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Hogs top Tar Heels for first win over No. 1 team for soccer program

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs top Tar Heels for first win over No. 1 team for soccer program

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas shut out top-ranked North Carolina on Sunday afternoon at Razorback Field, 2-0.

The win was the first over a No. 1 squad in program history and first time for an SEC school to beat the Tar Heels by two or more goals. In 963 matches in UNC history, this was just the 25th game they trailed by two goals.

This week’s wins over No. 22 Baylor and the top-ranked Tar Heels marks the first back-to-back wins over ranked opponents since 2000.

The run of play

Early in the first half, Taylor Malham got a look on goal but wasn’t able to redirect a cross on target as her header went wide left in the 8th-minute.

The Arkansas attack continued with Stef Doyle putting a ball over the Tar Heel defense in the 23rd-minute that found Parker Goins, but her shot from just inside the box missed the crossbar.

In the 54th-minute, Tori Cannata made a run down the left flank as she crossed the ball across goal.

The Tar Heels were forced to block a pair of shots from Malham and Doyle. Moments later, Parker Goins got on the end of a deep cross with her head but her shot went wide of goal.

The Hogs would add a pair of goals in the final thirty to secure the upset.

How it happened

• Malham and Marissa Kinsey connected as Kinsey played a ball that split the Tar Heel defense for Anna Podojil to run on to. The freshman used her right foot to slot it to the opposite corner past the Carolina ‘keeper in the 63rd-minute.

• Cannata flicked on a pass to P. Goins who used her left foot to strike the ball near post to beat the Tar Heel goalie for a late insurance goal.

Next up

The Razorbacks (6-1-1) start up conference play next week when they play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday, Sept. 22. First kick is slated for 2 p.m.

Morris recruiting players for immediate help on both sides of ball

Andy Hodges
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Morris recruiting players for immediate help on both sides of ball

Chad Morris knew he was recruiting some good players in his 2019 class and it’s probably a good guess he figured on using them.

Starting five in the third game of the year, though, may have been stretching what even he thought. Learning the right way usually involves a couple of tries with the wrong way.

“You first talk about all the hair you’re losing when you put those guys in there,” Morris said, taking his cap off and smiling.

There wasn’t a whole lot of experience coming back, with the leading receiver last year transferring out of the program for whatever reason.

Both Treylon Burks and Trey Knox were going to see the field a lot early, but with injuries to Deon Stewart and Jordan Jones, they moved into starting roles.

Morris knew there was going to be some sort of learning curve.

“That comes with it, though,” he said. “They’re all going to make mistakes. We’ve got to understand that and know we’ve got to respond when those things happened and it happened today.”

It’s not just those two, although they have made the biggest splash because they make the obvious plays on offense.

Ricky Stromberg started and played both guard positions and outside of firing off too early (particularly on a fourth-and-inches play in the second half), he played well in pass blocking, not allowing a single pressure.

They are scattered throughout the defense, too.

Mataio Soli started at defensive end … with a broken hand that is wrapped up and looks like he’s walking around with a club like something out of Game of Thrones.

“Soli is starting and he’s making strides and making plays,” sage veteran McTelvin Agim said Saturday. “He’s getting after the quarterback and you can tell he’s chasing the quarterback out of the pocket.”

He’s also impressed he’s playing through the injury.

“I had my finger come out of my skin during my freshman year, but I wasn’t starting,” he said.

Zach Williams, Collin Clay and Greg Brooks, Jr., are also seeing significant time on the defensive side of things.

“They are getting off the ball, they’re ecstatic, they’re excited, they are trying to make things happen,” Agim said. “You can just tell that in the future, they’re going to be so great.”

Brooks is hanging in at the nickel spot in the secondary because it seems every time an opponent sees him in the game they start heading for him.

“He made some good plays,” Morris said. “He got out-leveraged a few times and they caught the slant up underneath him, but he’s a competitor and he just keeps improving, as they all do.”

Which is part of the process as Morris tries to get this team better every week.

You get the idea if he can hang onto his hair it’ll be a bonus.

Looking at O’Grady’s late touchdown … up close in photos

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Looking at O’Grady’s late touchdown … up close in photos

Arkansas tight end C.J. O’Grady grabbed a pass from quarterback Nick Starkel and probably could have gone down to run the clock, but broke numerous tackles for a 62-yard scoring run to break the game open with 2:10 to play.
PHOTO BY TED McCLENNING | HITTHATLINE.COM

Hopefully fans won’t have paralysis by analysis on 21-point win

Andy Hodges
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Hopefully fans won’t have paralysis by analysis on 21-point win

Arkansas has matched the season win total from last year and actually had a big-time offensive explosion, but there will be a lot of fans who wear themselves out focusing on the negatives.

