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Hogs will be better with Morris, despite what you think you know

Andy Hodges
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9

In the wreckage of a 2-10 season that left no one in Arkansas happy (well, except for some internet sociopaths who delight in other’s misery), everybody has a solution to fix things.

Nobody that really matters cares about those solutions, by the way.

Chad Morris inherited a mess.

Bret Bielema had success at Wisconsin while Barry Alvarez was looking over his shoulder, but in Fayetteville he basically had no adult supervision and did little to rebuild the wreckage he inherited from Bobby Petrino.

While it’s true this Razorback team had better players than Colorado State, North Texas, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, there were too many upperclassmen comfortable with losing.

Something happened above the shoulders to this program somewhere along the line in the 2016 season. I didn’t know it and thought they would be excited with a fresh approach at the top and buy in.

That was off … by about a mile or two. Very few players performed even at the level they did last season, which was 4-8 in case you forgot.

Fans think the coaches can control the players like they could 30-40 years ago. Lou Holtz could do things in his day with the Hogs not even he can do now.

Coaches who once motivated through fear are really hamstrung now. Players just quit before the fourth game of the year or transfer out if they don’t agree with the coach and there’s not a single thing now the coach can do about it.

It doesn’t take many of those before you have a numbers problem, which creates a depth problem, which means you are not going to win very many games.

Long gone are the days when a coach could come in run off all but about 25 players (like Bear Bryant did at Texas A&M in the mid-1950’s). In today’s game you will get your brains beat in if you tried to play with just 40 people because you’ve got to have that number at a minimum to have even a decent team.

No, this year there wasn’t a thing Morris could do about players who wanted something different from the plan he was selling.

That’ll be cleaned up now. With a large group of redshirt freshmen this year and a recruiting class that is being sought to come in and contribute immediately, let’s wait a year or two to judge.

And in case you’re wondering about those freshmen, every championship coach I’ve heard over the last 12 years has told me they don’t recruit players to redshirt … they only recruit players to contribute immediately.

It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that Morris evaluated what he inherited, much the same way Holtz did in 1979 when he said, “I oughta redshirt everybody we signed,” but couldn’t and several contributed to a 10-1 season before a Sugar Bowl trip against No. 1 Alabama (Bryant’s last national championship powerhouse).

Morris will have 43 players on the roster next year that are his players. This past season he had 18. That’s a big difference.

With a schedule that might be even more favorable next season, if we’re back here at the end of November with another 2-10 mark I may have a different opinion.

Until then, let it ride with Morris.

Malzahn out at Auburn?

The rumor mill is flying that Gus Malzahn may be a multimillionaire in a position to do whatever in life he wants to do in a month or two.

Moon is a columnist with ALReporter.com, which is primarily a political website for Alabama politics … which is exactly the perfect place to pick up behind-the-scenes info as there isn’t a lot of separation between sports and politics in that state.

It took a few of posts on the Twitter to figure out who he was talking about.

Now, of course, Stoops is vehemently denying talking to anybody connected with Auburn about a coaching job, insisting he’s happy in retirement in Norman, Oklahoma.

However, a $75 million retirement plan like Jimbo Fisher got at Texas A&M could be enough to lure him out of there.

My only thought is to thank Auburn and Malzahn for their agreement last December.

Brown heading back to North Carolina

Mack Brown used success at North Carolina years ago to vault himself into the Texas job and now multiple websites are reporting he’s heading back there.

According to these reports, Gene Chizik will be coming on as defensive coordinator and Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator.

Chizik left the Tar Heels a couple of years ago to watch his son finish high school and now that’s apparently over. Kingsbury got fired Sunday after a six-year run with the Red Raiders.

And before anybody guesses, former Tech coach Mike Leach shot down any discussion of him leaving Washington State to go back.

“They still haven’t paid me for 2009,” he said Monday.

 

???? Monday Halftime Pod- featuring Kevin McGuire

Tye Richardson
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0

Phil & Tye discuss football season being over and interview with Kevin McGuire!

