Razorbacks’ Jalen Tate (17 points, 11 assists) reached a college milestone scoring, dismissed injuries after 100-75 win over Bears on Saturday.
Notae overcomes slow start but gets hot to pace Arkansas’ win over UCA
Arkansas guard J.D. Notae (22 points, 6 assists, 3 steals) said his shots wren’t falling early, but then it started to click in big night.
Despite a virus, opt-out excuses, schedule, Pittman has made Hogs better
Despite catastrophic predictions to the contrary from just about every corner, Arkansas managed to complete a ridiculously tough schedule in a crazy year.
An uncontrollable virus led to the greatest excuse for players to quit and coaches to run off players are just the highlights of what Sam Pittman has had to deal with in his first head coaching gig.
The fact he actually improved on things with the Razorbacks may be lost on some after a 52-3 loss to Alabama on Saturday that probably wasn’t really as close as the final score might indicate.
In the second half, Nick Saban was looking to the SEC Championship next week, which matters considerably more than the margin of victory over the Hogs.
“The second half they were just trying to go home,” Pittman said of the Crimson Tide, who took the second-half kickoff and ran off over half of the third quarter. “We got our butts kicked today … bad.
“But that’s the only time this year.”
Yes, it was ugly and every bit as bad as Pittman said. It was worse than Georgia, Texas A&M or Florida. Don’t judge the season by the last regular-season game.
“I told them you can’t let one game define your season,” Pittman said about what he told a group with long faces after the game.”
The numbers say things turned around for the Hogs this season. The final record will say 3-7, but it should have been at least 4-6 (the Auburn loss), probably 5-5 (with one defensive lineman regular in loss to LSU).
Remember, Pittman didn’t even get to see his team practice until the summer with the coronavirus wiping out spring practice and delaying everything for a month in fall practices.
And the SEC handed him maybe as tough of a schedule as anybody has ever had to play. When you have every opponent but one ranked at some point during the season that’s tough. Half of the schedule was the Top 10 at some point, making it tougher.
Despite all of that, plus the craziness of opt-outs and safety protocols, the Hogs still won 30% of their games … all in the SEC.
Since the 2012 season, Arkansas has won just 20.3% of their conference games. In one season, Pittman took a roster that hadn’t won a single league game in two seasons and won nearly a third of the conference games.
Maybe Pittman’s best recruiting efforts when he got the job was keep the seniors from leaving in droves. He’ll be recruiting most of them again since they can come back due to the free year they all get this year.
His pitch is probably going to be to keep it going.
“These guys helped start turning the program,” Pittman said. “We’re not near where we need to be, where we want to be. They helped us.
“We won three SEC games and we hadn’t done that in three years.”
To put this season in context, Pittman has dealt with getting a job and not getting to coach his team for nearly nine months, then having to deal with a ridiculously difficult schedule while never knowing who he’s going to have on the team.
“Ya’ll have no idea what going through covid, opt-out and injuries are about,” he said. “I mean none. You basically put your team together on Friday because the test comes back on Thursday.”
You get the idea, though, the opt-outs that players do bothers Pittman more than anything. It does me, too.
While it was designed as a way for players concerned about their safety could not play and keep their eligibility, it’s turned into an excuse for some of them to flat quit and avoid criticism.
Coaches have also used it as a politically-correct way to run off malcontents.
“Hopefully if the vaccine gets out and things our depth will get better,” Pittman said. “The kids aren’t afraid of the virus and at that point opting-out would be a thing of the past. Our depth is probably better than it looks simply because of the virus and opting out.”
When all of this settles down (and it will, whether you want to believe it or not), there will be plenty of things that could have been done differently.
That’s for later.
For now Pittman will be holding practices this week and waiting to hear where the Hogs’ bowl destination will be.
And he sounds confidant the Hogs will go bowling.
“In a regular season when you beat three SEC teams, you usually have 3-4 wins in the non-conference games and that’s 6-7 wins, and you go to a bowl game,” he said.
It has nothing to do with playing a game. That’s simply for television (this year ESPN is wanting matchups that people want to watch because records don’t mean a whole lot).
“Teams that don’t go to bowl games, they lose about 15 practices … they lose a spring ball to everybody that [goes to a bowl],” Pittman said Saturday. “If we didn’t think practice is important, then we wouldn’t want to go to a bowl game. But we do, and we want to.”