Yeah, there will be a lot of paralysis by analysis after a 55-34 win over Colorado State on Saturday.

“We challenged our guys to respond and I started seeing the response last Saturday night in the locker room,” Chad Morris said immediately after the game, one where the Razorbacks found themselves tied 34-34 headed into the final quarter.

The offense in particular seemed to have found itself. The “Starkel Sparkel” proved to be glittering on a day at Razorback Stadium that had an announced attendance just over 51,000 squirming for three quarters.

Nick Starkel started and put up more points than the first two games combined and a whopping 520 yards of total offense.

The reason people were squirming was the defense gave up 425.

“We made some plays in big moments,” Morris said.

Especially in the fourth quarter. Since the day after Thanksgiving in 2016 until, well, last week against Ole Miss, the Hogs’ have collapsed in the fourth quarter on a far too often.

Against the Rams, they allowed just 34 yards in the fourth quarter.

McTelvin Agim. PHOTO BY TED McCLENNING | HITTHATLINE.COM

“We didn’t know how to communicate,” was how defensive lineman McTelvin Agim described the past problems compared to Saturday. “This year the leaders have been doing a better job of communicating on the sidelines and making sure everybody is tuned into what we’re trying to do.”

It worked in the fourth quarter because they stopped Colorado State, who started with a 75-yard scoring run on the second play of the game right down the sprinkler heads and kept moving the ball … until the final period.

The offense answered immediately.

Starkel found freshman wide receiver Treylon Burks on the Hogs’ first play of the game for 38 yards down the right sideline.

After a pair of runs by Rakeem Boyd (who finished with 122 for the game), Starkel hit Mike Woods for 6, then threw a pass that Trey Knox went up and got for a score from 24 yards out and the game was tied.

That was more what fans have been wanting to see out of Morris’ offense.

And the defense liked it, too.

“It was big,” Agim said later. “You could see the momentum on the sidelines. It was something we could feed off of.”

Safety Kamren Curl has been around for a few of those collapses and part of it are the changes Morris has been trying to instill since he got here.

“We all just bought in,” he said after Saturday’s win. “Last year, we probably would have gotten down. Everyone would have gotten down and they would have kept scoring. Now, we know how to respond as a team, I feel like that will really help us keep going.”

While the offense found itself in the second half against Ole Miss, the defense got some success in the fourth quarter Saturday when the team needed something from them.

“We responded and we finished,” Morris said. “That was the next part. I wanted to see our guys finish and I thought we did that.”

At one point the offense had raced out to a 21-7 lead on a 59-yard run by Boyd with 5:59 left in the first quarter (yes, Arkansas scored 24 in the first quarter, more than in either of the first two games of the year).

It looked like the offense couldn’t be stopped.

Except it could. After the explosion in the first period, the second quarter turned into a contest of kicking field goals … and the Hogs won that with Connor Limpert hitting one from 54 and another from 22.

Connor Limpert. PHOTO BY TED McCLENNING | HITTHATLINE.COM

“That kick probably could have went from 65, when it came off his foot it was a rock,” Morris said about the long one. “It was great to see him respond after missing one last week.”

In the second and third quarters, the Rams clawed their way to a tie, mainly when freshman receiver Dante Wright caught a pass from quarterback Pat O’Brien after Hogs safety Myles Mason gambled on an interception and the ball sailed over his head.

Treylon Burks can’t catch up to overthrown pass from Nick Starkel against Colorado State. PHOTO BY TED McCLENNING | HITTHATLINE.COM

Not that Starkel didn’t have opportunities, but he missed some throws.

“Thanks for pointing that out,” Starkel said later … with a smile. “I missed a lot of throws today. We’re going to go to the film, watch it and correct it. There was a lot of stuff there.”

And that is what Razorback fans should be taking from this game.

“We got a lot of mistakes we got to clean up and we all understand that,” Morris said. “We’ll get back in here and work on that tomorrow, but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight.”

Which is what fans should be doing.

There’s a whole week to paralyze themselves by over-analyzing a three-touchdown win.