Hogs’ linemen Wallace, Watts invited to play in East-West Shrine Game

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas seniors Brian Wallace and Armon Watts have accepted invitations to participate in the 94th East-West Shrine Game on January 19 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

It is the second time in three years Arkansas has been represented in the longest running college all-star football game in the nation, as Brooks Ellis, Jeremiah Ledbetter, Drew Morgan, Dan Skipper and Deatrich Wise, Jr., were invited to the 2017 contest.

A total of 45 Razorbacks have participated in the event since Arkansas’ first selections in 1938 (Jim Benton and Dwight Sloan).

Wallace, from Florissant, Missouri, started 33 of 35 games played during his Razorback career on the offensive line, including each of the last 19 at right tackle. He appeared in 1,998 offensive snaps over his four years, with a career-high 756 in 2018.

PHOTO BY TED McCLENNING | HITTHATLINE.COM

With almost 2,000 snaps logged as a collegian, Wallace only allowed 10 sacks, giving up three in each of the last two seasons.

In 2016, he was a member of an offensive line that paved the way for Rawleigh Williams III to capture the SEC regular season rushing title with 1,326 yards on the ground and Austin Allen to throw for an SEC-best 3,430 yards.

Wallace entered the 2018 campaign as a preseason third-team All-SEC honoree and a graduate.

Watts, also a Missouri native from St. Louis, put together a memorable season in his final year as a Razorback on the defensive line.

A starter in 11 of 12 games in 2018 and a graduate, Watts racked up 49 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, as well as a team-high 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles.

It was the most sacks by a Razorback since 2015 and one off the 10th-most in a single season by an Arkansas defender.

A force in the backfield for opposing offenses, Watts created fumbles against Eastern Illinois, Colorado State and Tulsa, with the latter earning him the Crip Hall Homecoming Award, which is given to the top-performing senior in the homecoming game.

He was also recognized by Pro Football Focus multiple times throughout the season, earning National Team of the Week honors in week two, SEC Team of the Week accolades in week eight and was a member of the Midseason All-SEC Team.

Wallace and Watts will take the field at 2 p.m. on January 19 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with the game televised on NFL Network.

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

Tye Richardson
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0
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

John & Tommy discuss Thanksgiving weekend, the CFB Playoff, interview Tom Murphy, and more!

Razorbacks steal win over undefeated Wisconsin in Nashville

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arkansas needed a big rally and some last-second heroics to pull out the 69-68 win over undefeated Wisconsin in the final game of the Challenge in Music City on Sunday.

Down one, 68-67, with 11 seconds to go, the Badgers took a timeout and advanced the ball to half-court. Redshirt sophomore A’Tyanna Gaulden tipped the in-bounds pass and pushed it ahead to senior Malica Monk who broke for the basket on the steal.

Monk laid it up and in, giving Arkansas a 69-68 lead with a little more than four seconds to play.

The Badgers again called timeout advancing the ball to half-court. They put it in play but stepped on the baseline on a drive to the basket. The turnover gave Arkansas the ball back and Wisconsin had to foul but the Razorbacks hung on for the win.

Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Dungee earned all-tournament team honors with a game-high 20 points including a 3-point field goal to tie the game at 54-all with just over six minutes to play. Dungee was 3-for-5 from distance and 7-for-10 from the line.

Junior Kiara Williams and Monk scored 13 points each while junior Jailyn Mason added 12 points, all in the second half comeback. Sophomore Taylah Thomas posted a season-best 12 rebounds allowing Arkansas to edge Wisconsin on the boards, 44-43.

Key Run

Arkansas trailed by as many as 15 points, 50-35, but finished the game on a 39-18 run for the win. Junior Jailyn Mason scored all 12 of her points in the second half, keying the comeback.

Notes

• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee

• The Razorbacks forced Wisconsin into five first quarter turnovers and did not have a turnover in that period. The Razorbacks finished with just 10 turnovers.

• Malica Monk had 13 points against Wisconsin and has 925 career points.

• Arkansas is 2-0 against Wisconsin with the only other meeting coming in the WNIT Championship in 1999.

• Chelsea Dungee has scored in double figures in every game (6) this season.

• Malica Monk has scored double figures in five of six games

Up Next

Arkansas returns home hosting Oral Roberts on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.