The good news is he will be going to a bowl game, probably in Houston or Memphis. Pittman was careful not to mention any specific bowl games.
Practices will be held this week he said near the end of his postgame comments.
Most of this week is about recruiting where the Hogs are sitting at No. 19 in the national rankings, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Which is the most important thing right now because the season is complete.
And that may ultimately be the biggest accomplishment of all.
Pittman: Best Alabama team he’s seen, but knows Saban won’t like that
Sam Pittman thinks this is “the best squad I’ve seen,” but Nick Saban will like him saying that because he’s called it “rat poison” before.
Woods on Hogs’ offense not able to execute against Tide’s defense
Razorbacks’ wide receiver Mike Woods talked with the media after the 52-3 loss to No. 1 Alabama about the struggles all day for offense.
Smith says running on Alabama’s defense tough because they are disciplined
Hogs running back Trelon Smith (69 yards on 19 carries) said the Crimson Tide’s defense was “very disciplined,” which made yards hard to get.
Catalon on getting big interception taken away with targeting penalty
Razorbacks safety Jalen Catalon talked after the game about getting the interception in the end zone against Alabama taken away on penalty.
Pool on loss to No. 1 Alabama, but says bowl game for Hogs would be big
Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool said after the blowout loss against the Crimson Tide going to any bowl game would be big boost for program.
HALFTIME REPORT: Hogs’ poor offensive execution digs 38-3 hole
If anybody asks Sam Pittman about the execution of Arkansas’ offense in the first half against Alabama, he might be in favor of it.
No, not really, but as the Crimson Tide offense has methodically put up 226 yards, the Razorbacks have a total of 70 so the 38-3 Bama lead shouldn’t be surprising.
The Hogs’ offensive line has piled up numerous procedure penalties (moving at the line) and Eric Gregory alone on the defensive side has been drawn offsides by Tide quarterback Mac Jones apparently getting away with some creative snap counts.
Arkansas was in this game for most of the first half. It was 3-3 with 2:16 left in the first quarter when DeVonta Smith returned a punt up the middle of the field for 84 yards for a score that opened the floodgates.
Alabama got a pair of touchdowns from Najee Harris (1 yard, 5 yards) and Brian Robinson, Jr. (1 yard, 4 yards) while the Hogs’ offense just basically stumbled around.
Feleipe Franks started at quarterback for the Hogs, but didn’t have a lot of success and K.J. Jefferson is finding the going a little more difficult than he did last week against Missouri.
Franks had 33 yards in lost rushing yardage on sacks or failed scrambles while Arkansas’ inability to convert on third down (just 1-of-7) has led to the Crimson Tide getting the ball back to set up drives.
The Hogs got a 26-yard field goal from Matthew Phillips (replacing A.J. Reed who wasn’t getting much consistency) with 7:18 left in the first quarter after getting a first-and-goal before bogging down.
There is still a half to go, so spring practice may start for the Hogs with the second-half kickoff.
Making this game competitive, though, probably isn’t going to happen.
PETE’S PICKS: Some redeeming qualities from fans for Crimson Tide
The Arkansas Razorbacks conclude their shortened, SEC Conference-only games when they host Alabama on Saturday.
While many fans have a strong hatred for the Crimson Tide, the thought of how many SEC fans cling to them as the tip of the arrow for the conference (especially during bowl season) made me wonder if there are any redeeming qualities to the consistent national championship contender.
So I began to ask around, and here are a few of the likes and dislikes of the SEC’s finest.
Head coach Nick Saban – Like
Competitive. Insatiable in his desire to win. Successful. Clean.
If you can say you have ever met or know someone who is MORE competitive than Nick Saban then you are completely unfamiliar with Alabama’s head coach.
It does not matter if his team is down 30 or up 70, his goal is perfection from his staff and his players on every single snap of the ball. Anything else would be unworthy of his kindness, and he is quick to let the guilty party know of their mistake.
He also has 161 wins and 23 losses with 12 bowl victories, 8 SEC West titles, 6 SEC championships, and 5 national champions as the head coach at Alabama. Read that again if you need validation he is not a proven winner.
As far as we can tell, he runs a clean program. More on that shortly.
Fans – Dislike
Upon initial submission of this week’s piece I was informed I cannot use the term “candyasses” in an article. I replied I sure would like to as its usage would completely summarize the majority of their pretentious, pompous, egotistical, self-centered…. Wait, I need to relax. We are all familiar with their fanbase.
