A couple of years ago, frustrated Razorbacks fans tweeted at me, “We don’t deserve this.”
This was at the end of the Bret Bielema Era. He was lamenting the abrupt end of the Bobby Petrino Era that had given way to the disappointing Bielema experiment.
I wasn’t sympathetic as a lifelong Iowa State and Chicago Cubs fan. I know Cyclones fans would trade Arkansas’ football success in a heartbeat. I know misery, and it is a lot worse than anything Hogs fans have seen — or at least to that point.
However, as I left Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday night, that tweet crept into my mind.
Arkansas displayed an absolutely putrid effort against a terrible San Jose State program and was beaten in every phase of the game. The ticketed attendance was announced at a little more than 50,000, many of which stayed even when the Razorbacks trailed 24-7 at halftime.
The boisterous crowd was one of the reasons Arkansas got back in the game in the second half. San Jose State was feeling the pressure.
Alas, the Spartans did score on their final drive and pulled out the 31-24 win, but Hogs fans were in the game.
No doubt, many of them headed home for a long drive upset and frustrated. And I really can’t blame them. I hadn’t been to DRR since the 2000 season (that’s a long story) when I covered games for the Northwest Arkansas Times.
I was impressed with all of the renovations, especially the north end zone. The facility is a big-time venue and coupled with the locker rooms and operations center and indoor facility would be appealing for recruits.
Everything is in place for fans to enjoy a good time except good football, and despite what some say, that is the most important thing.
More important than a fan experience outside the stadium that was added this year or some cell phone light show in the third quarter. Those things are great if you’re winning.
I was in the press box when Arkansas beat No. 3 Tennessee in 1999. The atmosphere was electric, and the stadium was a shell of itself, but as Tee Martin pushed deep into Arkansas territory in the waning seconds, the crowd was beyond loud.
The Hogs were enjoying back-to-back successful seasons under second-year coach Houston Nut and excitement was at an all-time high.
I’ve been critical of Arkansas fans in general being fair weather or unrealistic. Some think because Arkansas “won” a national championship in 1964, they are a championship team.
Not true and most reasonable folks agree that going to a bowl game and winning seven or eight consistently is reasonable with a couple of stellar years out of a decade that may include 10 wins and a shot at an SEC Championship.
Refer to the Nutt Era. He had his critics but most would take those results now.
What we can all agree on is that Arkansas fans deserve better than 2-10 and a lengthy SEC losing streak. The program has sunk to historically low depths. It is capable of much better.
Losing to San Jose State was a new low and caused several in the media, including me, to question the direction of the program. So far, and it is early, coach Chad Morris hasn’t given an indication that he is capable of turning the program around.
At least some in the media have called for Morris’ firing. I won’t do that at this point (or ever), but if Arkansas finishes the season winless in the SEC and only beats Western Kentucky, the administration better be ready with a plan that won’t allow this program to spiral out of control for good.
Nothing is going to make Saturdays better than winning, and as we saw Saturday bad losses spoil everything that is good about the program.
This pattern must stop.
The fans do deserve much better.
