Cobi Hamilton sustained a minor neck injury and left the game very early, but is expected to return next week. Reserve defensive end Colton Miles-Nash left the game with an apparent leg injury, but it, too, appeared to be minor.

What You May Not Have Seen:

–It you watched the pay-per-view telecast there are plenty of things you may not have seen as the cameras appeared to be set up in West Siloam Springs. Add in the two-toned numbers on Arkansas’ new uniforms and it wasn’t the easiest opener for eyeballs around the Natural State.

–ESPN/ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit apparently has more confidence in Arkansas than many of its fans. On hand to call Bama’s dismantling of an overrated Michigan squad and its Quarterback Denard Robinson, Herbstreit said of Bama as they were shaming the Wolverines, “We are gonna find out how good this defense is in 2 weeks when they face Tyler Wilson and Arkansas.”

–Apparently our Summer isn’t over, yet. There were reportedly dozens of fans who suffered heat-related problems requiring attention from Razorback Stadium personnel Saturday night.

–My hopes of increased attention to gameday detail at Razorback Stadium with the revamping of its scoreboard and Pig Screen appear to be dashed, already. Updating the Down and Distance is still a problem, so I guess I will give up on the those in charge of the stadium actually managing to pull off an out of town scoreboard that is updated regularly.

The issue wouldn’t be a big deal if lead sponsor AT&T provided better than “Tomato Cans and Shoestring” cell service inside Razorback Stadium.

What We Hope to See Next Week:

An old adage advises that a football team improves the most between the 1st and 2nd games of the season. I hope to see that by way of major improvement from Arkansas’ secondary.

Arkansas also needs the Mayor of Markham, Cobi Hamilton, to return for next week’s game in Little Rock and prove he is healthy as he is one of the few Arkansas wide receivers who hasn’t been manhandled by Alabama the last few years and has made a few plays against the Crimson Tide. Alabama is Arkansas’ Week 3 opponent (and the probable #1 ranked team in America) in 13 days.

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Godspeed and Good Health, Hogs.

Posted by Adam Butler on August 24, 2012

This is the 23rd in our series 30 Thoughts About Razorback Football in 30 Days leading up to the 2012 Kickoff.

As a certified Jinxologist, writing this post sends a shiver down my spine. It’s sort of like talking about a no-hitter during a no-hitter. It’s asking for trouble.

But, as we round the final turn and near the Finish Line of a topsy-turvy offseason on a night when Arkansas’ potential All-American running back candidate Knile Davis is going “live”–ie being tackled to the ground–for the first time in over a year (in a “mock game” tonight during the Razorbacks’ practice) it seems like an appropriate time to think about the player that Arkansas can least afford to lose.

Tyler Wilson, the Hogs’ All-SEC Quarterback doesn’t count. He is the most valuable Razorback by acclimation. Established, toolsy, 5th-year Senior QBs that you would like your daughter to marry don’t grow on trees–even in a Petrino-led system.

Add in the fact that Wilson’s former backup–Brandon Mitchell–has spent most of Fall Camp in the Wide Receivers line in an effort to get his athleticism on the field (leaving redshirt freshman Brandon Allen as a talented, but completely inexperienced 2nd-teamer) and there is little doubt Wilson is the most valuable Hog.

But who, other than Wilson, can the Hogs least afford to lose?

The easy answer would be Davis. He is a great, game-changing player and seems to be an extremely well-liked teammate. But, as I forecasted last year in this space (and it holds true, today) Arkansas’ depth at runningback mitigates what would otherwise be a deflating, excruciating, Football Gods-questioning loss.

Scarily, the answer may possibly be currently found on Arkansas’ list of walking wounded. Senior linebackers Tenarius “Tank” Wright (concussion) and Alonzo Highsmith (hamstring) and junior safety Eric Bennett (hamstring) have all been hampered with nagging injuries this Fall with Highsmith’s latest setback following a torn pectoral muscle that cost him almost all of Spring Practice.

The long-term loss of any of those potential playmakers on a defense that is attempting to take on a new, sure-tackling persona would be a tough blow. Of that trio, Bennett might be the most irreplaceable, as the safety position has been a tough one to fill for Arkansas of late after having a long run of record-setters at the position from the late ’90s through the early-to-mid Aughts.

Although Average Hog Fan makes a habit of hating on any cornerback who dares to give up a completed pass, senior Darius Winston and sophomore Tevin Mitchel (no typo…can that be his nickname?) are certainly worth mentioning in this discussion. Both the starting cornerbacks have All-SEC caliber talent and are backed up by a cast of freshmen and walkons.

But for my money, the Mayor of Markham–Wide Receiver Cobi Hamilton–is the player not named Tyler Wilson that Arkansas can least afford to lose.

The Hogs have lost seven (7) receivers off last year’s roster to the NFL, dismissal and transfer. While the Razorbacks have a number of Wide Receivers who could contribute significantly, none of them except Hamilton have, yet.

Quality Wide Receiver depth and production is a must in Arkansas’ pass-happy offense as is reflected by Mitchell’s move to WR and the long look that runningback Ronnie Wingo, Jr. is getting as more of a hybrid receiving target.

Every star quarterback needs a trusted target and Cobi is Wilson’s. With a long line of WRs who might have Hog fans reaching for the numerical roster in the Gameday program, losing Cobi would be toughest injury to overcome.