Even some of their lower-tier columnists are appalled if a fan of another team cannot name which of their Crimson Tide offensive linemen will be the first selected in the upcoming NFL draft, yet when asked about their thoughts on an opposing head coach their response will be akin to “I have not given him any thought and am unfamiliar.”
No, not every person rocking the heavy slab serif circular text is a displeasure with which to socialize. Yet, as in most cases, the most vocal represent the majority, and, win or lose, Alabama’s loudest are those displaying the least class.
“Whooooooa, Nellie” – Like
Who doesn’t love to hear Keith Jackson’s (not ours – the nation’s) beloved catch phrase followed by his ability to morph “the Crimson Tide of Alabama” into a one word phrase?
Their bevy of unrelated mascots – Dislike
What is it with the state of Alabama’s “two flagship” schools? Tigers, Crimson Tide, War Eagle, Elephants, Plainsmen, Red Elephants. Their inability to align themselves to a singular mascot is that of a six-year-old loading up her parents’ backseat with her entire collection of stuffed animals for a weekend visit to grandma’s. Somewhere in the halls of these schools a conversation has taken place similar to this:
“You can only pick one animal.”
“I cannot decide, Momma.” [Insert puppy dog eyes.]
“Okay, fine, sweetheart, you can take them all.”
Yes, I’ve read the stories behind each of these, and yes, I understand one is a chant; however, it’s just too much, although I must admit, it would be kind of cool if they someday started using a rat as an additional mascot to pay tribute to one of Nick Saban’s comments.
“Sweet Home Alabama” – Like
Okay, this has nothing to do with the Crimson Tide, but the opening guitar riff from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1974 hit is one for which very few can resist without at least a hipster head bob.
Roll Tide – Dislike
Do not get me wrong, there’s nothing totally wrong with the chant. It’s a tradition recognized by so many.
What irks most outside of the Yellowhammer State is how the fans of the top program in the nation somehow get a kick out of taking rolls of toilet tissue, gluing them to Tide detergent boxes, and either toting them around on a stick or even going as far to mount them as head gear.
You heard me right, head gear people.
I mean if a state ever wanted to separate itself from the stigma it is just a bunch of dog raising hillbillies, then toting around such and odd tribute to the very thing for which your state is known might require some more abstract thought. I have been to Alabama; they have bakeries there. Think about it.
Their hatred for Lane Kiffin – Like
Any organization who has public discourse regarding their disdain for current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is not 100% bad.
Remember when Nick Saban gave Kiffin an earful in 2016 while the Tide held a 35-point lead over Western Kentucky with less than a minute to play in the game.
Over what?
A playcall from offensive coordinator Kiffin which did not sit well with Saban. When asked about the incident the head coach was quoted as saying, “There are no arguments. Those are called ass-chewings.”
Speaking of memories, do you recall the time the Alabama bus left Kiffin at the stadium following their national championship victory over Clemson? Do you remember when they left him again a year later in Atlanta?
If the latter was not bad enough, the program informed him the following week he would no longer be privy to travel with the Tide prior to that season’s national championship game.
Kiffin was about as welcome at Alabama as Mel Gibson would be at a Harvey Fierstein birthday party.
They don’t recruit and they never cheat – Dislike
Okay, that’s a falsehood on my behalf. They do recruit, and Saban is a relentless pro at it. My point is they do not have to.
Remember when a former Arkansas basketball coach said something along the lines of “We don’t recruit. We pick.” Yes, that. THAT all year long at Alabama.
Top players will sit the bench for multiple seasons at Bama when they could be an early starter at another D-I school. This is one reason why so many fans from across the nation despise what Saban has done in Tuscaloosa.
Despite some anonymous allegations and other rumblings regarding Apple Watches to players to monitor their health during the covid-19 quarantining, nothing comes to a prominent light of infractions during the Nick Saban era at Alabama.
None. Zero. Correct me if I have missed something.
They make the SEC money – Like
Like a lot of conferences the SEC has revenue sharing.
Arkansas receives a full share even when Chad Morris had the responsibility to start every post-game press conference with “Little disappointed tonight. Things didn’t go the way we’d hoped.”
Guess who of the 14 conference teams most commonly brings in the majority of the SEC revenue for distribution purposes.
Before you go on a mad ‘Google’ hunt, know the difference between generated income for the school and revenue earned for conference dispersal.