Hog Reaction — Colorado State

Tye Richardson
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Hog Reaction — Colorado State

w/ Phil Elson & Tye Richardson

Morris on Hogs responding in fourth quarter for win over Rams

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Chad Morris talked all week about his team responding to adversity and they did in the fourth quarter in a 55-34 win over Colorado State

Agim, Curl, Boyd after fourth-quarter push to down Rams

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs defensive lineman McTelvin Agim, defensive back Kamren Curl and running back Rakeem Boyd on responding and finishing strong against Colorado State.

O’Grady, Harris, Starkel recapping Hogs’ win over Rams

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks C.J. O’Grady, Scoota Harris and Nick Starkel talking about the 55-34 win over Colorado State on Saturday afternoon.

Hogs’ late run pushes past Colorado State for 55-34 win Saturday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs’ late run pushes past Colorado State for 55-34 win Saturday

Arkansas added two late scores on a defensive scoop-and-score and a touchdown reception and breakaway by C.J. O’Grady to turn a 34-34 tie in the fourth quarter into a 55-34 win Saturday afternoon.

4Q-8:52: Devwah Whaley scores on a 5-yard run after Arkansas gets a missed 50-yard field goal attempt by Colorado State to cap a nine-play, 68-yard drive that took 2:43. Hogs 41, Colorado State 34

3Q-2:26: Myles Mason gambles — and loses — on a third-and-long pass from Pat O’Brien to Dante Wright that ends up being a 75-yard scoring strike and the game is tied at 34-34. Hogs 34, Colorado State 34.

3Q-5:45: Colorado State answers Hogs’ score with a methodical 72-yard, 15-play drive that ate up 7:22 of the quarter, helped by a third-down penalty early against Joe Foucha. Camper kicks a 21-yard field goal. Hogs 34, Colorado State 27

3Q-13:07: Hogs take second-half kickoff and go 75 yards in eight plays with Nick Starkel finding Treylon Burks twice for big plays. Rakeem Boyd ran for the final 4 yards to cap a drive only lasting 1:53. Hogs 34, Colorado State 24

2Q-:04: Arkansas misfires on an offensive possession with Nick Starkel over-throwing a wide open Treylon Burks going down the left sideline, then come back and drive 52 yards in 20 plays and get a 46-yard field goal to make it a one-score game at halftime. Hogs 27, Colorado State 24

2Q-7:31: Colorado State recovers a Rakeem Boyd-Nick Starkel fumble and go 40 yards in five plays, helped along with a pass interference penalty and cut the Hogs’ lead to 27-21. Hogs 27, Colorado State 21

2Q-11:41: Hogs get a drive going after Montaric Brown recovers a fumble, but a couple of misfires on passes into the end zone result in Connor Limpert coming on for a 22-yard field goal with 11:41 left in the second quarter. Hogs 27, Colorado State 14

The first quarter comes to an end … finally … with Arkansas leading Colorado State, 24-14, scoring more points than they have an in any game this year … the first period.

Razorbacks have 249 yards of offense in the first quarter, including 137 on the ground and starting quarterback Nick Starkel is 7-of-12 for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Rakeem Boyd has 81 yards rushing, Devwah Whaley has run for 60.

1Q-1:02: Arkansas’ offense gets bogged down after a no-call on a pass to De’Vion Warren in the Endzone, then Myron Cunningham gives up a sack. Connor Limpert knocks a 54-yard field goal through. Hogs 24, Colorado State 14

1Q-3:27: Colorado State isn’t dead yet. The Rams go 75 yards in five plays, ripping off a couple of big runs on the edge of the Hogs’ defense for a 14-yard scoring pass from Collin Hill to Warren Jackson. Hogs 21, Colorado State 14

1Q-5:54: Rakeem Boyd blows through a gaping hole in the middle and out-runs everybody for a 69-yard scoring jaunt, giving Arkansas the most points scored in a game … in the first quarter. Hogs have 216 yards offense, 113 on the ground. Hogs 21, Colorado State 7

1Q-7:54: Nick Starkel hits his second touchdown pass of the day, finding tight end Chase Harrell from 14 yards out to cap an 82-yard drive. Hogs have 157 yards of offense halfway through first period. Hogs 14, Colorado State 7

1Q-13:00: Hogs answer opening score with a 75-yard drive in five plays with Nick Starkel hitting first Treylon Burks for 38 yards, running a couple of times, then letting Trey Knox grab a 24-yard score. Hogs 7, Colorado State 7

1Q-14:42: On the second play of the game after the kickoff, Colorado State’s Marvin Kinsey runs through the middle of the Arkansas line for a 75-yard score and, just like that, the Hogs find themselves down. Colorado State 7, Hogs 0

A year ago, Colorado State started Arkansas’ tumble to what was a disastrous year and now the rematch starts shortly at Razorback Stadium with Nick Starkel starting at quarterback.