The Razorbacks go on the road traveling to Iowa State Dec. 2, as part of the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

TYE’s TAKE: Three things Arkansas basketball needs to improve

Tye Richardson
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0

Arkansas football has come to an abrupt end and now fans turn their focus to the hardwood.

Through five games, Mike Anderson’s squad has compiled a 4-1 record and looked promising at times. The lone loss coming to the Texas Longhorns, who have looked solid early on. The Razorbacks had a better’s chance to beat Texas, but were unable to get it done.

This team has an uphill battle to go dancing. That being said, postseason play is not completely out of the question. Here’s three things the Razorbacks need to improve on in order to make the NCAA Tournament (not saying they will.)

1. Free throws

This has not just been an issue for Mike Anderson’s squads in 2018. Right now, the Razorbacks rank 283rd in free throw percentage according to Kenpom.

Last season, Arkansas finished this statistic at 297th. A year prior, the team shot at a 76% clip. As young as this team is, easy buckets will be crucial for success.

The botches almost cost Arkansas down the stretch against Indiana at home. If not the the free throw woes against Texas, the Razorbacks might be undefeated right now.

The team could only knock down 54% that day. One of the misses included Daniel Gafford’s miss at the end of regulation which allowed Texas to tie the game up with a triple.

PHOTO BY RAZORBACK SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

The Razorbacks look to be improving, converting 74% from the line against UT Arlington. Gafford nailed 9-10, which is a good sign moving forward. This area needs to shore up or Arkansas could face a number of close losses ahead.

2. Offensive rebounding

Gafford is a wrecking ball down low at both ends of the floor, but who is going to help crash the glass when he hits the pine? A lack of size outside of the El Dorado native has hurt the Razorback in this area. Arkansas has had too many one-and-done’s so far.

The team only has 48 offensive boards on the season. Gafford has 11 and no one else is in the double digits. 244th is the not the number you want to be associated with.

Matt Zimmerman, Arkansas Director of Basketball Operations, has come on Halftime with us a couple times the past few weeks. He stressed how this team needs to keep “playing physical.”

The competition is only going to increase once conference play rolls around. Just go back to how much success the conference had last season.

3. Fitness

It’s early on, so fans shouldn’t be too worried about this one. Many saw how dog-tired Gafford was during the Indiana game down the stretch (Reminds me of when I ran mountains during high school basketball — don’t miss that). Romeo Langford got a wide open three because Gafford was worn out.

Almost every one of these players have yet to play under Mike Anderson. These guys coming from juco’s and high school will have an adjustment period early on before adapting to Anderson’s style. Running the Cleveland Hill over and over is one thing. Running the “Fastest 40” is a whole new level of difficult.

Has Arkansas’ decade of misery finally bottomed out at 2-10?

Andy Hodges
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4

After Houston Nutt left as Arkansas’ coach following the 2007 season and Bobby Petrino was hired I said on radio, television and wrote that it would ultimately set the program back 10 years.

People had told me for a few years Petrino was a cancer to whatever program he was involved with, would stay about four years, there would be some good years and it would be a mess when he left.

The trail of former coaches he worked for and worked for him that will not take his phone calls to this day is impressive primarily by its length, I was told. He probably will not coach a big-time program again because no top assistants will work for him.

This was in December 2007, but nobody wanted to hear that. It had nothing to do with Houston leaving Arkansas and that entire circus, but the decision to hire Petrino.

Over the years that’s proven to be as exact of a description as I’ve ever been given.

But you can’t dump the current state of the Hogs on Petrino, no matter how much you might want to.

No, this is a program in this mess because former chancellor John White and athletics director Jeff Long systematically set out to destroy everything Arkansas athletics had become under Frank Broyles.

Whether it was intentional or not is something only they can answer.

White, who may have done a great job for the university, is another example of incredibly brilliant people who get into trying to make athletic department decisions and screw it up so bad you think it has to be on purpose.

Long appeared to be accomplished at promoting himself and convincing people to spend money on things and then not having a clue how to manage it. The fact he may be the worst public relations athletic director I’ve seen in over 40 years of being around it gave him almost zero support when he needed it in 2017.

He also was lazy hiring coaches, particularly football coaches. Don’t put all the blame on Petrino, John L. Smith or Bret Bielema. Long hired them without a clue and not having a clue about what it takes to win at Arkansas.