Arkansas has not beaten Alabama since 2006 – Dislike
Remember Leigh Tiffin? If you were older than four and a Razorback fan in 2006 I can almost guarantee you do.
Arkansas defeated Alabama 24–23 in double-overtime.
I cannot recall ever feeling as much sympathy for the performance of an opposing player as I did for that young man on that day. The Alabama kicker missed a 33-yard field goal in the first half, one from 30 in the fourth, and what would have been a victorious 37-yarder in the first overtime.
But that wasn’t the end of his day on that beautiful September Saturday.
Tiffin no doubt further provided himself lament when he missed an extra point wide right in the second overtime in Fayetteville. In only a matter of minutes,
Arkansas’s Jeremy Davis showed him proper technique in kicking the winning extra point following Mitch Mustain’s 11-yard touchdown pass on third down to tight end Ben Cleveland.
For clarity, while we have not beaten the Tide since 2006, there have been opportunities in close games. One heartbreaker (I believe) was in 2010 when No. 10 Arkansas had No. 1 Alabama down by 17 at the half.
However, during what would be a late fourth quarter drive by Alabama, two Arkansas defensive backs both had the same opportunity to intercept a Greg McElroy pass to seal the victory.
As only fate would allow the two backs crashed into one another, thus the ball fell haplessly to the ground.
One might ponder what would have happened to at least the Razorbacks program had the final score that day stayed in their favor.
Motorcycle ride for lunch anyone?
Honorable mentions:
Their hatred of Auburn – Like
Gulf Shores being called the Redneck Riviera – Dislike
They represent the SEC well – Like
The girl holding the “This is Our Conference” sign – Dislike
Their Affinity for Mullets – Undecided
There you have it. While I did not list anything specific regarding the game, its strategy, nor the countless other things to dislike about Alabama, you can see what the experts have to say on HitThatLine.com.
Also, listen to what Houston Nutt stated he would tell the team the night before facing #1 ranked Alabama when he visited with the fine hosts of The Morning Rush.
Arkansas keeps it close: Alabama 42, Arkansas 31.
Be certain to listen to the game Saturday at 11 a.m. at 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.
Quick SEC picks for Week 15
(Editor’s notes: Pete’s picks this week were to fill out a complete schedule so as to not be compared to the Big Ten as he was technically out of the competition with Andy Hodges before Halloween.)
Alabama at Arkansas: Tide by 11.
(9) Georgia at (25) Missouri: Bulldogs by 24.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt: Vols by 10.
LSU at (6) Florida: Gators by 17.
Auburn at Mississippi State: Tigers by 20.
Ole Miss at (5) Texas A&M: Aggies by 24.
Enjoy your Saturday no matter where you go or what you do.
Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS
Go HOGS!!!
Ten things you need to know as Arkansas hosts Alabama on Saturday
Arkansas will conclude a regular season that many questioned would even happen Saturday at Razorback Stadium against No. 1 Alabama.
Whoever coined the phrase saving the best for last didn’t have the Crimson Tide in mind.
The game is set for 11 a.m. and will be televised by ESPN.
You can also listen to the game at HitThatLine.com HERE. The game is broadcast on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
10 things to know before kickoff
1. Last week in the final road game of the season, Arkansas fell 50-48 at Missouri on a game-winning 32-yard field goal at the horn. The Razorbacks momentarily held a 48-47 lead after junior wide receiver Mike Woods made a 14-yard touchdown grab in the back of the end zone with 43 seconds remaining and converted the ensuing 2-point conversion, snaring the ball after it deflected off a Missouri defender. The offense posted a season-high 48 points and 566 yards of total offense, the most since recording 661 against Mississippi State in 2016. Arkansas scored at least seven touchdowns in an SEC game for only the 12th time in program history and the first time since 2015.
2. Despite the abbreviated 10-game conference-only regular season schedule, sophomore wide receiver Treylon Burks has compiled one of the best seasons by a Razorback receiver in program history. Burks was injured in the first half against Mississippi State and missed the entire game against Auburn the next week. Against Missouri, he had 10 receptions and scored a touchdown while recording 206 receiving yards, the third-most in school history and the program’s fifth 200+ yard game. For the season, Burks has hauled in 49 catches for 804 yards (16.4 ypc), the third-highest mark in the SEC, and seven touchdowns appearing in just eight games. He is only three grabs and 66 yards away from moving inside the school’s single-season top 10 for most catches and yards in a season. Burks’ seven touchdown snatches are eighth-most in a single-season in program history and the most by a Hog receiver since Keon Hatcher in 2016 (8).