Breaking down what Hogs need to do for win over Rams

Pete Morgan
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Breaking down what Hogs need to do for win over Rams

Do we really need to rehash yet again the game last week in Oxford? Who really has the wherewithal to take a second drink of milk to verify it is spoiled?

Yes, Arkansas fans would be in an overt ho-hum if not for one thing, the promotion of Nick Starkel to starting quarterback. If the public speculation is true, the kid from Argyle just became this season’s Obi Wan Kenobi.

Let us not get this wrong. Many of us like Ben Hicks and definitely want him to do well not only during his time on “The Hill” but in life after football as well.

Many were tough on him following this past Saturday’s game because of his attitude on the sideline during the second half.

Remember, he is a competitor who knew he had just lost his job. In sports or in life, most of us would be exactly the same. Give him some time to adjust.

Who knows, maybe this will inspire both of them to play better.

Regardless, the Hogs host Colorado State this weekend at 3:00, and the game can be watched on the SEC Network while you listen to the game on HitThatLine.com.

You all remember the Rams from last year. Cole Kelley had was two-for-two passing with two-touchdowns. Arkansas led 27–9 with 2:48 left in the third quarter, yet the Rams made a great comeback scoring the go-ahead and winning touchdown with eight-seconds left in the game.

Surely you can recall that game, or was the agony blocked by your every synapse? I certainly do recollect.

I tried to omit it from my thought process for a year, however, it’s like the time you forgot you had eaten state fair Mexican until your 15th second on the Scrambler.

News flash: Your ex-girlfriend still evokes your ride of infamy to her children. But I digest… digress.

Enough about our failed REO Speedwagon T-shirt social lives. On to what some are dubbing “revenge” along with quick thoughts for the Razorbacks’ success:

• Our quarterback to receiver timing must be perfect. Colorado State’s defense is not the best we will see all season, yet it is definitely nothing to overlook.

• Have some pride. Channel Houston Nutt’s “Razorback on the Helmet” speech if you have to, players, but find a way to have some sense of who you are and what you represent.

• Close the freezer door. If the WildHog package was the only flavor we had outside of vanilla, keep my offense bland. I only want to hear “wildcat” if something good is happening in Lexington.

• Cover their wide receivers. As mentioned in my interview with Kelly Lyell, Colorado State is known for producing great wideouts, and this year they have a better signal caller to get them the ball.

Protection. Protection. PROTECTION!!!

You did not need it that night after the fair, however, the Hogs will need to protect Starkel even though he has his quick release as he runs this offense for the first time as a starter.

• Call some offensive plays yourself, coach Chad Morris.

• NO DUMB PENALTIES. Hit them high. Hit them in the middle. Hit them low. But ONLY hit them legally and inbounds. Please. And please chill on the false starts … and offsides.

• Make the Rams secondary respect the pass and open up some room for the running game. Keep feeding Rakeem Boyd and Devwah Whaley the ball in this formula, and we will see his full potential.

• Catch the ball!!! I really did not want to say it again this week. Notice it is in lowercase this time. Maybe that will help.

• Remember, we are the SEC Team. We are the home Team. We are the RAZORBACKS! No one is permitted to come into our house and walk away with a victory.

Especially Colorado State.

Like Kane North told me last year, “Even though our talent level is down, we are an SEC school that should always have a minimum of equal talent to a team in the Mountain West Conference. We just got out-coached.”

Arkansas 24 – 17.

Week Two was an 11 – 2 push between Andy Hodges and me our pursuit of the HTL Pick’em Championship Cup race.

Holding onto a slim one-game lead, Hodges feels his 20–6 record is but a small step to what will eventually evolve into a blowout over my current 19–7 standing.

Oh, Mr. Andy, your arrogance rivals that of Ronald Acuna at a Little League game and will thus be your downfall.

On with Week Three:

• Arkansas State at (2) Georgia: Can our in-state Sun Belt Conference contender pull off a major upset at Georgia? As much as I would love to say yes, I feel this is but a paycheck for the Red Wolves. Bulldogs by 30.