 

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Believe the Hype

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 21, 2012

This is the 19th in our series of 30 Thoughts on Razorback Football in 30 Days leading up to the 2012 Kickoff.

Have you heard? Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis are both candidates for the Heisman Trophy this year. Cobi Hamilton is even considered a long-shot candidate by some.

It seems impossible to find a radio station or message board (Okay…I haven’t even looked, but I assume I’m right) without someone lauding Wilson and Davis as sure-fire locks to make it to New York this December as a Heisman finalist. BlogHawgs.com’s own Heisman pundit put both Hogs in his Preseason Heisman 5 + 1 column this week. The anticipation for both of these young men is through the roof, leaving me to wonder if it will affect their performance on the field.

By all accounts Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis are savvy guys that understand success comes from hard work. They know how to talk to the media, often using the time-honored clichés of “We just need to take it one week at a time,” or “If we play to the best of our abilities, I think we can win a lot of games this year.” For some reason, when coming from those two guys, I actually want to believe what they’re saying.

When Ryan Mallett and Darren McFadden were in the Heisman spotlight over the past five seasons, I tended to wince when they were on my television screen doing anything but playing football. Mallett proved to be exceedingly confident (to put it politely) while McFadden never found his footing with the press (again, being polite). Both Wilson and Davis have the ability to string words together in a way that suggests they really are ready for Prime Time.

My hunch is that neither of the two 2012 Razorback Heisman hopefuls will succumb to the pressures of a national campaign. If the Hogs win 10 or 11 games, they’ll each have a shot at an early December trip to New York. Both Wilson and Davis passed on the NFL draft earlier this year, choosing rather to come back to Fayetteville for one more special season. That’s the type of decision one makes when his feet are firmly on the ground. As long as that continues on the field (both literally and figuratively) Arkansas should be in fine shape with on-field leadership on offense this season.

Losing at home to Alabama all but sinks both of their chances – and the team’s chance for a BCS national title also take a serious blow – so I expect Tyler, Knile, and the rest of the Razorbacks to focus on what’s important. If they win this year, a lot of Razorbacks will be up for national awards. If not, we’ll just look back on this time of year and reminisce (again) about how good the 2012 Hogs could have been.

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His Time

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 16, 2012

This is the 15th in our series of 30 Thoughts on Razorback Football in 30 Days.

No one questions the importance of Tyler Wilson to the success of the 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks. He’s a fifth-year senior, returning First Team All-SEC quarterback with a great chance to go in the first round of next April’s NFL draft. When thinking about who the Hogs could least afford to lose, Tyler Wilson immediately leaps to mind. Taking aside the obvious answer, which Razorback is most important to this year’s team? There are several candidates, but one sticks out to me more than the others.

Cobi Hamilton

The senior wide receiver from Texarkana has produced consistently in a secondary role since his freshman season on campus. With the Arkansas trio of Joe Adams, Jarrius Wright, and Greg Childs leading the way and grabbing the headlines, Hamilton quietly contributed play after play for the past three years. There were a few brilliant flashes – especially in Little Rock against Mississippi State in 2009 and LSU in 2010 – tempting Arkansas fans with the brilliance so many have expected after the highly touted recruit picked the Razorbacks over the Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators, among others.

Now is his time. With Adams, Wright, and Childs gone to the NFL and four other expected contributors gone from campus, Hamilton has easily emerged as the favorite target for Wilson to find this season. There are other receivers on campus that have the talent to emerge, but guys like Jevontee Herndon and Julian Horton failed to impress coaches enough to find regular playing time as underclassmen. Both juniors, neither Herndon nor Horton have established themselves as go-to threats in Arkansas’s pass happy offense. While both need to play a prominent role this season – along with JUCO transfer Demetrius Wilson and freshman Keon Hatcher – only Hamilton has proven on the field he has what it takes to be The Man at the wide receiver position.

Arkansas has depth at the offensive line, running back positions, and can adjust without a proven tight end (should, God forbid, Chris Gragg get injured). Defensively only the linebacker spot presents as many question marks as the wide receiver position. That said, defensive coaches have more flexibility with their schemes and coverages in order to compensate for personnel issues. The Arkansas offense requires precision from its wide outs, and right now only Cobi Hamilton has the goods. That makes him the player Arkansas can least afford to lose outside of Tyler Wilson.

It will be a good season if…

Cobi Hamilton stays healthy and lives up to his potential, earning first-team All-SEC honors and All-American consideration. In doing so the Hogs will likely find themselves playing in a top-tier bowl game and potentially the BCS.

It will be a bad season if…

Either through injury or poor play, Hamilton fails to step up as the leader Arkansas needs on offense. An abbreviated or otherwise poor season from Hamilton could lead to significant frustration as the losses mount this fall.

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Quarterback Tyler Wilson to Return to Arkansas for 2012 Season

Posted by Adam Butler on January 13, 2012

The University of Arkansas Sports Information Department just released a statement advising that 1st-Team All SEC Quarterback Tyler Wilson will return to The Hill for his Senior season.

In recent days, All-SEC running back Knile Davis and play-making wide receiver Cobi Hamilton have announced their intentions to return to Arkansas for the 2012 season and forego the NFL Draft, as well.

We are very glad we were wrong on this. We can’t wait to get the band back together.

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