The way Long is freewheeling with other people’s money puts it right at his doorstep.

All three football coaches he hired were ridiculously, hilariously, bad fits for Arkansas. The day after Bielema was hired I said on statewide radio it was the worst hire for the Hogs since Otis Douglas in 1950.

To the credit of current chancellor Joe Steinmetz, athletics director Hunter Yurachek and Chad Morris, they appear to understand a lot of this and are working their way through rebuilding it.

For the first time in over a decade all of the people in charge of the football program seem to be interested in winning games. In the SEC, if everyone from the top of the list at the board of trustees to the lowest janitor isn’t on that page, you’re not going to win at a championship level.

Yes, things have changed to that point in this league.

Saturday’s 38-0 loss to Missouri was a merciful closing page to a season every Razorback football fan wants to forget. It was surprising to me because there appeared to be a lot of players he inherited comfortable being losers, which was the way their previous coach acted his final two seasons.

That’s actually worse than any other problem a coach can inherit. As a coach you hope you can change half of them, but the reality is you might get 25 percent at best, but more likely about 10 percent.

Arkansas may be be the youngest team in all of college football next year. In this particular case that’s the best news of all for fans.

It was Bear Bryant who said in the late 1960’s when he was struggling for the first time at Alabama when he said, “the worst thing you can have is a bunch of returning starters coming back off a bad team.”

Morris and his staff are hitting recruiting hard. By all appearances, they should have a recruiting class that will be solidly in the Top 20, which is the best it’s been in awhile.

If there’s a question of immediate need it’s at quarterback and with the possibility of former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant transferring for a year (we’ll know December 4) plus incoming freshman KJ Jefferson there’s hope for many, but nobody knows if either one can put the Hogs near the top in the West.

Bryant may help a little, but he’s not a Cam Newton. Jefferson is a project and 2020 might be more in the forecast for him.

The biggest questions, though, are the offensive line — particularly tackles — and the secondary — particularly cornerbacks.

If the Hogs don’t find some answers there none of the other position upgrades are going to make a whole lot of difference.

And above all … speed.

In his first press conference, Morris said you either have speed or you’re chasing it.

After a year of chasing it, he’s trying to get it.

Slow start sinks Hogs in second game in Nashville tournament

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An unusually cold shooting night tripped up Arkansas in a 61-54 loss to Pitt in game two of the Challenge in Music City in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday.

Arkansas (3-2) shot just 25.7 percent for the game going 19-for-74 from the floor including an 8-for-34 performance in the first 20 minutes. The off-shooting dug Arkansas a 25-18 deficit at the half that they couldn’t erase.

Bailey Zimmerman sparked the Arkansas effort in the second half. She finished with the first double-double of the season scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 boards. Alexis Tolefree had a team-best 12 points with Chelsea Dungee also in double figures with 10 points for Arkansas.

Pitt had a significant height advantage and it showed on the boards in the first half as the Panthers owned the glass with a 28-16 rebounding edge in the first 20 minutes.

The Panthers (3-4) finished the game out-rebounding Arkansas 48-40 with 42 points in the paint and 10 second chance points.

Arkansas took great care of the basketball committing just eight turnovers while forcing 22 miscues by Pitt. The Razorbacks turned those turnovers into 19 points in the game, 10 of which came in the second half.

Up Next

Wisconsin (6-0) rallied and held off an upset bid by Tennessee State, 58-53, Saturday evening. The Badgers are the only unbeaten team in Music Row evening bracket.

On Sunday, TSU (0-6) will meet Pittsburgh (3-4) at 5 p.m., while Wisconsin battles Arkansas (3-2).

If Pitt and Arkansas win Sunday, the tournament champion will be determined by the fewest points allowed in the tournament among Arkansas, Pitt and Wisconsin.

Notes

• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee.

• Pitt held a 28-16 advantage on the boards at the half. They finished out-rebounding Arkansas 48-40.

• Arkansas was 8-for-34 from the floor shooting just 23.5% in the first half. They finished shooting 25.7 percent.