• Kansas State at Mississippi State: Tough choice, so I called my Mom, and she said she saw Kansas in concert once. I consulted a psychic, and she told me to avoid a woman with a tattoo on her face. So I flipped a coin. The coin was silver. I choose the Bulldogs in this one as well, only this time it is by 21.

• Chattanooga at Tennessee:  Oh my poor ol’ Volunteers… I simply have no words to express the disdain the Tennessee fans have for Jeremy Pruitt at the moment, however, even though one fan has the coach’s “six”, the squad in orange had better put up far more points than that to even begin to get him off of the hot seat radar this week. Tennessee at home by 40.

• (2) Alabama at South Carolina: The Gamecocks look bad in their defeat by North Carolina. The Tarheels looked bad until the end against Wake Forest. The only way Alabama looks bad is if they run the score up too high. Tide by 44.

• Southeast Louisiana at Ole Miss [SLOPFEST OF THE WEEK]: The Rebels may have been able to beat Arkansas far better than we expected, however, they are still a messy football team. Southeast Louisiana will not win, but they will assist in earning this game the “Slopfest of the Week”. Ole Miss by 24.

• Colorado State at Arkansas: Last chance for me to change my mind…. I just cannot do it. I guess it is just the homer in me. Arkansas by 7.

• Kent State at (8) Auburn: Whatever happened to Stan Heath anyway? Last I heard he was working his “Magic” in the G-League. Oh, Tigers by 48.

• (9) Florida at Kentucky [GAME OF THE WEEK]: The Wildcats remind me of Ricky Bobby, precocious and full of wonderment. The hope which started on the heels of last season takes a lump. Gators by 22.

• Lamar at (16) Texas A&M: I remember playing Lamar in high school. What a pleasant little trip over to Johnson County. The Warriors … What? Oh, my bad. The Cardinals will fare with A&M the way the Warriors fared with us. Aggies by 38.

• Northwestern State at (4) LSU: Set your slumber alarm because this one will be a snoozefest. Tigers by 42.

• Southeast Missouri State at Missouri: Kelly Bryant looked better in Week One. The rest of the Missouri players looked better in Week Two. They really had no other option. The Tigers will continue to improve against the Redhawks. Missouri by 36.

Go HOGS!!!

Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS

Razorbacks drop first match in Maryland Invitational to Terps

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks drop first match in Maryland Invitational to Terps

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It was back and forth all night in College Park as Arkansas the first match of the Maryland Invite to the Terrapins, 3-1.

The Razorbacks had a dominant second set after dropping the first to tie the match at one set apiece, but an efficient third and fourth set by Maryland would give them control of the match and the win.

HOG HIGHLIGHTS

• Hailey Dirrigl | 15 kills | .270 hitting percentage | 3 service aces
• Devyn Wheeler | 14 kills | .379 hitting percentage | 2 blocks
• Liz Pamphile | 9 kills | .667 hitting percentage | 4 blocks
• Rachel Rippee | 34 assists | 5 digs

THE TURNING POINT

Trailing 2-1 in the match, Arkansas called its first timeout of the fourth set as Maryland led 12-11. The Razorbacks and Terrapins went point for point and the Hogs took an 18-16 lead after a service ace by Rippee.

Maryland responded with eight consecutive points to take a 24-18 lead. The Hogs would score once more to end the run by the Terrapins, but the deficit was too much to overcome and dropped the final match, 25-19.

FROM COACH WATSON

“Solid performance after our match with UAPB. I really felt like we competed and gave ourselves the chance to win. The learning curve is steep on the road, but we continue to improve and gain precious experience. We have a group of athletes with strong resolve and a true willingness to learn and improve.”

NOTABLES

• Dirrigl’s 15 kills and Wheeler’s 14 kills were both season highs for the juniors.
• The 34 assists by Rippee is a new season high, she has now led the squad in assists in seven of eight matches.
• Arkansas’ largest lead was six points, when they led 7-1 in the fourth set. Their longest rally was in the first set, when they Hogs used an 8-0 scoring run to take an 8-3 lead at the start of the match.

UP NEXT

Arkansas will be back in action on day two of the Maryland Invite on Saturday and will play Princeton and George Mason with matches at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively.

Both games are available to watch online only with a subscription to FloVolleyball. Fans can find both live scoring and live streams links here.

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