3. Redshirt junior running back Trelon Smith joined Burks posting a career day against Missouri, running for a career-best 172 yards (6.6 ypc) and three touchdowns on 26 carries. He is the first Hog to rush for three scores in a game since Rawleigh Williams III’s four touchdown game against Mississippi State in 2016 and recorded the first 170+ yard rushing game against an SEC opponent since Williams’ 180-yard outing against Ole Miss in 2016. Over the last three games, Smith has posted 318 rushing yards (7.1 ypc), two 100+ yard rushing games and five touchdowns. For the season, he ranks ninth in the SEC with 641 rushing yards.
4. Filling in for regular starter Feleipe Franks at Missouri, redshirt freshman quarterback K.J. Jefferson made his second career start, completing 18-of-33 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown. He became the first Razorback QB to throw for 270+ yards and three touchdowns with at least one rushing score since Ryan Mallet in 2010 against ULM (400 yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown).
5. Franks has tossed 17 touchdowns this year, the most at Arkansas since Austin Allen’s 25 touchdown passes in 2016. Completing 155-of-228 passes for 2,017 yards, Franks ranks fourth in the SEC in passing yards, passing yards per game (252.1) and passing efficiency (161.3), while placing fifth in passing touchdowns and yards per completion (13.01). He is the first Arkansas QB since 2000 to throw for 200 or more yards in each of his first eight games of a season. The grad transfer’s 68-percent completion percentage is on pace to break the school’s single-season record (Kevin Scanlon, 1979, 66.2-percent).
6. Under the direction of first-year coach Sam Pittman, Arkansas has won three games, the school’s most SEC wins since 2016 and most wins overall since 2017. The Hogs’ three wins are the most for a team coming off a zero-win SEC schedule since Auburn in 2016. Pittman is also the only first-year Arkansas head coach to win three or more SEC games in his first season since Houston Nutt won six in 1998. He’s accomplished this facing one of the toughest schedules in FBS history, playing six games against AP Top 25 squads. Pittman and the Hogs are the only team to play the SEC’s top three teams, No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Florida and No. 8 Texas A&M. First-year defensive coordinator and Broyles Award nominee Barry Odom has guided the defense to 13 interceptions, the most in the SEC and tied for third-most nationally.
7. First-year offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has helped the offense improve by an average of 59.0 yards and 5.5 points per game compared to the first nine games of 2019. A big reason for that is Arkansas’ explosiveness, recording a nation-leading 11 plays of 50+ yards, equaling the total of the last two seasons combined. Ten of those plays have come through the air, with Burks’ four such grabs tied for third-best in FBS. Smith took this season’s only rushing play of 50+ yards 82 yards to the house against Florida, the longest Hog run against an SEC opponent since 2011.
8. Redshirt freshman defensive back Jalen Catalon is the only player in FBS with 85+ tackles and at least three interceptions. His 89 total tackles lead all FBS freshmen, becoming the first SEC freshman since Tennessee’s Eric Berry in 2007 with at least 86 tackles and three picks. He made a career-high 16 tackles against LSU and has totaled five 10+ tackle games this season, including three straight against Tennessee, Florida and LSU. Catalon is also the first Razorback freshman to have over 50 tackles in a season since Dre Greenlaw in 2015 (95). Earlier this week, he was named one of 16 semifinalists – and one of two freshmen – for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive back. Catalon joined former Hog Steve Atwater, a 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, as the only Razorbacks to be semifinalists for the award.
9. Redshirt senior linebacker Grant Morgan leads the country with 111 total tackles and was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Dick Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s best linebacker. Additionally, he was honored as a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player who began their career as a walk-on and named after former Arkansas walk-on and All-American offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth. He’s made 19 tackles in a game twice this season, tied for second-most in an FBS game this year behind teammate Bumper Pool’s 20 at Mississippi State. Morgan, Catalon and Pool (88 tackles) account for 38.1% of Arkansas’ total tackles.
10. Arkansas takes on Alabama for the 31st time and trail in the all-time series, 8-22. The Hogs have not beaten the Crimson Tide since 2006, a 24-23 double overtime win in Fayetteville. Per ESPN, since 1993, Arkansas and Alabama have played four 1-point games, the most in a series history during that stretch. Alabama has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll each of the last four meetings.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