• The 25-18 halftime deficit is just the second time this season the Razorbacks trailed at the break and it is the largest opponent halftime lead this season (ASU, 46-42).

Razorbacks go 4-0 in Hardwood Showcase downing UTA

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

FAYETTEVILLE — Daniel Gafford made a career-high nine free throws and tied a career-high with 10 attempts, scoring 21 points in 22 minutes, to lead Arkansas to a 78-60 victory over UT Arlington on Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks have won four straight were the only team in the Hardwood Classic to go 4-0.

Jalen Harris scored 14, making 8-of-11 from the free throw line, as the Razorbacks were 34-of-46 from the charity stripe for the game. The last time Arkansas attempted at least 40 free throws was going 27-of-40 from the line versus Sam Houston in the 2016-17 season.

The Razorbacks’ success from the line off-set a poor performance from the field. Arkansas only made 38.2 percent of its shots (21-of-55) while going just 2-for-16 from 3-point range.

Arkansas also used a strong defensive effort to secure the win, holding the Mavericks to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field. UTA also committed 19 turnovers with just seven assists.

Gafford picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half an did not play the final 9:26 of the contest.

Reggie Chaney helped pick up the slack with eight points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

Adrio Bailey, who had three steals and two blocked shots, added 14 points and Isaiah Joe had 10.

UTA was led by Erdic Dennis (19 points) and Brian Warren (15 points).

Arkansas will complete its five-game homestand on Saturday (Dec. 1) versus FIU.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 31 – UTA 26

• UTA scored the first points of the game, making 1-of-3 at the free throw line, within the first 30 seconds. However, the Razorbacks answered with a 7-0 run and never surrendered the lead.

• UTA cut its deficit to one, 15-14, after a 3-pointer by Edric Dennis at the 7-minute mark.

• While the Razorbacks struggled at the line early (making just 6 of their first 13), Daniel Gafford, Adrio Bailey, Jalen Harris and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson combined to make for eight straight inside the final six minutes to give the Razorbacks breathing room.

• Daniel Gafford had back-to-back dunks, one an alley-oop from Desi Sills and another from Jalen Harris, to give the Razorbacks a 9-point lead (29-20) to match their largest lead of the half with 1:42 left.

• Arkansas only made eight baskets in the half, shooting 32 percent. However, the Razorback defense held the Mavericks to just 28.6 percent shooting.

• Daniel Gafford was Arkansas’ leading scorer at the half with 12 points, going 6-of-6 at the line.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas forced 11 turnovers and UTA only had one assist.

• UTA cut its deficit to three twice early in the second half, but the Razorback bench – and their defensive effort – helped on a 6-0 run, capped by turnover and a Reggie Chaney dunk, for a 12-point lead 51-39.

• Isaiah Joe ended a 3-point drought as part of a 15-6 run from 8:18 to 4:22 for a 17-point lead, the largest for the Razorbacks at the time.

• A Reggie Chaney dunk with 11 seconds left put Arkansas up 18 and provided the 78-60 final score.

GAME NOTES:

• Arkansas starters were Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Daniel Gafford (F).

• UTA controlled the tip and scored the first points of the game when Brian Warren made 1-of-3 free throws at 19:36.

• Arkansas improved to 8-0 all time versus UT Arlington, including a 6-0 scoresheet in Fayetteville.

• Arkansas is now 130-7 under head coach Mike Anderson when leading at the half, including 44 consecutive.

• Jalen Harris scored the first points for the Razorbacks, a layup at 18:44.

• Isaiah Joe made the Razorbacks’ first 3-point attempt of the game and the team missed its next 12 until Joe made a trey with 6:38 left in the second half.

• Daniel Gafford made a career-high nine free throws and 10 attempts ties a career high.

• Jordan Phillips made two free throws with 1:47 left in the game to put Arkansas up 18 (76-78) for the freshman’s first two career points.

Anderson on team starting to come together in win over Mavs

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson talked after the 78-60 win over UT-Arlington at Bud Walton on Friday night and how the team is starting to come together and take shape.

Gafford, Chaney talk about play inside in win over Mavericks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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0

Razorback players Daniel Gafford and Reggie Chaney talked after Arkansas’ 78-60 win over UT-Arlington on Friday night.

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