Fans need to get Razorback Stadium rockin’ like it used to be

“We were in our break area, and we could feel the stadium vibrating. That’s how loud you guys are tonight.”

This, my friends, was a direct quote from an extremely stormy night on Sept. 8, 2001.

The game: No. 8 Tennessee at Arkansas.

The venue: Razorback Stadium.

My point: Our Fayetteville home use to be rockin’!

Who amongst you home game attendees (especially since the 2001 expansion) does not miss the raucous crowds creating havoc for each and every opponent who dared come onto “The Hill” in an attempt to defeat our beloved Razorbacks?

Beloved. There’s an overused word I actually miss. Arkansans used to LOVE our HOGS no matter what — no matter the score, no matter the record, and no matter the coach.

Here’s a simple request from a desperate Hogs fan: Let’s PACK THE STADIUM against Auburn. And following are some reasons as to why:

• Recruiting. I have said this before, and I will say it again, recruits loved packed stadiums. Yes, Dan, we know, they also love a winning program. However, they often want to be a part of creating a champion, and sitting in a crowd watching 25,000-fans scattered amongst 76,000-seats is not a selling point for any FBS team.

• Common sense. If we cannot convince the fans, then how are we going to win over any recruits. If we cannot sign these coveted athletes, how are we going to begin to launch ourselves to anything remotely close to our glory days.

As much as we may hate it, if we want future success, we have to spend our own money and attend games despite the current end results.

Furthermore, it’s no secret Razorbacks commit Ty’kieast Crawford will be in attendance this Saturday. He is no doubt looking for some sign to keep him onboard as a future Hog.

• Pride. Whether we like it or not, there are young men on that field giving it their all to represent our state every weekend.

If we cannot support them, imagine how they feel about playing a game on our behalf. Love your state and everything standing up for it. Rah, rah.

• Gus Malzahn. Let’s not give that son of … Let’s not give Auburn’s head coach the satisfaction of feeling he did the right thing that fateful night as contracts “sat upon his desk.”

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I have honestly arrived at the point where hearing his name reminds me I forgot to pay the sanitation bill.

• Charity. Have a sense of it, and if you have tickets but do not desire to brave the possible thrashing we may receive against number 11 Auburn, give your tickets away.

This weekend may not be as cool as it was to watch the eyes of a young child walking into a packed DWRRS, but the excitement for a child to see the big boys from television play will still be as great for them as an SEC Title would be for us.

• Hunter Yurachek asked us to … Okay, stop laughing, but at least hear the guy out. I’m not a plagiarist, so you can see his pleas to us as fans here: From the Desk of Your AD.

• Nolan Richardson wants the place packed. You heard it here first (and there’s probably a good reason for that).  Congrats on YOUR court, Coach. It is far beyond well-deserved.

• We can win this weekend. We won’t, but we can. We have been so close lately losing by one score in all four losses outside of our SEC-opener versus Ole Miss. I dare you all to show up and see what magic even 60,000 screaming fans can conjure.

In case you were wondering, we lost the twice weathered-delayed game against Tennessee 13–3 2001 evening. We won over some top recruits. I have no doubt as we created many successful team in the seasons following.

Unfortunately, we may not be able to turn a page this weekend, yet it will be closer than most predict. Auburn over Arkansas 28-24.

Be sure to listen to the game at 11 a.m. via HitThatLine.com, and on the air at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

Andy Hodges continues his winning ways in our weekly duel. Unfortunately for him, there is plenty of time for me to make a comeback that would make Macaulay Culkin stand up and applaud.

(9) Florida at South Carolina: The Gamecocks surprised me, they surprised ESPN, and they surprised Georgia last week in what I believe is the upset of the season. They will not surprise Florida this weekend. Gators by 20.

(11) Auburn at Arkansas: Please see above… and please attend. Andy might buy you a $24 set of pom-poms. Additionally, I am calling an upset here, but only off the record. Tigers by 4.

 (2) LSU at Mississippi State: Surely I am not the only one pleased by how irate Clemson and Ohio State Fans are about LSU leaping over them in the rankings. Surely. LSU has to verify the jump is legit. Tigers by 18.

(22) Missouri at Vanderbilt [SLOPFEST OF THE WEEK]: Have you noticed (so far) all of the ranked SEC teams are on the road this weekend? Missouri will most likely win this game, but if Bryant’s knee does not hold up, it will not be pretty. Tigers by a messy 28.

Kentucky at (10) Georgia: No short analysis. Georgia shows Arkansas how you defeat a fourth string quarterback. Bulldogs by 40.

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Texas A&M at Ole Miss [GAME OF THE WEEK]: Why GOTW honors you ask? Because this game will be the most competitive, especially since Ole Miss has the homefield advantage. Rebels by 5.

Tennessee at (1) Alabama: The Vols remind me of the kiddie roller coaster at a state fair – up and down, up and down, exciting for a second, but knowing no one takes it seriously. This is a bad year for the SEC East member to travel to Alabama.

A very, very bad year. So disheartening for Tennessee faithful I would venture to say “MySpace” has had a better 2019. Tide by 30.

No matter what happens, we are Razorbacks through and through? Besides this goldfish, who is with me?

Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS

Go HOGS!!!